Payment for Exchanges

[Mike White]

The concept of a "barista exchange" has been out there for a while, and now that Matt has created this site to facilitate the process, I have a question that I haven't seen addressed yet.

How do you pay a visiting barista? You can't put them on payroll for a week. Do you pay them cash? Do their own shops pay them for the time spent in someone else's shop? Do they work for free just for the experience in a new city and shop?

What's the SOP here?

[Jesse -D->]

I have to say, the shop that hosts a barista is doing the barista a favor as much as the opposite is true. You are broadening your experience and learning the whole time. To expect to be paid just like every other barista t that shop is asking a lot. The shop has to set you up, trust that you will do a good job, and shaft one of it's loyal employees out of a shift. I think that putting you up is payment enough in most cases, and if you can't afford it then it is not the shop that you want to visit that is responsible for that.

my 2 cents,

although I would love to tour around and get paid along the way. It just doesn't seem like the appropriate arrangement.

man if I could only spell.

[Samantha Bako]

I would be pretty thrilled just to have a place to crash and some help in getting there, which is probably expense enough for any shop, anyhow.

[Tiffany Ann]

Is this really possible?...Travel and make coffee...did my dreams just come true??

[Mike Malott]

That's a great question. I'd love to know because I need to find a way to get a transfer into a barista job or ANYTHING in Columbus, Ohio from Englewood, Ohio. I NEED OUT OF THE SMALL TOWN! Some give me a hand!?!?! :).

[Jesse -D->]

Luck Bros. in Columbus makes some rocking coffee, I'd call them.
http://luckbroscoffeehouse.com/cms/

oh and it is defiantly possible there Tiffany Ann

Mike Malott said:

That's a great question. I'd love to know because I need to find a way to get a transfer into a barista job or ANYTHING in Columbus, Ohio from Englewood, Ohio. I NEED OUT OF THE SMALL TOWN! Some give me a hand!?!?! :).

[Mike Spence]

By the way, Andy from Luck Bros. is a member here as well. http://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/Andy78

Jesse -D-> said:

Luck Bros. in Columbus makes some rocking coffee, I'd call them.
http://luckbroscoffeehouse.com/cms/

oh and it is defiantly possible there Tiffany Ann

Mike Malott said:

That's a great question. I'd love to know because I need to find a way to get a transfer into a barista job or ANYTHING in Columbus, Ohio from Englewood, Ohio. I NEED OUT OF THE SMALL TOWN! Some give me a hand!?!?! :).

[Jesse -D->]

well done Mike, that slipped my mind.

[fatima zohra salah]

i have a coffee shop in Rabat Morocco and i am interested in exchanges. I am a beginner and I am looking for opportunities to do training in the U.S. I will be in the U.S. on the 17th for 10 days and i will be based in New Jersey, could you help me out with information on how to be trained as an owner of a coffee shop that started last year and it si not doing well and how to be a good barrista
thanks a lot
[e-mail]

[kartika rachmawati]

yes make it legal it will be great and not only for aweek like amont its better it will be good ( uuh cant wait for it!!!)

[Ron Ingber]

In a different life, I participated in a training class (sponsored through a local community college). All of the trainees were PAID a small stipend (worked out to $5 per hour) for our training time.

Since the $ amount was so small, there were no taxes withheld, although I did receive a W-4 at the end of the year.

There are lots of different ways to "bend" the rules when things are referred to as training or educational programs.

Ron, the Country Guy

[Jonathan Rodriguez]

Hello everyone. I'm a shop owner in El Salvador, country that cultivates the incredible PACAMARA and PACAS Arabic coffee varieties. We are about 15 days old, just opened our doors, we would love to have a Barista with national and international experience visit us and train us for national competition on february 2010. We cant afford to pay cash, but with loads of COE Salvadoran Pacamara Coffee, and COE Sweet Bourbon green or roasted however you want it. All accomodations and meals would be on us. Hope you find our offer interesting, please contact me at my e-mail: [e-mail]

I was told to place my ad between your conversations was the best way of finding an experienced Barista willing to give us a hand. Thank You!

[alyssa]

i think there should be 2 different packs of information honestly. one for even exchanges and one for guest baristas.

if there is an even exchange it should be worked out more so between the 2 shops than the individual barista. that way no one is really giving up an employee because its an even exchange. also that way you can continue to pay your own employee. as for travel cost i think the barista should pay for it. youre employer is still paying you for time worked but since it is kind of a working holiday the travel cost is up to you.

for guest baristas though i think as long as youre approved to go to another shop its between you and the other shop. and if thats the case then its kind of up to the shop owner to choose how they run their guest program. choose between paying the barista or paying for their travel. or do you run it so that everyone who guests has been invited there and you give them some incentive to come work for you? can people request to come to your shop?

im starting the program at the shop im at in LA. for now, itll be a guest program where we ask people to come in or see if any shops would like to lend us one of their baristas to showcase. also, we carry multiple roasters so if youre a barista from a roaster, part of that includes bringing your coffee to showcase as well. as soon as i know about the legal aspects as far as insurance and anything else ill let everyone know exactly how its getting done. for now those are just my ideas. hoping to line up one or 2 baristas a month. which is a guess because i dont know if more or less is possible. if anyone knows anything else about what happens when you label it an educational program or training please let me know! and i look forward to having you guys in my shop :]

any takers so far?