Cafe Manager | West Hollywood

Blank Street•Los Angeles, CA

21h•Onsite

About The Position

As a General Manager at Blank Street, you are responsible for leading the store and its team. You hire, coach, and develop Baristas and Shift Leads, creating a supportive, motivated environment where the team can deliver excellent customer experiences. You also oversee store operations, including labor planning, inventory management, and performance against key targets. Using store KPIs, you identify opportunities and turn them into practical plans for continuous improvement. You lead from the floor and set standards for product, hospitality, and operations while building a culture of accountability and improvement. The role includes establishing and maintaining hospitality systems and standards; managing sales, labor, inventory, and waste; recruiting, onboarding, developing, and retaining team members; and planning and implementing store initiatives. The position requires full-time availability of 45–50 hours per week across five days, including the store’s two busiest days each week, usually Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Requirements

At least 4 years of experience managing and leading single-store operations in high-growth hospitality or consumer brands.
Experience hiring, developing, and managing hospitality teams.
Experience managing inventory and supply chain ordering.
Full-time availability, 45–50 hours per week, five days per week.
Ability to work the store’s two busiest days each week, usually Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
Strong hospitality orientation and commitment to excellent customer and employee experiences.
Ability to hire, develop, and coach employees and create an environment where they can perform well.
Operational understanding of store management, including people, labor, inventory, and daily priorities.
Sound decision-making and ability to manage multiple priorities while staying calm in a fast-paced environment.
Clear and effective communication skills and ability to build relationships, align teams, and motivate employees.
Strong knowledge of specialty coffee, espresso, and equipment, with care for consistent product quality and customer experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a unionized environment.

Responsibilities

Establish store systems, behaviors, and processes, such as workflow boards and cleaning routines.
Coach employees to meet hospitality and operational standards, lead by example, and assist behind the bar when needed.
Monitor hospitality standards on the floor, address performance gaps, and hold the team accountable.
Build a customer-first store, develop a community of regular customers, and handle complex customer issues.
Track store sales against targets, understand performance drivers, and use operational levers to maximize store potential.
Meet labor targets set by the Operating Manager and schedule the appropriate employees for each shift and station.
Order, receive, and count inventory; manage waste and resolve inventory variances.
Recruit Baristas and Shift Leads and build a capable team aligned with store standards and culture.
Manage onboarding by assigning trainers, creating training schedules, and monitoring training execution.
Develop team members through training pathways, feedback, one-on-ones, and coaching.
Support retention through recognition initiatives and team events.
Review store KPIs weekly, identify priorities, and translate insights into clear actions.
Create and execute weekly and quarterly store plans, and report progress to the Operating Manager.
Implement initiatives such as menu launches and technology tools through communication, training, and adoption tracking.
Prioritize personal and team time while balancing immediate store needs and longer-term priorities.