He started as a part-time Starbucks barista at 17. Now he’s an exec designing the menu

For most people, a part-time barista job while studying is a means to an end: something to top up their bank account and pad their résumé before landing a “real” job. Sam Henderson thought the same when a friend convinced him to apply for a role at a Starbucks in Leicester, U.K., at 17. He needed pocket money, so he threw on the green apron. Nearly 20 years later, he’s the man responsible for every drink flavor served across Starbucks stores in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He created the famous Cookies and Cream Frappuccino. He has a house, a passport full of stamps, and a company-paid food science degree-level apprenticeship—all from what started as a Saturday job pouring coffees. “It’s amazing to think that from a part-time job, I’ve got this life now that I couldn’t have imagined when I was younger,” he tells Fortune. Henderson’s story is timely. As AI continues to wipe out entry-level office jobs, barista and hospitality roles are quietly becoming one of the more viable places to start a career—better paid, more stable, and with more room to grow than most people assume. Henderson is proof of what’s possible. And he’s got some pointed advice for Gen Z workers who think they’re too good for barista jobs. “I would never shut down any opportunity,” he says, adding that you never know what path it could lead down. Promotions and big breaks “can come from anywhere.” “When you look at hospitality, it isn’t just the isn’t just the job that you see in front of you. There’s this whole support network that goes behind it,” he adds. “If you choose to work at a coffeehouse, it’s a great job. If you choose to work for the restaurant, it’s a great job. But if you do want to do something different from that, there are opportunities within that business.” Case in point: Despite starting out taking orders and serving commuters their caffeine hits, Henderson’s now working in St