ABOUT US
We're a French-inspired bakery café serving a range of traditional products that emphasize quality, consistency, and presentation. We offer viennoiserie, bread, chocolate, dessert pastries, sandwiches, crêpes, and espresso drinks — made by a skilled kitchen team that has been together for nearly a decade. With new ownership and a clear vision for growth, we are building the leadership team that will take us into its next chapter.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Front of House Manager is the operational leader of the café floor and the primary point of contact between the front of house team and the kitchen. This is a hands-on management role — you will build, train, and develop shift leads who own the floor day-to-day, while you focus on the people, systems, and guest experience that make the front of house run well.
Our coffee program is a core part of the guest experience. The FOH Manager owns that program — setting the standard, training the team, and ensuring every espresso drink is consistent, well-executed, and representative of the café.
You will report directly to the owners and work in close partnership with the Executive Chef, who oversees the back of house. Together, you are the day-to-day operational leadership team.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Lead the Front of House
- Supervise, train, and develop all FOH staff: baristas and the crêpe team
- Train and develop shift leads to own daily floor operations independently
- Build and manage weekly schedules to meet coverage needs while controlling labor costs
- Set and maintain standards for service, hospitality, product knowledge, and presentation
- Establish and oversee opening and closing procedures and hold the team accountable to them
- Conduct onboarding and ongoing training for new FOH hires; document staff performance through written coaching notes, warnings, and improvement plans; maintain records that support consistent, defensible employment decisions in partnership with ownership
- Lead hiring and, when necessary, termination of FOH staff in partnership with ownership
Coffee Program
- Own the espresso and coffee program end to end — equipment calibration, grind settings, extraction standards, milk technique, and drink recipes
- Develop and maintain written drink specs and training materials so every barista executes consistently regardless of shift
- Train new baristas to standard before they work the bar independently; conduct regular quality checks and recalibrate as needed
- Over time, introduce seasonal or creative offerings that reflect brand and quality standards — in coordination with ownership
- Monitor coffee and milk usage, waste, and yield as part of broader FOH cost management
Own FOH Operations
- Maintain café equipment — espresso machines, grinders, refrigeration — and ensure issues are addressed promptly
- Manage inventory and ordering for all FOH supplies — coffee, milk, syrups, cups, napkins, packaging, and smallwares — monitoring par levels, coordinating with the kitchen on shared needs, and placing orders to avoid outages without overstocking
- Actively monitor supplier pricing and market rates; identify opportunities to reduce costs, consolidate vendors, or adjust ordering patterns and bring recommendations to ownership
- Serve as the primary point of contact for FOH vendors, suppliers, and service providers — scheduled meetings, delivery coordination, and emergency maintenance calls; expected to be reachable and responsive when operational issues arise outside core hours
- Manage Square menu updates including seasonal items, descriptions, and pricing in coordination with ownership
- Ensure accurate cash handling, daily drawer reconciliation, and POS close-out; investigate and document discrepancies
- Serve as the FOH point of contact for Board of Health inspections; maintain required logs, keep staff certifications (ServSafe or equivalent) current, and ensure the floor is audit-ready at all times
Partner with the Kitchen
- Serve as the daily liaison between FOH and BOH — communicating product availability, customer feedback, advance orders, and pacing
- Own the FOH side of catering and advance orders — intake, confirmation, timeline tracking, and day-of execution — coordinating closely with the kitchen to ensure nothing falls through the gap
- Keep staff informed and confident about new products, seasonal offerings, and ingredients
Guest Experience
- Be present and visible on the floor during peak periods — weekends and holidays
- Handle customer concerns and complaints with professionalism and good judgment
- Build relationships with regulars and create an environment people return to
- Identify service gaps or experience opportunities and bring recommendations to ownership
Nice to Haves
- Experience with or interest in supporting social media and local marketing efforts
- Ability to contribute to menu presentation, seasonal naming, and FOH-facing menu design
- Comfort reading daily and weekly sales reports — connecting decisions like scheduling, ordering, and staffing levels to revenue trends, slow periods, and product mix; able to spot a pattern and bring a recommendation rather than waiting to be asked
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- 3+ years managing a café or bakery front of house
- Deep knowledge of espresso and coffee — you can dial in a grinder, calibrate extraction, develop drink specs, and train a barista from the ground up; you hold the standard and you notice when it slips
- Bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred
- Experience scheduling and developing a team of 10+ across variable hours
- Comfortable with inventory management and vendor communication
- Calm, solutions-oriented, and effective under the pace of a high-volume retail environment
- A genuine hospitality mindset — you notice the details that make a guest feel welcome, you handle complaints with grace, and you build the kind of environment people return to
- Familiarity with POS systems; Square experience a plus
- Valid driver's license and reliable personal transportation required; role includes occasional local errands, vendor pickups, and supply runs
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Able to work a variable schedule including early mornings, weekends, and holidays per the needs of the business
- Able to lift 50+ pounds
- Ability to walk, stand, and/or bend continuously for extended periods
- Ability to accurately input information into café management systems
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Annual Salary: $60,000 – $70,000, based on experience
Schedule: Full-time salaried, six days per week. Core hours are generally 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Hours flex based on operational needs — some opening and closing coverage may be required. One designated remote day per week for administrative work (ordering, scheduling, reporting). Weekend and holiday availability required. Floor presence is approximately 25% of the role.
We offer an Annual Bonus, health care contributions, a 401K program with a 3% match after 6 months, commuter benefits, paid vacation days, and employee discounts.
Pay: $60,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Experience:
- pastry: 4 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
