Lead Barista – Mobile Coffee Events (Part-Time, Solo Operator) | $40-$55/hr Avg with Tips

Job Title: Lead Barista – Mobile Coffee Events (Part-Time, Solo Operator) | $40-$55/hr Avg with Tips

Company: Josie's Coffee Co.

Warehouse Location: Off SR-50 in Clermont, FL — about 8 minutes from the Clermont/Winter Garden exit on Florida's Turnpike.

Event Locations: Orlando Metro & Central Florida

Job Type: Part-time

Expected Hours: 8-24 per week

Pay: $21.89-$26.36/hour base + tips + mileage reimbursement (expected total $40-$55/hour average)

About Josie's Coffee Co.

We're a mobile espresso bar serving weddings, corporate events, brand activations, and expos across the Orlando metro area. We've worked events for clients like AdventHealth, Morgan Stanley, Lockheed Martin, and Amazon, and we're growing fast. Our brand is built on three things: great coffee, real hospitality, and showing up like professionals. We're hiring a Lead Barista who lives that same way.

The Role

This is a solo operator role. For each event, you'll arrive at our Clermont warehouse, load our flatpacked cart and inventory into your vehicle, drive to the event site, set up the full bar, run service as the barista, break down, clean, and return everything to the warehouse. You are the face of Josie's at every event you work.

Most events run 4-8 hours total from load-in to load-out. Expect 1-3 events per week depending on your availability and our event calendar.

Compensation

Base pay: $21.89-$26.36 per hour depending on experience

Drive time: Paid at your hourly rate

Mileage: Reimbursed at the IRS standard rate

Tips: Consistently strong at our events — they often meaningfully exceed base pay

Expected total earnings: $40-$55 per hour on average based on recent event data (tips are never guaranteed and vary by event)

Schedule

Part-time with variable hours, typically 8-24 hours per week across 1-3 events. Most events are morning service, with load-out wrapped before 3pm and often earlier. Our events are split fairly evenly between weekdays and weekends — corporate events, hotel activations, and expos often fall Tuesday through Thursday, while weddings and private events typically land Friday through Sunday. We work around your availability — tell us what days and times you can offer and we'll match events to it. Strong applicants will have flexibility across both weekdays and weekends, and be available for early morning load-ins.

What we're looking for

Strong barista experience is required. You should be confident dialing in espresso, steaming milk to spec, and producing clean drinks at volume under pressure. If you've been the person other baristas come to with questions, this role is built for you.

Event or catering experience is a plus. Lead-shift or management experience is a plus, since you'll be operating without a manager on-site. Neither is required if your craft and ownership are strong.

Transportation and equipment

You'll use your personal vehicle to transport our flatpacked cart and inventory between our Clermont warehouse and event sites. Our warehouse is located off SR-50, about 8 minutes from the Clermont/Winter Garden exit on Florida's Turnpike — easy access from anywhere in the Orlando metro. You need a vehicle that can carry our cart and a Cambro cooler — typically an SUV, truck, minivan, or wagon. We'll verify fit before hire. We reimburse all mileage and pay all drive time.

Requirements

• 1+ years of paid barista experience (specialty coffee preferred)
• Valid Florida driver's license, held 3+ years, with clean driving record
• Personal auto insurance with at least 100/300/100 liability limits
• Reliable transportation to our Clermont warehouse
• Vehicle with cargo capacity for cart transport
• Ability to lift 50 lbs and stand for extended periods
• Available across both weekdays and weekends, including early morning load-ins (typically around 6am, occasionally as early as 4am for premium events)
• 21+ (insurance and driving requirement)
• Reliable smartphone for time tracking and event coordination

You'll thrive here if you

Take ownership without being told what to do, treat hospitality as a craft, stay calm when something goes sideways at a wedding, and represent a brand with warmth and professionalism. You enjoy working independently and you take pride in handing back a clean cart at the end of a long day.

Perks

Shift drinks on the house. Stocked snack fridge at the warehouse for before and after events.

Growth potential

We're growing. While we can't promise specific timelines, there is real opportunity for increased hours, full-time status, and leadership roles for the right person.

To apply

Send your resume and a short note (2-3 sentences is plenty) telling us about your favorite drink to make and why.

Equal Opportunity

Josie's Coffee Co. is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate applicants based on qualifications, experience, and fit — not on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.

Pay: $21.89 - $26.36 per hour

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Paid training

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Application Question(s):

• Do you currently hold a valid Florida driver's license that you have held for at least 3 years, with a clean driving record (no DUIs, no more than 1 moving violation in the past 3 years, no at-fault accidents in the past 3 years)?
• Are you 21 years of age or older?
• Do you currently carry personal auto insurance with at least 100/300/100 liability limits, or are you willing to obtain this coverage if hired?
• Are you available for early morning shifts, with most events starting around 6am at our Clermont warehouse, and occasional events requiring 4-5am load-ins?
• Can you lift up to 50 pounds and stand for extended periods (4+ hours)?
• How many years of paid barista experience do you have?
• What is your current zip code?
• Are you comfortable dialing in espresso (adjusting grind, dose, and yield) on commercial equipment?
• Do you have experience as a lead barista, shift lead, or manager in a hospitality setting?
• Have you worked any catering, event, or off-site coffee service before?
• What type of vehicle do you have?
• Which days are you currently available to work?
• How many hours per week are you currently looking to work?

Experience:

• Barista: 1 year (Required)

Work Location: In person