Hospitality and workplace English · English through Australian life

Your First Café Job in Australia: Useful English for New Staff

First-shift café phrases for greeting customers, asking a supervisor for help and communicating with colleagues.

Experienced barista showing a new café worker how to prepare coffee during a training shift in Melbourne.

Published 14/10/2026 · Educational guide

What you need to know

A first café shift can be busy. Polite, clear questions help you understand tasks and stay safe at work.

Ask who supervises the shift, where to find the roster, and what to do if you are unsure about a task. Do not guess at food safety procedures.

Pay, breaks and other entitlements depend on the applicable award and work circumstances. Different cafés can be covered by different awards.

Useful English phrases

I'm here for my first shift. Who should I check in with?
Could you please show me how to use the till?
Sorry, could you repeat that more slowly?
I'll check with my supervisor.
Where can I find today's roster?

Real-life conversation practice

Supervisor: Welcome! Have you used this coffee machine before?

New staff member: Not this model. Could you show me the safe procedure?

Supervisor: Of course. We'll go through it together.

Try it yourself

Practise the conversation with a friend. Swap roles, use one new phrase, then ask a polite clarification question. Speak slowly first, then repeat at a natural pace.

Phrase Wall practice: use this phrase

Could you please show me how to do that?

Say the example aloud, then try it in a real conversation. Discover more useful phrases and save your favourites to My Learning.

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Official Australian references

These independent authorities provide the underlying regulatory or safety guidance. Links are external references, not sponsorships or endorsements.

This is an English-learning article. For current legal, workplace or health requirements, follow the linked official guidance and your organisation's procedures.