Job Description
Founding Head Barista at Chepa -- anchor our coffee program on Seven Seeds beans, a La Marzocco Linea Classic and Mahlkönig E65S GbW. Part-time, guaranteed 30+ hrs/week, and real creative input building our Mexican specialty drinks menu from scratch.
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FOUNDING HEAD BARISTA - CHEPA
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Mexican Lonchería & Specialty Coffee Bar | High Street, Northcote
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Part-Time, Guaranteed Min. 30 Hours/Week | Anchored Fri-Sun From $*****/hr (Award Level 3) + Weekend Penalties, Seven Seeds on La Marzocco
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Mahlkönig E65S GbW
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PuqPress
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Chepa is opening in October on High Street, Northcote - a tight, obsessively-executed Mexican lonchería paired with genuinely serious specialty coffee. We're running Seven Seeds on a La Marzocco Linea Classic, dialled in on a Mahlkönig E65S GbW grind-by-weight grinder with a PuqPress - the kind of setup most Melbourne cafés don't invest in from day one. Alongside that, a full Mexican drinks program: atole, aguas frescas, and eventually mezcal and margaritas as we grow into evening trade.
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We're looking for the barista who becomes our anchor behind the machine - the person our casual team is built around, working directly with me to shape both the coffee and the drinks program from scratch.
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The Opportunity
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Founding Head Barista. You're the anchor - we'll bring in casual staff to cover the shifts around you, but the standard on that machine is yours to set.
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Real creative input. Beyond espresso, you'll help develop Chepa's Mexican specialty drinks program and educate Northcote on what it is - genuine creative ownership, not just execution.
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Direct line to the owner.



You report to me. Your read on the coffee and the floor shapes how Chepa runs.
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Guaranteed hours, honestly structured. Part-time, guaranteed minimum 30 hours a week - always Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus additional weekday shifts to round out your week.
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What You'll Own
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Coffee craft. Seven Seeds beans, La Marzocco Linea Classic, Mahlkönig E65S GbW grind-by-weight, PuqPress - dialled in and held to a genuine specialty standard, every cup.
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Mexican drinks program. Atole, aguas frescas, and the specialty coffee drinks that put a Mexican spin on the format - your job is to help set the standard and keep the consistency.
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Educating the neighbourhood. You're the one explaining what these drinks are to a Northcote crowd that's never tried them - equal parts barista and storyteller.
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What We're Looking For
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Comfortable and confident across the full range of espresso-based drinks - not just competent, genuinely good.
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Specialty coffee experience. Trade-relevant qualification or strong hands-on experience at a specialty standard.
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A creative streak. Real interest in developing a drinks menu, not just pulling shots to spec.
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Warm, natural hospitality instinct - you set the tone at the counter.
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Genuine interest in Mexican food, drinks and culture.
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Pay, Transparently
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Base Pay
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Restaurant Industry Award Level 3 - $*****/hr
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Part time, guaranteed minimum 30 hours per week
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Weekend penalties: $***** Sat · $***** Sun
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12% super + 4 weeks annual leave (pro-rata)
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¡En español si es más fácil!

📌 Head Barista (Victoria)
🏢 Chepa Africa Group
📍 Victoria