Job Description: Cafe Manager

Position: Cafe Manager
Reports To: Unit Manager / Operations Manager
Function: Food & Beverage / Operations

Location: Chennai

Position Overview

The Cafe Manager will be responsible for the overall day-to-day operations and performance of the cafe, ensuring a high-quality customer experience, food quality, service excellence, employee engagement, food safety, and financial performance.

The role will lead the cafe team, drive operational standards, manage costs, develop employees, and work closely with the culinary, operations, HR, QHSE, and client teams to deliver a consistent and high-quality F&B; experience.

Key Responsibilities

1. Cafe Operations & Customer Experience

- Manage the complete day-to-day operations of the cafe, ensuring smooth and efficient service.
- Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality food, beverages, service, and hospitality standards.
- Monitor customer experience and proactively address feedback, complaints, and service gaps.
- Ensure cafe opening, closing, production, service, cleaning, and operational checklists are followed.
- Monitor daily service performance, product availability, presentation, and overall cafe ambience.
- Drive continuous improvement in service quality, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
- Ensure the cafe consistently meets company and client-defined operational and service standards.

2. People & Team Management

- Lead, coach, motivate, and develop the cafe team to achieve operational and business objectives.
- Plan manpower deployment and ensure adequate staffing based on business volumes and operational requirements.
- Conduct regular team briefings, performance discussions, coaching, and on-the-job training.
- Identify training and development needs and support individual development plans.
- Build a positive, inclusive, and performance-oriented team culture.
- Recognize and reward good performance while addressing performance gaps in a timely manner.
- Support recruitment and selection of cafe team members in coordination with HR.
- Ensure employee discipline, attendance, grooming, and workplace conduct standards are maintained.

3. Food Quality, Safety & Hygiene

- Ensure strict compliance with food safety, hygiene, sanitation, and workplace safety standards.
- Monitor food handling, storage, temperature control, allergen management, cleaning, and sanitation practices.
- Conduct regular operational and hygiene checks and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
- Work closely with QHSE/Food Safety teams during audits, inspections, and improvement initiatives.
- Ensure all incidents, accidents, food safety concerns, and customer complaints are reported and escalated appropriately.
- Maintain compliance with statutory, client, and company food safety requirements.

4. Financial & Cost Management





- Manage cafe operations within approved budgets and financial targets.
- Monitor food cost, labour cost, wastage, consumption, and other operating expenses.
- Ensure appropriate purchasing, inventory management, stock control, and product ordering.
- Minimize food wastage, pilferage, and operational inefficiencies.
- Analyse operational data and identify opportunities for cost optimization and productivity improvement.
- Support forecasting, budgeting, and financial reviews as required.
- Ensure effective utilization of equipment, resources, and other operational assets.

5. Menu & Culinary Coordination

- Work closely with the culinary team to ensure menu execution, food quality, presentation, and consistency.
- Support menu planning based on customer preferences, seasonality, dietary requirements, and client expectations.
- Ensure correct recipe, portion, presentation, and production standards are followed.
- Monitor food production and service levels to ensure availability during peak periods.
- Support new menu launches, food concepts, promotions, and client initiatives.

6. Client & Stakeholder Management

- Maintain strong working relationships with client representatives and internal stakeholders.
- Understand client expectations and ensure agreed service standards are consistently delivered.
- Participate in client reviews, operational meetings, audits, and business improvement initiatives.
- Work closely with Operations, HR, Culinary, Procurement, Finance, Engineering/Maintenance, and QHSE teams.
- Support new cafe launches, renovations, projects, events, and special catering requirements when required.
- Escalate operational issues appropriately and ensure timely resolution.

7. Reporting, Compliance & Continuous Improvement

- Maintain accurate operational records, reports, checklists, and performance trackers.
- Monitor key operational metrics such as customer satisfaction, food cost, labour productivity, wastage, compliance, and service performance.
- Identify process gaps and implement corrective and preventive actions.
- Use operational data and technology to improve productivity, service quality, and decision-making.
- Drive continuous improvement and standardization across cafe operations.
- Ensure compliance with all company policies, SOPs, client requirements, and applicable statutory regulations.

Key Performance Areas

- Customer satisfaction and service quality
- Cafe operational performance
- Food quality and availability
- Food safety,



hygiene, and audit compliance
- Food cost and labour cost management
- Wastage and inventory control
- Team productivity and employee engagement
- Training and people development
- Client satisfaction and stakeholder management
- Compliance with company and client SOPs
- Continuous improvement and operational efficiency

Candidate Profile

Education

- Graduate/Diploma in Hotel Management, Hospitality Management, Food & Beverage Management, or a related discipline.
- Additional F&B;/food safety certifications will be an advantage.

Experience

- 5-10 years of relevant experience in Cafe, Restaurant, QSR, Hospitality, Corporate F&B;, or Institutional Food Services.
- Experience managing a cafe, restaurant, food court, premium corporate cafeteria, or similar high-volume F&B; operation.
- Solid experience in people management, customer service, food safety, inventory, cost control, and daily operations.
- Experience in a premium corporate/campus environment will be an advantage.
- Candidates from hospitality, QSR, premium cafe brands, contract catering, or corporate F&B; backgrounds can be considered.

Technical & Functional Skills

- Strong understanding of F&B;/cafe operations and service standards.
- Good knowledge of food safety, hygiene, HACCP, and workplace safety practices.
- Strong understanding of food cost, labour cost, inventory, and wastage control.
- Valuable people management and team leadership skills.
- Strong customer service and stakeholder management skills.
- Comfortable working with MIS, Excel, POS systems, inventory systems, and other digital/technology platforms.
- Ability to analyse operational data and use it for decision-making.
- Strong problem-solving, planning, and organizational skills.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.

Key Competencies

- Customer & Service Orientation
- People Leadership & Team Development
- Operational Excellence
- Financial & Commercial Acumen
- Food Safety & Quality Focus
- Problem Solving & Decision Making
- Communication & Stakeholder Management
- Accountability & Ownership
- Planning & Execution
- Continuous Improvement
- Adaptability & Resilience
- Innovation & Technology Orientation

Preferred Candidate Profile

We are looking for a hands-on and customer-focused Cafe Manager who can independently manage daily cafe operations, lead a frontline team, maintain high standards of food quality and hygiene, control operating costs, and build strong relationships with clients and internal stakeholders.

The ideal candidate should have a strong F&B; operational background, excellent people-management skills, commercial awareness, and the ability to drive service excellence in a high-volume cafe environment

If Interested Please share your resume to [email protected].

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