Cafe Team Expert

Barnes & Noble•Burlington, NC

About The Position

The Café Team Expert is an integral leader of the Barnes & Noble café team, developing team knowledge and helping create a welcoming customer environment. The role uses business data to influence sales, trends, waste, and inventory, and works collaboratively with the Store Manager to develop and adapt café action plans that deliver expected results. The Café Team Expert is expected to master the operational competencies of a Barnes & Noble Barista and coach others in drink preparation, food and beverage presentation, visual merchandising, register operations, order taking, and speed of service. The role also supports the bookfloor team when available, helps maintain a safe and secure bookstore, manages food and beverage orders, and submits accurate monthly inventory and waste records. With experience, the Café Team Expert uses product knowledge to make recommendations, reviews sales and inventory reports to improve sales and profitability, meets regularly with the Store Manager to discuss café performance and opportunities, and maintains café safety, hygiene, and sanitation standards. The position involves physical activity, including prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking. The employee may also support other stores in the wider Cluster when able and needed.

Requirements

Master the operational competencies of a Barnes & Noble Barista.
Demonstrate reliable and punctual attendance for scheduled shifts.
Be flexible and responsive to store scheduling needs, including filling gaps when able.
Demonstrate positive, proactive, supportive, fair, encouraging, and respectful behavior.
Provide cheerful and helpful customer service.
Take initiative in personal development, learn enthusiastically, and use feedback to improve.
Listen actively and communicate clearly.
Demonstrate drink-making, food and beverage presentation, and visual merchandising skills.
Operate a register efficiently and support effective order taking and speed of service.
Use bookselling skills to support the bookfloor team when available.
Help maintain loss prevention procedures and a safe, secure bookstore, including identifying theft and de-escalating challenging situations.
Manage food and beverage inventory and submit accurate monthly inventory and waste records.
Perform prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking.

Responsibilities

Develop café team knowledge and create a welcoming environment for customers.
Use business data to influence sales, trends, waste, inventory, and café profitability.
Present business strategies and collaborate with the Store Manager to implement and adapt café action plans.
Maintain reliable and punctual attendance and fill scheduling gaps when able.
Lead by example with a positive, proactive, supportive, and customer-focused approach.
Prioritize resources and barista support to keep shifts on track.
Prepare drinks and maintain food and beverage presentation standards; adjust displays and coach others.
Maintain counter and floor retail fixtures using visual merchandising skills.
Operate the register efficiently, take orders, and coach others on order taking and speed of service.
Support the bookfloor team when available.
Coach the team on loss prevention procedures, identify theft, and de-escalate challenging situations and problematic behaviors.
Manage inventory through effective food and beverage ordering.
Complete and submit accurate monthly inventory and waste logs on time.
Make food and beverage recommendations to customers and serve as a role model to the team.
Review category sales, inventory quantities, and product waste reports, then act on findings to maximize sales and profitability.
Meet regularly with the Store Manager to review café sales performance, profitability, training, and opportunities.
Maintain café safety, hygiene, and sanitation standards.
Comply with company policies and procedures and support other stores in the Cluster when able and needed.