Cafe work | Mumsnet

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 2026-02-27T10:06:03+00:00

I’d like to get a part time job eg in a cafe (seen advert offering work at a local one recently). My experience though has been EA/PA. What are the pros and cons? Can you be trained up?

aBuffetofunreasonableness · 27/02/2026 10:17

I worked in them for years. On your feet all day, gross tasks involving bins, cleaning toilets, food in plugholes, cleaning.

Some customers will talk to you like you're trash, and like you personally set the prices of things in the shop.

Pros: possibly free coffee.
I wouldn't go back if they paid £20 an hour.

SleepingisanArt · 27/02/2026 10:34

I think it depends. We used to employ people with no experience if they had a friendly personality! We could train them to use the till, take orders, make coffee etc but we couldn't train them to be nice, warm and polite. Cafe hours are not as bad as restaurant hours but you do need to be on your feet for your shift. Some people will treat you badly but others will be lovely, same as in any customer facing job.

gototogo · 27/02/2026 10:47

Yes you can be trained in specifics but you need the kind of personality that is friendly with people even those not so friendly to you, able to cope with busy environments taking instructions from multiple people at once, able to learn things quickly, able to cope with problems that occur professionally and efficiently and willing to do not so nice jobs like cleaning the toilets. You will need to do your food hygiene certificate usually online (it’s very straightforward) and then all the normal things like being on time, appropriately dressed etc

Original poster

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 27/02/2026 11:50

gototogo · 27/02/2026 10:47

Yes you can be trained in specifics but you need the kind of personality that is friendly with people even those not so friendly to you, able to cope with busy environments taking instructions from multiple people at once, able to learn things quickly, able to cope with problems that occur professionally and efficiently and willing to do not so nice jobs like cleaning the toilets. You will need to do your food hygiene certificate usually online (it’s very straightforward) and then all the normal things like being on time, appropriately dressed etc

I was a legal sec for 8 years so very good with members of the public and being trained up! Thanks for the comments though.

OP posts:

BauhausOfEliott · 27/02/2026 15:51

The actual work isn't difficult to learn - it's easy to show someone how to take an order and use a coffee machine and a till, so the training is quite minimal and it doesn't take long to pick it up at all.

I would have thought they'd be happy enough to show someone the ropes if they had the right personal qualities for the job. You just need to be good with people, good at multitasking, able to cope in busy environments and alert enough to anticipate customers' needs and serve them quickly. It's definitely more about personal skills than experience, so definitely go for it if that sounds like you.

Usernameunavailableagain12 · 27/02/2026 16:04

aBuffetofunreasonableness · 27/02/2026 10:17

I worked in them for years. On your feet all day, gross tasks involving bins, cleaning toilets, food in plugholes, cleaning.

Some customers will talk to you like you're trash, and like you personally set the prices of things in the shop.

Pros: possibly free coffee.
I wouldn't go back if they paid £20 an hour.

Yea to all of this