As the holiday season kicked up at Starbucks locations nationwide, baristas found themselves navigating long lines, high-pressure drink queues, and emotional exhaustion behind the counter. Through firsthand accounts, there are hidden stresses of working during Starbucks’ busiest time of year, revealing what the holiday rush is really like for those serving seasonal favorites. 

Hoover senior and barista Amelia Mohler shares her experience when it comes to seasonal merchandise. Not every location had the same luck when receiving merchandise, despite the high demand. 

“Unfortunately my store did not receive any of them,” she said. 

For Mohler, the merchandise shortage is only one part of the seasonal strain. The real pressure begins when holiday drinks launch. 

“Once our holiday launch items are released, all baristas get scheduled at their max amount of hours,” she said. “It makes things pretty difficult if you’re busy.” 

Mohler describes how the holiday surge sets the tone for the rest of the season. When clocked in, it’s a fast, demanding stretch. 

“I’d say it’s really stressful,” she said. “Being able to produce drinks at a quick and customer pleasing rate is definitely not the easiest task. But me and my coworkers always try to make the experience enjoyable.” 

Beyond customer interactions, it is also important to consider the emotional demands placed on employees, particularly during peak seasons. Mohler describes the role. 

“I don’t think they realize that Starbucks is more than just a job, and with this in mind, the holiday season does make the job ten times harder mentally,” she said. “We have way more numbers in the queue for drinks and trying to pump those out at a pleasing rate is definitely tolling.” 

For Mohler, when addressing customer stress, communication plays a crucial role in maintaining a positive experience. 

“If a customer is stressed due to wait times I typically try to start conversation and make sure their drink is either soon or already being worked on,” she said. 

Even in the midst of long lines and high stress days, the holiday season has its perks. For some, that spirit is what makes the rush worthwhile, explains Mohler. 

“I honestly feel like the vibes are great customers, in my opinion, are nicer during this time as well,” she said. “Tips are always great during this time of year so that definitely helps out.” 

For Mohler, workload intensity can also vary depending on shift timing. 

“If it’s a morning to mid shift, I typically don’t stop moving and then leave work tired,” she said. “But if it’s mid to close, then it’s pretty relaxed until dinner peak. Things get stressful during that time but it’s typically manageable.” 

Limited availability of promotional items often influences both customer demand and store operations. When discussing bear cup distribution during Holiday Launch Day, Hoover senior barista Teagan Murphy explains its whereabouts. 

“My store received two bear cups for Holiday Launch Day, and then later on in the season (maybe like two weeks), we received two more,” she said. “The stores in our district were in a similar position.” 

Examining a typical shift during peak holiday weeks illustrates the impact of such a high demand. Murphy describes her experience. 

“It’s usually very, very chaotic,” she said. “There is a constant flow of customers and the drive thru can be wrapped around the parking lot. There is a lot of pressure to maintain drive times (getting people out within a certain amount of seconds)that are sometimes really unrealistic for the baristas. I usually work 4-9-hour shifts during these busy holiday weeks, so I can get pretty burnt out. Our busiest hours would probably be 8:30 a.m.-noon and 2 p.m.-6 p.m. It will usually be pretty steady and then we’ll get dead for an hour or so before it picks back up.” 

The holiday season significantly increases pressure on baristas. In describing how the influx of customers affects employees, Murphy highlighted her heightened stress levels. 

“It’s definitely a lot of stress on the baristas during the holidays because there are a large number of customers and a lot of large orders,” she said. “Peak hours at our store during the holidays we have a constant flow of 20-40 drinks at all times.” 

High-demand promotional events often require clear communication and customer understanding. Murphy describes some customer struggles. 

“For the most part I have had positive experiences with customers during red cup day,” she said. “Something a lot of people don’t realize is that it is first come first serve for the red cups. A lot of customers will come later in the day and get disappointed when we have run out, so it’s helpful to come as early as possible.” 

For Murphy, despite increased stress, the holiday season can still offer meaningful and enjoyable experiences for employees. 

“I love getting to work with my fellow partners and holidays at our store are pretty fun,” she said. “I honestly like that it’s busier because it makes time go by faster. I also enjoyed crafting all of the holiday beverages!”