Cafe Manager Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a Cafe manager. Feel free to use our Cafe manager job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a Cafe manager.
Who is a Cafe Manager?
A cafe manager is an individual that manages a cafe’s day-to-day operations. They sell food and beverages to customers. This person is responsible for managing all aspects of the cafe’s operation, including planning menus, working with vendors, training employees, and managing budgets. These individuals work in independent cafes and national chains as well as cafes located on college campuses, hospitals, or privately-owned companies.
Cafe Manager Job Description
What is a Cafe manager job description? A Cafe manager job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of a Cafe manager in an organization. Below are the Cafe manager job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a Cafe manager job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a Cafe manager include the following:
- Supervising, recruiting, and training staff in cafes
- Assisting in scheduling staff members and quickly locating replacements in case of sickness or absence
- Maintaining and monitoring inventories
- Listening to customers and resolving their complaints
- Assigning rules and responsibilities to employees for operational efficiency
- Making sure that the store is maintained following sanitation and cleaning standards.
- Getting customer feedback to help you make the right business decisions or make changes that will meet your customer’s needs.
- Monitoring and managing store employees by conducting regular performance assessments, giving feedback, and setting challenging goals for operational improvement.
- Arranging regular meetings to discuss business development opportunities and other issues.
- Ensuring efficient store operations and communicating clearly with employees
- Keeping the cafe clean, safe, and welcoming for customers.
The following are other important tasks:
- Management of Personnel
The cafe manager is responsible for ensuring that there is enough qualified staff at the cafe. This person is responsible for interviewing, training, and supervising all employees at the cafe, including waitresses. They create weekly schedules, find replacements, and fill in for staff when they are needed. They set job objectives for employees and assess their performance against them in employee reviews.
- Handling Finances
Cafe managers are responsible for managing the cafe’s finances. They ensure that expenses stay within the budget and that sales reach their monthly and daily goals. They might also determine which foods or drinks bring in the most revenue and adjust the menu to increase profitability.
- Managing Inventory
A cafe must have enough food, equipment, and supplies to ensure it runs smoothly. The cafe manager is responsible for counting the stock, ordering updates and replacements, budgeting for new orders, anticipating slow periods and special events, and ensuring that the budget is appropriate. Cafe managers are often responsible for accepting food and supplies shipments, verifying that the right varieties have been sent, and organizing the inventory.
- Monitoring Compliance
Cafe managers are responsible for gathering all necessary paperwork to ensure that all licensing requirements are met. They coordinate with inspectors and make any necessary corrections. As required by the government, they also keep records about food subsidies and sanitation.
Qualifications
- High school diploma or GED
- A bachelor’s degree in business administration, or certification in business management, is highly desirable.
- Extensive experience in management
- Strong business acumen.
- Exemplary management skills
- Great organizational and time management skills.
- Effective communication skills.
- Exceptional customer service skills.
Essential Skills
- Verbal communication skills
You need to communicate effectively with customers, staff, suppliers, and the owner of the cafe. Strong verbal communication skills can make your job easier, and your business more successful. This skill can be listed on your cafe manager resume to show potential employers that you can relay accurate information to subordinates to complete a task.
- Communication skills
Cafe managers communicate with different people including waiters, customers, suppliers, and the owner of the cafe. To ensure that the cafe runs smoothly, a manager needs to have good relationships with all of these people.
- Customer service
You may be required to monitor customers and answer their questions. Employers will appreciate that you can list customer service as a skill.
- Team-oriented
Cafe managers should be able to communicate effectively with their staff by being team-oriented. Employers will appreciate your ability to work in a team.
- Multi-tasking skills
This skill could prove to be a key component in the cafe manager’s ability to manage a profitable business. You could be responsible for managing inventory, contacting suppliers, and creating a monthly budget plan. Coordinating menu changes with the staff is another role. No matter how many tasks are at your disposal, you must be able to prioritize them and identify them.
- Problem-solving skills
Your approach to workplace problems can determine if an employer is interested in recruiting you as a cafe manager. Employers will be impressed if you include problem-solving skills in your resume. This shows that you can solve workplace problems.
Creativity
Cafe managers are not limited to business analytics. You should be able to inspire appropriate menu changes, marketing strategies, and restaurant decor to keep your restaurant current.
- Leadership skills
Cafe managers use strong leadership skills to motivate their staff. They can motivate and supervise employees, and they ensure that all processes are followed.
- Flexibility
Cafe managers must be flexible and be able to determine what their cafe needs are at any given moment. This could include helping out in the kitchen or serving customers during busy hours.
It takes patience to build trusting relationships with your team members. While you evaluate which management strategies will be most effective for your team and staff, be patient with them and their new colleagues.
How to Become a Cafe Manager
- Develop your management skills
It takes time to become a great leader. Listen to your team’s feedback early to learn which strategies are successful and which ones need to be improved. Understanding that change can take time. This is a time to learn new skills and improve your ability as a manager.
- Ask for help
You may want to ask employees to help you learn the opening and closing of a cafe. They might also be able to teach you technical skills like how to use the point-of-sale (POS) system, or where to order supplies.
Your staff will respect you more if you ask for assistance as you learn new skills. This shows you care about your job and perform at a high standard. You will be able to better manage your staff and assist them when they are overwhelmed or short of staff.
- Be proactive
Cafe business can change quickly. You can anticipate challenges and be proactive. You can look to the future when making managerial decisions.
This could be applied to:
- Personal requirements
- Inventory
- Technology
- Marketing
- Menu updates
- Customer trends
- Your team is the key to success
Always set your team up to succeed. This will show your team that you care about their well-being. Your staff should be able to handle your most busy times of the year and day. This will ensure that if someone isn’t there, the other members of your team aren’t under pressure to do more than they can.
It is also possible to ensure that they have all the necessary items. You can ensure that your inventory can handle each day’s demands, that your team members understand where they are working, and that everyone has the same expectations. Fairness can improve your staff’s respect.
- Encourage a sense of community
The best thing you can do for your cafe staff team is to foster a sense of community. People who feel part of a group or family are more likely to do their best to achieve collective goals. Trusting and respecting one another is a way to create a sense of community. You can create an environment that encourages open communication, and you can also foster a fun and playful atmosphere where members of your team are free to express themselves.
You can find new employees that will complement your current staff members if you are in charge of hiring. It is easier to teach skills than to build culture. However, you must be careful not to allow the family-like or friendly culture to interfere with your boundaries. It is possible to be friendly with your staff, but not sacrifice your expectations. To keep your team motivated and happy, you must be consistent but also encourage mutual friendship
- Set goals
Set goals for your team and yourself. Setting goals for yourself and your team can help you become a better manager and prioritize your values. This is also true for your staff. Clear goals and expectations will help to keep them focused and give them a sense of achievement when they achieve their goals. Be consistent with your expectations for your team. To discuss your business and personal goals with your team, you can have team meetings. This will allow you to create a common goal and help to build a sense of shared purpose.
- Establish boundaries
It’s important to foster a sense of community among your employees, but it is equally important to define clear boundaries. This is especially important if you were promoted to a managerial role within your cafe. Working alongside other staff members may have led to friendships. Although it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to stop building friendships with other staff members. Being a manager might require you to communicate your expectations and boundaries in your new role.
You should also take time for yourself to rest and recharge. You can help your staff and yourself perform well by taking a break when necessary.
- Always be available
Being available to your staff always is one of the best ways to support them. Your team will feel valued by being available to them, whether it’s through guidance, feedback, or taking suggestions. You should also be available to help in any situation that arises. Your new role might have different responsibilities. However, it can be a positive thing for your team to see you taking on tasks not normally assigned to managers. Your ability to be helpful and supportive when needed will increase the respect you have from your team.
- Show your appreciation
Show appreciation to your staff by congratulating them for meeting their goals, exceeding expectations, and improving their skills. You can express your appreciation to your staff in many ways, such as giving raises, awarding employee of the month, hosting parties, or writing thank-you notes.
Whatever way you choose to show appreciation for your employees’ hard work, it can help reduce turnover, increase morale, and motivate employees to do a great job.
- Training is the main focus
Help new employees understand the expectations and culture of the restaurant before they are hired. You should give them the support and guidance they need to do their job well, and integrate with the team. Although effective team management may make your life easier, it must also translate into a better experience for your customers. Training employees in different situations is one way to make sure this happens.
If a customer requests a modification to a menu item or questions about the preparation, make sure that your staff can answer any questions and provide assistance. A process should be established for dealing with angry or upset customers. Your team will be more successful in dealing with customers and your business will look better.
- Credit sharing
Recognize the contribution of your team to achieving business goals and show support for them. When upper management compliments you for a job well done and owners praise you, make sure to mention all those who contributed. Don’t take credit for something you did not do. Giving credit to your team can show that you appreciate their efforts and support and that you understand each other’s responsibility for each other’s success.
- Always strive to improve
You should always look for ways to improve your performance, no matter what your current level of satisfaction is with it. This could be a personal improvement, such as improving your managerial skills, or it could also refer to the operations of the cafe and increasing efficiency. Ask your team for suggestions on how you could improve. You might get valuable feedback from your team about restaurant operations, which could be beneficial to the entire business.
It is possible to read articles, books and attend events that will help you further your knowledge and education about the business. You can be a valuable resource to your staff by being proactive in your training.
Where to Work
A cafe manager is essential for the success of a cafe or coffee shop. Cafe managers are responsible for managing the majority of day-to-day operations, having a deep knowledge of coffee, and making sure that staff members are ready and available to serve customers every day.
Cafe Manager Salary Scale
The average annual salary for a Cafe Manager in the United States is $49 576.