COFFEE CONSUMERS PSYCHOLOGY AND BARISTA'S COMPETENCE

Abstract

The article deals with the issue of psychological characteristics of coffee consumers in terms of proving the interdependence between personality temperament type and choice of coffee beverage. The results of the research of the Institute of Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC, USA) concerning the study of the coffee effect consumption on the human psyche are summarized. The scientific conclusions in the triangle "coffee - health - human psyche" are presented. The statistics on the volume of coffee beverages consumption in the world and Ukraine are given as well as findings of a pilot empirical local study on the intensity of coffee beverages consumption by student youth. Consumers' personality traits are characterized due to the dominant choice of coffee beverage. The correlation between the choice of coffee beverage, character traits and psychological type of the consumer is proved. It is proved that the barista's personality is one of the key criteria for the choice of cafe by consumers. The criteria for the professional competence of the barista put forward by the World Barista Championship (communication skills, passion for the profession, ability to be an example and a source of inspiration for others) are analyzed. Emphasis is placed on the requirements for the psychological competence of the barista as a significant component of professionalism. The substantiated assertion is that the priority in the coffee beverage choice should serve for the staff of the restaurant, in particular for barista, as one of the "distinctive signals" about the consumer's personality, building a servicing strategy as well as generating overall satisfaction from the consumption of the product and visiting the establishment. It is proved that: 1) priority in the coffee beverage choice allows to identify the psychological characteristics and personality traits of the consumer; 2) the barista's psychological competence is an influential factor of coffee shops choice.