Hiring a barista in Amsterdam: how to go about it

What a barista does on location

A barista on location builds a coffee bar where your guests are. That is more than making coffee. The barista sets the grinder for the beans and the day, builds the bar, keeps the queue moving and talks to the people on the other side. At the end everything is clean again.

At a festival or conference the work is about pace and consistency: the fiftieth cup has to be as good as the first. In a museum or an office the emphasis shifts to presentation, to knowing the menu and to the guest who comes back every week.

Freelancer or agency

You can hire a barista in two ways: directly from a freelancer, or through an agency that arranges the whole package.

• With a freelancer you talk to the person who will stand behind the bar. The lines are short and you agree exactly what you want. If you already have a machine, this is often the simplest route.
• An agency usually supplies more in one go: machine, extra baristas and the logistics around them. That saves work if you have no equipment or need a large setup.

I work as a freelancer. If there is already a machine, you book me directly. If there is none, I work as a partner of Barista Company. How that works is explained in Booking a barista with or without a machine.

What to look for in a barista

Barista is not a protected title, so the name says little. These are the points to ask about:

• a recognised certification, such as that of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)
• experience at events like yours, and references from earlier clients
• ratings on a platform where you can check them yourself
• how the barista handles beans and milk, and whether there is a preference for specialty coffee

I am SCA certified, regularly work with specialty coffee and have worked more than 300 shifts, with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 on Temper. What an SCA certification means is explained in An SCA certified barista: what it means for your event.

What to know beforehand

With these points you have a request a barista can act on straight away:

1. The date and the times, including the time needed to set up.
2. The number of guests and how they are spread over the day: one peak or a steady flow.
3. The location, indoors or outdoors, and how the barista gets equipment there.
4. Whether an espresso machine is there, is being rented or is missing.
5. Where power and water are in relation to the bar.
6. What you want to serve. All drinks, all kinds of milk and decaf are possible.
7. Who the coffee is for, and whether guests pay themselves or the company does.

How many baristas you need

Plan for the busiest ten minutes, not the average. A hundred guests who drop by over three hours ask for something different than a hundred guests who queue up together during the break. Milk drinks take more time than espresso, and latte art takes more time again than a plain cappuccino.

If you expect a peak, a second barista or a second machine will help. Put it in your request so the proposal can address it. More on building a menu is in Which drinks to put on the menu at an event.

What it costs

I cannot give a fixed amount here, because it depends on your situation. These things mainly set the price:

• how long the barista is there, including set-up and clearing away
• whether one or more baristas are needed
• whether a machine has to come with them
• the location: travel time, parking, loading and unloading
• what is on the menu
• the time of day, for example evening or weekend

This site shows no fixed rate. You get a proposal after you send a request. Always ask what is included, so you can compare proposals with each other.

When to ask

As soon as you know the date. A date that is still far away is no problem. If it is close, ask anyway: you will hear from me whether it works.

How to ask

The form at the bottom of the homepage asks for your name, email address, type of occasion and date. Useful to add: the number of guests, the location and whether there is a machine. The form opens your email program with the request already filled in, so you see what is being sent.