Ooika’s Vision

Ooika is committed to preserving Japanese heritage Matcha. We operate some of the only full-scale matcha mill stones, known as Ishi Usu in the United States. We're looking for Barista who are passionate about Matcha and Japanese tea to join us on our mission.

Our Barista staff help support authentic Matcha by providing efficient operations and deeply personal, warm service. Our team is known for going "above and beyond" for our customers, and your positive and genuine attitude will be key to maintaining that. As Ooika manufactures Matcha in house, staff must have the highest caliber standards with cleanliness. As a mission driven company, you're excited to deepen your Matcha education and share it with our customers.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide an "unreasonably high" level of customer service.

• Ensure all served products meet "social media ready" quality.

• Keep the working and service area clean.

• Maintain hygienic food handling practices.

• Assist with Milling tasks, operating the Ishi Usu stone mill.

• Learn, demonstrate, and teach Matcha knowledge to our customers.

• Handle payment options including: card, cash, and cryptocurrency.

• Follow all Ooika recipes and standard operating procedures (SOPs.)

• Maintain a welcoming, but professional, relationship with co-workers.

• Ability to communicate openly and frequently with Ooika staff and management.

• Assist Ooika staff with training and development of new hires.

• As Ooika is a high-volume business, you'll need to work quickly and efficiently.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ability to work in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.

• Reliable transportation to Ooika Matcha locations.

• Willingness and flexibility to work during our open hours, which will include weekends and holidays.

• Strength to lift at least 40lbs, ideally 60lbs.

• Ability to remain calm and collected in rapidly changing circumstances.

• Consistent and thorough communication skills.

COMPENSATION:

• $16 an hour, depending on experience, plus tips.

• 401(k) savings plan.

• Free drinks on and off shift.

• Employees and family/friends discounts.

Ooika’s Vision

Ooika was founded to help preserve authentic Japanese Matcha. Despite our business being fairly new, we’ve gained an international reputation for our Matcha education, relationship with awarded farmers, and most importantly our hospitality. Everything comes down to care. Real care.

Seasoned in high-volume cafe environments, you’ll help lead your team by example: keeping standards high. Providing general support and expertise in keeping operations running smoothly. Every customer will be greeted. Every drink  made efficiently. Every obstacle creatively handled. You’ll grow with a “ground up” company.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Ensure consistency of customer experience across the entire journey: from entering the store, to receiving their order, to leaving.

• Provide training for new and current baristas including hospitality standards, cleaning standards, and recipe execution.

• Oversee operations and maintenance of all equipment at Ooika including mill-stones, brewing equipment, and service-ware.

• Work with the general manager to coordinate scheduling, staffing, and assisting with coverage when necessary.

•  Exceptional level of hospitality to remember our customers names, predict their needs, and identify how to solve a customer problem.

• Ensure Ooika’s full menu is available to our customers by conducting inventory counts, restocking, and communicating potential shortages and issues before they arrive.

• Audit hygiene, health, and cleanliness standards. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least one year of barista experience in specialty coffee, tea, or hospitality settings with some experience in training or supervision.

• Emotional intelligence, communication skills and ability to maintain professional relationships with co-workers and customers.

• Ability to remain calm and collected in rapidly changing circumstances.

• Reliable transportation to Ooika locations.

• Willingness and flexibility to work during our open hours, which often include weekends and holidays. Willingness to help cover shifts if necessary.

• Strength to lift at least 40lbs, ideally 60lbs.

• Ideal, but not necessary: experience and knowledge of Coffee, including latte art, dialing in espresso shots, and writing tasting notes.

COMPENSATION:

• $18 an hour and up, depending on experience, plus tips.

• 401(k) savings plan.

• Free drinks on and off shift.

• Employees and family/friends discounts.

HONZU's VISION 

Honzu is an elevated take on classic Japanese Kombini style cuisine, in support of Japanese Tencha (unground Matcha) farmers. Heritage Matcha farmers shade tea bushes using rice straw. This practice, known as Honzu, is becoming commercially extinct. Honzu sourcing includes rice from the same farmers that provide straw for Matcha cultivation.

Serving made-to-order, generously stuffed Ongiri with single cultivar rice. Classics like Chicken Karaage and Ebi-Fry, battered and fried in-house. As a mission-driven company, you're excited to deepen your appreciation and mastery of the Japanese culinary arts.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Uphold uncompromising sanitation and cleanliness standards to protect customer well-being.

• Provide gracious hospitality and actual care for each customer.

• Operate with high speed for fast service, while ensuring portion-size precision.

• Follow Honzu’s standardized recipes to the gram accuracy.

• Monitor and verify ingredient quality, temperature, and use-by dates.

• Safely handle TSC and RTE food items, aligning with local ordinances.

• Handle Japanese rice with proper care and techniques.

• Work efficiently in a very small kitchen and exercise strong communication with the team.

• Ensure organization of storage and stock areas.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ability to work in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.

• Reliable transportation to Honzu in Princeton, New Jersey.

• Must have availability to work on the weekends.

• Strength to lift at least 60 lbs.

• Consistent and thorough communication skills.

COMPENSATION:

• $18.75 an hour and up, depending on experience, plus tips.

• 401(k) savings plan.

• Free drinks on and off shift.

• Employees and family/friends discounts.