Grand Central Bakery ignited a bread revolution in 1989 by introducing rustic artisan loaves to Northwest tables. Values are at the heart of our company and sustainability touches everything we do - from where we buy ingredients to how we care for our employees and invest in our communities. A Certified B Corporation, Grand Central Bakery is part of a global movement of organizations using business as a force for good.
Cafe Manager, Fremont Cafe.
Summary: The Café Manager (CM) oversees all café operations at a single location supporting Grand Central Bakery’s mission to serve our customers delicious, authentic food made from high quality local and sustainable ingredients. The Café Manager is key to developing the people, process, and accountability to help GCB cafés thrive. Responsibilities include recruiting, training, and development of café employees; maximizing sales; and ensuring profitability. Inspires and motivates café team members to provide exceptional products and outstanding customer service.
Supervision: This position reports to directly to the Area Café Manager or Retail Director.
Compensation: $73,316.40/year (exempt, not overtime eligible). Comprehensive benefits package.
Schedule: As a full-time, exempt employee, the Café Manager typically works 5 days a week with flexibility to adjust schedule around special projects and may be required to work extra hours and/or days on an irregular basis due to unforeseen circumstances and emergencies. In order to provide appropriate coverage for the café, the Café Manager and the Assistant Café Manager work offset schedules. The Café Manager has either Sunday and Monday or Friday and Saturday as their regularly scheduled days off (weekend) with the Assistant Cafe Manager having the other two days. Regularly scheduled weekends may not be 'split' and must be two days in a row. Integral to their team, the Café Manager balances administrative duties with time scheduled on the floor as a high functioning crew member.
Key Competencies:
Communicativeness
High Standards
Leader Identification
Drive/Energy
Customer Orientation
Talent Development
Positive Impact
Composure
Problem Solving and Decision Making
Mission Focus
Organizing and Planning
Team Management
Change Agility
Essential job responsibilities:
Lives our brand promise to be the best part of our customers’ day by modeling our mission, vision, and values on a daily basis while celebrating our success and identifying opportunities to continuously improve. Cultivates the love of food by displaying passion and knowledge about how our delicious products are sourced and prepared. Encourages, supports, and holds retail teams accountable to sharing this knowledge and passion with customers and coworkers.- Communicates to staff our brand promise to be the best part of our customer’s day and inspires the skills and passion to deliver on it. Sets the bar for helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly customer service and ensures that this standard is adhered to by all retail employees; coaches both tenured staff and new hires on the GCB 3 Steps to Giving Great customer service and other tools. Serves as a conduit for customer and employee feedback to the product team to influence menu assortment and pricing and share compliments, complaints, and suggestions. Fosters and grows strong community connections within each café neighborhood.
- Maintains cafés by creating a warm and welcoming café experience and ensuring that displays and merchandising meet all standards. Supports maintenance and safety standards to protect customers and employees by submitting timely requests and training team members on safety protocols such as PPE, injury reporting, and knife usage. Ensures that cafés comply with all health department and employee safety requirements. Evaluates and maintains product quality through working knowledge of Sandwich bar, Barista/Coffee, Bread, Pastry, and Specials to educate and give feedback to café team.
- Is highly knowledgeable about all menu items, is proficient at all café stations, and is able to serve all products according to GCB specs – including during a rush. Has a "pitches in" mentality, can be seen volunteering with duties or helping others.
- With the goal of running an efficient café while meeting or exceeding sales goals the CM will provide input on the annual café budget created by the Retail Director to support outstanding customer experience, company financial goals, and our Strategic Plan. The CM motivates employees to exceed sales goals and improve customer service experience with thoughtful analysis of key performance indicators (KPIs) including sales, product assortment and quantities, and scheduling. Fosters a positive, team-oriented environment with a healthy competitive spirit.
- Controls costs with careful consideration of payroll, waste management, purchasing behaviors, accounting and money handling processes, labor, and other operating expenses. Strives to improve and innovate processes to improve gross profit and increase efficiency. Educates crew about financial goals and progress toward goals and holds team accountable for efficiency and accuracy (e.g., pars, cash handling, inventory). Investigates trends and discrepancy in café financials.
- Develops a strong café team that is aligned with Grand Central Bakery’s MVV by recruiting, hiring, and training staff; providing continuous feedback through coaching, mentoring, and performance evaluations; recognizes and addresses performance issues in a timely manner and partners with Retail Director and HR to develop action plans for resolution; develops an internal succession plan and a deep bench of talent at all levels of café operations. Inspires and motivates, delegates effectively, sets clear expectations and holds crew accountable.
- Enforces company policies and procedures; completes tasks (e.g., terminations, QSIs, trainings) in a timely manner and trains café leadership team to do the same. Acts as the primary coach and trainer of team on all systems and procedures (e.g., ChefTec, HRIS, office close). Addresses concerns of the retail crew, seeking solutions to problems they encounter and evaluating their suggestions.
- Supports company programs that encourage an inclusive and diverse workforce by participating in activities to cultivate anti-racist and culturally inclusive practices. Educates and inspires team participation in company activities. Holds self and teams accountable to anti-racist and culturally inclusive practices. Immediately disrupts and addresses behavior that is harassing, discriminatory, or otherwise harmful to a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Builds relationships with internal and external resources (vendors, HR, Product etc.). Helps others to improve their relationship building skills; mentors and coaches others in the ways to establish and maintain professional relationships.
- Serves a vital role as a conduit for the positive, constructive flow of information at all levels – staying current on and sharing enthusiasm for companywide internal and external initiatives supporting our mission and brand. Communicates respectfully and professionally at all levels and models the same to team, disrupting and correcting inappropriate communication and inspiring positive, respectful communication.
- Demonstrates problem solving skills by identifying and solving problems in a timely manner. Reaches out to appropriate resources for assistance. Coaches team in creative problem solving; treats problem solving as a learning opportunity for self and team. Proactively comes to the table with ideas and solutions that demonstrate a spirit of continuous improvement.
- Establishes and communicates team priorities based on Grand Central Bakery's MVV, strategic plan, and initiatives. Trains and develops staff to increase their productivity (e.g., teaches time management skills, delegation skills, etc.). Constantly reassesses the situation to ensure correct priorities; is able to switch gears easily between different issues, changing priorities; continually asks “what is the best use of my time now?” Communicates changing goals or priorities to the team and helps them reorganize.
- Demonstrates a continuously high level of pride and enthusiasm about the organization’s brand and company. Leverages meetings and communications to energize teams toward company MVV. Educates team about their role in the Strategic Plan.
- Is a visible, steady, and reliable team leader and is able to influence and motivate team members. Presents a positive presence and projects contagious enthusiasm. Communicates decisions and supporting rationale in a way that is respectful of others and their opinions. Effectively adjusts influence style to fit the needs of the team member. Offers timely and specific verbal recognition and encouragement to pull team members toward goals.
- Understands and communicates key financial metrics and parameters as appropriate to the team. Leads team to achieve its financial goals and ensures that the team understands their role in achieving financial goals.
- Understands Grand Central Bakery's role in supporting our environment and communities and their team's role in meeting company goals. Actively encourages and supports team in participating in organization-wide community support initiatives. Holds self and team accountable for meeting goals.
- Develops strong teams that are aligned with Grand Central Bakery’s MVV by recruiting, hiring, and training staff; providing continuous feedback through coaching, mentoring, and performance evaluations; recognizes and addresses performance issues in a timely manner and partners with the Retail Director and HR to develop action plans for resolution; develops an internal succession plan and a deep bench of talent at all levels of Retail operations. Inspires and motivates, delegates effectively, sets clear expectations and holds crew accountable.
- Understands and communicates safety principles and goals to team. Through regular team huddles, discusses safety goals, Safety Committee meeting minutes, and reviews safety concepts. Actively encourages and supports team in participating in department and organization-wide safety initiatives. Demonstrates an in-depth understanding of safety protocol for area of responsibility (i.e. bread production, kitchen, café). Holds self and team accountable for meeting safety goals and for having regular huddles to discuss safety concerns. Creates training documentation for equipment and ensures that department leadership and staff complete documented training at required frequencies.
Knowledge, skills, and abilities
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Ability to read, write, and speak English required
- Maintains a valid Food Handler's Card at all times and follows health department regulations at all times.
- Intermediate computer skills including use of Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word or comparable programs required
- Proficiency in Retail Point-Of-Sale (Square preferred), and HRIS/ATS/Payroll systems with aptitude and curiosity to learn new systems required.
- Experience coaching, training, and mentoring teams required; 3 or more years’ experience managing in a restaurant environment; fast casual experience preferred.
- Knowledge of all health department regulations concerning food service required.
- Experience and expertise in all floor positions – customer service, barista and sandwich production. Pastry production experience a plus.
- Knowledge and skills to analyzing profit and loss statements and overall financial performance required.
- Experience with and enthusiasm for Open Book Management principles preferred.
Tools and Equipment Used:
Serrated knife- Espresso machine
- Point of Sale (POS)
- Soup Warmers
- Bread slicer
- Dishwasher
- Sandwich grill
- Computer, phone, other office equipment
Physical Requirements:
S: Seldom (1-10%) O: Occasional (10-30%) F: Frequent (30%-70%) C: Constant (Over 70%) N/A: Not Applicable
Sitting
F
Standing
O
Walking
O
Driving
S
Hearing
C
Seeing
C
Lifting
O – 50 lbs.
Carrying
O – 50 lbs.
Talking
F
Climbing Stairs/ Ladders
S
Bending/ Twisting at waist
S
Kneeling/ Squatting
S
Crouching/ Kneeling
S
Crawling
S
Reaching above shoulder
O
Repetitive Arm/ Hand Motion
C
Handling/ Grasping
F
Fine Finger Manipulation
C
Pushing/ Pulling
S
Foot controls/Driving
S
Additional Physical Information:
This position works in a building shared with production facilities is constantly exposed to wheat flour dust and other grain dusts (rye, corn, oat).- Most work is conducted at a computer workstation in an office environment.
It is understood that this does not constitute an exhaustive list of the duties and responsibilities of the Café Manager position but is offered as a general guideline of minimum essential expectations involved in this position.
