Cafe Manager | Boston

Blank Street•Boston, MA

About The Position

Cafe Managers at Blank Street take full ownership of their cafe and are central to its success. They train and develop team members, lead by example in facilities, product quality, and customer experience, and maintain operational standards through inventory and performance management. The role also includes hiring talent, growing the business, driving continuous improvement, and potentially supporting light projects for the broader business and the manager’s professional development. Managers build and coach an engaged team, manage scheduling and timecards, oversee recruiting and training quality, and ensure coffee accreditations are completed on time. They maintain food and beverage quality, oversee ordering and vendor relationships, and manage inventory, waste, and compliance. Managers spend 50–70% of their week behind the bar, delivering customer service and producing food and beverages. They are also responsible for store safety, cleanliness, presentation, audit performance, local relationships, financial performance, sales goals, and business throughput. The role is based in Boston and requires full-time availability of 45 hours per week, with five days of availability and work on two peak days, usually weekend days. The stated weekend definition includes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Requirements

At least 4 years of experience managing and leading single-store operations in high-growth hospitality or consumer brands.
Full-time availability of 45 hours per week.
Availability for five days per week and two peak days, usually weekend days; weekends are defined as Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Experience hiring, developing, and managing hospitality teams.
Experience managing inventory and supply chain ordering.
Love for coffee and customer service.
Strong knowledge of specialty coffee, espresso, and equipment.
Strong decision-making and multitasking skills.
Strong interpersonal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a unionized environment.

Responsibilities

Create an engaging team culture through celebration, training, coaching, and mentoring.
Cover scheduling gaps or team members’ time off when needed.
Create and publish staff schedules in accordance with state and local labor laws.
Review and approve timecards and paid time off requests promptly and accurately.
Recruit talent in collaboration with the People Team.
Oversee and validate training delivered by Shift Leads, providing feedback and coaching as needed.
Ensure new employees complete coffee accreditations on time and in line with company standards.
Work to maintain strong team engagement scores.
Maintain food and beverage quality standards and ensure recipes are executed accurately and consistently.
Manage ordering, vendor relations, waste, inventory counts, and compliance with the Inventory Management System.
Spend 50–70% of the week leading by example behind the bar through customer service and food and beverage production.
Maintain the safety, cleanliness, and presentation of the location in line with company policies.
Achieve company operational excellence standards through the auditing platform.
Build relationships with neighborhood businesses and people to grow local brand loyalty.
Support the store’s financial performance and peak business throughput.
Grow average order value, meet sales goals through creative initiatives, and gain team buy-in.
Ensure the location meets operations and product quality audit standards and act quickly on feedback.

Benefits

15 days of paid annual leave, in addition to company-observed holidays and sick time.
Three health plan options, with full coverage available for two employee-only tiers.
Commuter benefits.
Parental leave.
Bereavement leave.
Free coffee, matcha, and other products through the Regulars program.
Regular social outings with the team.
Free Blank Street swag.

Stand Out From the Crowd

Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.

Upload and Match Resume