Las Vegas site of Starbucks Baristas competition

For many young baristas, a coffee shop gig serves as a stepping stone before transitioning into their chosen career field. For others, it’s a much more serious matter.

So serious, in fact, that baristas will be going head-to-head in Las Vegas next week as part of the Starbucks Global Barista Championship.

The event, held from June 9 through 11, will showcase 12 baristas as they compete in a variety of competitions using their expertise, craft and knowledge.

It’s one part of the corporation’s Leadership Experience conference, which will host 14,000 employees, referred to within the company as partners. The conference had been on hold in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but returns for the first time this year.

The dozen baristas will compete on June 9 and 10 in the semifinals, with four advancing on June 11 to the finals. They’ll be graded on “coffee storytelling” (the company story), craft (skill and coffee knowledge) and connection (customer service).

The championship began a year ago with 84,000 baristas.

One of the competitors from North America is New Yorker Victor, who started at the city’s flagship store in 2014.

“A moment I’ll always hold dear to my heart is winning the New York Roastery Barista Championship. My mother was so proud to see me take home the gold in front of all my peers,” he wrote in his profile.

The event will be broadcast live in several languages on the Starbucks YouTube channel.

Details about where the conference and competition will be housed have not yet been released.