Juice and smoothie bar training checklist

A complete training path for new juice and smoothie bar employees — from produce prep to running the line during a rush.

• Shop orientation and first-day setup — Tour of the prep area, blend stations, cold storage, and wash station. The new hire leaves Day 1 knowing the layout, their trainer's name, and the plan for their first two weeks.
• Food safety and produce handling — Produce washing, glove use, cross-contact awareness, and basic food handler standards — demonstrated at the station, not acknowledged on paper.
• POS, add-ins, and ticket reading — Ringing sizes, boosts, add-ins, and substitutions — plus reading an order ticket so the right build starts every time.
• Produce prep and batch portioning — Washing, cutting, and portioning specs by ingredient; batch prep into portion cups; labeling, dating, and first-in-first-out rotation. Prep is the pace of the whole shift.
• Juicer operation — Assembly, operation, safety, and breakdown of the juicing equipment — plus quality checks and holding rules for fresh juice.
• The top five recipes — The five most-ordered recipes, built step by step — ingredient order matters for blend quality, and reps build the muscle memory that survives a rush.
• Portion control — Scoops, ounces, and why eyeballing kills margins. Free-pouring expensive ingredients is the fastest way to lose money in a smoothie bar, and it's completely trainable.
• Blender operation and consistency — Programs, pulse, when a blend is actually done, and the rinse-versus-wash rules between orders. Includes what right looks like in the cup — consistency is the brand.
• Allergen and clean-blender protocol — Nut butters and common allergens: storage, dedicated tools, the clean-blender protocol for allergy orders, and when to escalate to the manager. Trained before the first solo shift, no exceptions.
• Shadow shift with the assigned trainer — A full shift alongside the assigned trainer with a written skill list: keeping blenders moving during a rush, sequencing tickets, and remakes without drama.
• Closing deep clean — Blender deep clean, juicer breakdown, produce storage, floors and drains — completed independently to standard.
• Reverse shadow — running the line — The new hire runs the line through a real rush while the trainer watches and scores. Right portions, right consistency, blenders never idle — that's the test.
• Trainer sign-off and solo clearance — The trainer confirms every item was demonstrated, dated, and recorded. No sign-off, no solo open or close.