Wioleta Swiatek

In the Italian restaurant Al Banco, Wioleta Swiatek ensures that the coffee not only tastes good but also excites. As a barista and deputy service manager, she spends many hours on her feet every day and is responsible for the entire coffee supply on campus.

Wioleta Swiatek was born in Tarnow, a medium-sized city in Poland that is often referred to as the ‘Polish warm pole.’ She is the youngest of four siblings and, due to the large age difference, was able to learn a lot from them, observe their life paths, and ultimately find her own. She came to Vienna in 2013. Since 2018, she has been working at the Erste Campus in the Italian aperitif bar Al Banco in Vienna. In 2019, she successfully completed her training at the Barista Academy in Krems.

What does a typical working day look like for you?

My day starts early. I get up at 5:20 a.m. because I need about 40 minutes to get to the restaurant. I arrive at 7:30 a.m., and at 8:30 a.m. we open.

This hour of preparation is intensive: we set up the coffee machine, prepare breakfast and service, take pastries from our internal patisserie, check orders, and review the previous day’s sales figures. I am also responsible for ordering goods. This means I have to know exactly what we need – often already for the following day.

In summer, our large outdoor dining area is added as well. That means even more work before the actual work begins.

What are the biggest challenges in your everyday life?

The organisation. I like working in a structured way, but in gastronomy every day is different. You can’t plan exactly how many guests will come or what will happen.

We have three strong peak times: breakfast, lunch and the evening. In the morning, many people come to meetings or for a quick coffee before work. Lunchtime is especially busy. From 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., there is really a lot going on. In the evening, people meet after work or for events. I am often there when others are celebrating.

The greatest challenge is that we, as a team, achieve our goals. Staying calm under stress, communicating well, and trusting one another is essential. If everyone knows which task they are taking on, then it works. Team spirit is everything!

How physically demanding is your job?

I am on my feet all day. 10,000 steps is the minimum for me, even though I work a lot behind the bar. It’s not that big. You are constantly moving, staying focused, responding to guests and organising things in the background.

I take care of the coffee machines – not only here, but also at other locations on campus. I completed additional technical barista training for this. If something needs to be repaired or adjusted, I am responsible for it.

This means a lot of responsibility because coffee is important to many people.

Where does your passion for coffee come from?

My enthusiasm for coffee began during my studies in Krakow. A future barista world champion worked in a small café there. She spoke with so much passion about coffee, about beans, roasting, preparation, that it immediately captivated me.

My desire to learn more grew, so I took many courses. First in Poland, later also in Vienna. Among other things, I completed the barista training at the Barista Academy in Krems and later completed additional technical training.

The world of coffee is huge. You can keep learning about it forever.

What is especially important to you in your work?

Quality and details. I love “latte art”. For some, it might just be decoration, but for me, it is appreciation. Every coffee should show: someone put effort into this.

It is important to me that guests feel welcome, that they are not just customers, but feel seen.

Collaboration within the team, motivation, and support are also important to me, so that everyone feels taken seriously and can continue to develop.

What strengthens you outside of work?

Nature and traveling give me strength. I love hiking in the mountains – it clears my mind. And I love to travel. With my backpack, I have already visited more than 25 countries.

The journey that particularly shaped me was a 5,000-kilometre trip through the USA – from Los Angeles via Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon all the way to San Francisco.

What did you take away from the USA?

The openness in gastronomy. This form of “hospitality” impressed me very much. Every guest is seen. You are greeted as someone who is truly welcome. You are a guest.

That’s what I also wanted to bring to Al Banco: that our guests feel like part of a community and that conversations emerge. Encounter is important; that is what “hospitality” means to me.

What does your work mean to you?

It means responsibility, strength, and endurance. I am on my feet a lot, I carry responsibility for quality, technology and the team. But I do it with passion.

I love what I do. And I am proud of it.

“It is important to me thatevery guest feels seen by us.”