Café Restaurant jobs in St Albans

Café Manager – The Grocer at 35, Hemel Hempstead

Location: Hemel Hempstead
Position: Café Manager
Salary: £28,300 per year
Hours: 35 hours per week
Job Type: Permanent

About us

The Grocer at 35 is a busy, independent food and hospitality business, combining a deli, bakery, café and great-quality food and drink. We pride ourselves on friendly service, quality products and creating a welcoming experience for every customer.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Café Manager to take responsibility for the day-to-day running of our café and help lead our team.

The role

This is a key role within our business, as The Grocer at 35 is the hub of our busy Hemel Hempstead site, with deliveries leaving from the business every day.

As Café Manager, you will play a central role in the successful day-to-day operation of the site. You will be responsible for leading the café team, maintaining high standards of service and presentation, coordinating the daily operation and ensuring everything runs smoothly across the café, deli and delivery operation.

You'll need to be confident managing a team, making decisions, solving problems and leading by example, particularly during busy periods. Organisation, communication and the ability to prioritise are essential, as there can be a lot happening across the site at any one time.

Key responsibilities include:

• Taking overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of the café and site
• Leading, managing and motivating the café team
• Creating and managing staff rotas to ensure the business is appropriately staffed
• Leading by example with excellent customer service
• Opening and closing the site and ensuring all procedures are followed
• Delegating tasks and ensuring the team remains productive throughout each shift
• Ensuring food, drink and service standards are consistently maintained
• Handling customer queries and resolving issues professionally
• Coordinating daily deliveries and ensuring orders leave the site correctly and on time
• Monitoring stock levels and supporting ordering, deliveries and replenishment
• Controlling waste and helping to maintain strong gross profit margins
• Ensuring the café, deli and wider site are clean, organised and presented to a high standard
• Ensuring food safety, health & safety and company procedures are followed
• Training, developing and supporting new and existing team members
• Managing staff performance and addressing issues when required
• Monitoring daily sales and helping the business achieve its financial and operational targets
• Working closely with the wider management team to improve the operation and customer experience
• Taking responsibility for the site in the absence of senior management

What we're looking for

We're looking for someone who:

• Has previous experience managing or supervising a café, restaurant, hospitality or retail team
• Is confident leading and managing a team
• Has excellent customer service skills
• Is organised and able to stay calm and focused when it's busy
• Takes pride in food quality, presentation and cleanliness
• Has good communication and people-management skills
• Is reliable, punctual and takes responsibility
• Can work independently and confidently make decisions
• Has a good understanding of stock control, wastage and costs
• Is comfortable coordinating deliveries and managing a busy operation
• Has a genuine passion for food, drink and hospitality
• Is commercially aware and understands the importance of sales and profitability

What we offer

• £28,300 per year
• 35 hours per week
• Staff discounts
• Opportunities to progress within a growing independent business
• Training and development
• A friendly and supportive working environment
• The opportunity to take ownership of a busy café and delivery operation
• The chance to be part of a growing hospitality and food business

If you're an experienced Café Manager looking for your next challenge and want to take ownership of a busy, growing independent business, we'd love to hear from you.

Job Types: Permanent, Full-time

Pay: £28,300.00 per year

Benefits:

• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount

Flexible language requirement:

• English not required

Experience:

• Supervising: 1 year (preferred)
• Barista: 1 year (preferred)

Work Location: In person