Bookseller and Barista

Job description

Customer service duties including:
• Serving customers at the till
• Recommending books
• Making and serving coffee, wine and other refreshments to customers

Daily bookshop administration including:
• Booking in new stock, putting new orders onto the system and processing returns
• Tidying shelves and displays, regular cleaning of glasses, tables and bar area throughout the day, including end of day cleaning routine
• Answering customer enquiries in person and by website, phone, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and email
• Picking, wrapping and posting online customer orders
• Administration relating to BookBar’s monthly Book Club and Subscription service
• Supporting with stock orders, deliveries and stock takes on F&B, food and administrative products

• Working at off-site and in-store events
• Keeping up to date with current titles and recommending books to customers
• Deputising for the Manager and Assistant Manager, responsible for customer and staff safety, wellbeing and happiness, dealing with any issues that arise in store when the Manager/Assistant Manager is not present.
• Ensuring all policies and best practices are being adhered to by the team and maintaining the high standards of customer service, hygiene and practices expected
• Maintaining high standards of customer service and food hygiene and safety
• Covering emergency sickness etc. in the team, including covering shifts yourself (for which you would receive time in lieu)

Various role available, ranging from 16-24 hours a week (plus extra shifts to cover events, holiday, sickness and at busier periods). The job will require regular evening and weekend work.

We’d love it if you had…

Essential skills​
• Love of people and an enthusiastic, personable, approachable, positive, friendly, helpful and social personality, in line with the BookBar brand
• Love of reading and a desire to keep up to date with publishing trends and new titles, as well as develop a general understanding of key backlist
• Ability to work evenings and weekends
• Desire to learn more about the bookselling and publishing industry and to develop bookselling skills
• Strong organisational and administrative skills
• Ability to work in an active retail environment
• Strong customer service skills
• Desire to work in a close-knit team
• Creativity in considering new and exciting ways to sell books, and a desire to be part of an innovative brand
• High standards of hygiene

There will be occasional solo work, so a responsible personality and ability to respond to problems quickly, carefully and responsibly is required.

Desired skills
Speciality coffee barista experience / hospitality experience

Employer details

BookBar is an independent bookshop, wine bar, events and social space, which brings people together through books. We're a vibrant and innovative brand, always seeking new ways to make books appealing and fun.

We're opening a new shop in Chelsea and are looking for warm and welcoming booksellers to work alongside our friendly, fun and book, wine and coffee-loving team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a love of books, a vibrant and warm personality, an eye for detail and a sense of creativity to be part of the next chapter in BookBar's story: creating a brand new bookish social hub in West London.