Cafe jobs in Southampton

Café Manager, Maddie’s Westquay (Southampton)
Full time | 40 hours per week | £30,000 to £32,000 per annum depending on experience, with a salary review after your first two months
Training at Maddie’s Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, before opening Westquay

Open our second café

Maddie’s is a modern speciality café serving exceptional coffee, premium ceremonial matcha and wellness drinks in the heart of Gunwharf Quays. We’re passionate about quality, community and creating an outstanding customer experience every single day.

In December we open our second café at Westquay, Southampton, and we’re looking for the Café Manager who will lead it.

This role is different. You won’t be dropped into a new site on day one. You’ll start at Gunwharf, learn the Maddie’s way alongside the owners and our team, help recruit and train your own team, and then open Westquay knowing exactly how we work.

About the role

As Café Manager, you’ll be responsible for the day-to-day running of Maddie’s Westquay, leading by example and making sure every shift runs efficiently. You’ll create a positive working environment for your team while delivering an exceptional experience for every customer.

Working closely with the owners, you’ll make sure the right processes are in place from day one and set the standards for our second café.

This is more than a café management role. You’ll be shaping how we operate as we grow across the south coast, with real scope to grow your career alongside the business.

Key responsibilities

• Help recruit, train and build the Westquay team ahead of opening
• Lead, motivate and support the team throughout each shift
• Deliver exceptional customer service and create memorable customer experiences
• Produce weekly staff rotas, making sure staffing levels meet business needs
• Make sure operational procedures and processes are followed consistently
• Be a hands-on leader, working alongside the team during busy service periods
• Prepare and serve speciality coffee, premium matcha and other drinks to a consistently high standard
• Open and close the café following company procedures
• Keep the café clean, organised and presented to the highest standards at all times
• Maintain excellent food hygiene, health and safety and cleanliness standards
• Coach and support team members to deliver consistently high standards
• Handle customer feedback professionally and resolve any issues positively
• Work closely with the owners to keep improving the customer experience and day-to-day operations

About you

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has experience managing or supervising in a busy café, coffee shop or hospitality setting
• Is an experienced barista with a passion for speciality coffee (we’ll train you in our matcha)
• Has experience creating staff rotas and leading a team
• Leads by example and enjoys developing others
• Has excellent organisational and communication skills
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment and stays calm under pressure
• Takes pride in maintaining exceptionally high standards
• Is proactive, reliable and uses their initiative to solve problems
• Can work weekdays, weekends and bank holidays on a seven-day rota
• Has ambitions to grow into a more senior role as the business expands

What we offer

• Salary of £30,000 to £32,000 depending on experience, reviewed after your first two months
• Training at our Gunwharf Quays café before you open Westquay
• 28 days’ holiday including bank holidays
• Workplace pension
• Free drinks while on shift, and a staff discount
• Shopping centre trading hours, so no late nights
• A supportive, friendly and welcoming working environment
• The chance to work directly with the owners and shape how a new café runs from day one
• Real career progression as Maddie’s opens new locations. For the right person, this could be a significant step in their career.

If you’re passionate about hospitality, enjoy leading people and want to help build something special, we’d love to hear from you.

Please send your CV with a short covering letter telling us why you’d be a great fit for Maddie’s Westquay.

Please note: we only accept applications by CV and covering letter. Direct messages through our social media platforms will not be considered.

Applications are reviewed as they arrive, and we’ll be interviewing soon, so please apply early. An immediate or early start would be a real advantage.

Pay: £30,000.00-£32,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Southampton SO15 1QF: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)

Application question(s):

• What is your notice period?
• How many years have you managed a café or coffee shop?

Work Location: In person