Role: Café Manager
Location: Longtown, Cumbria
Salary: £34,000 per annum
Hours: 40 hours per week, including regular weekends and occasional evenings
Contract: Full Time, Permanent
Realise HR is working exclusively with Netherby Hall Limited to recruit an enthusiastic, customer-focused Café Manager for Haithwaite Farm.
Haithwaite Farm is the third and brand-new site for Netherby Hall Ltd. This is a key management position responsible for leading the day-to-day operation of the café, delivering exceptional customer experiences and supporting the continued growth of the business.
Role overview
This is a hands-on management role responsible for delivering exceptional customer experiences, leading and developing the front-of-house team, driving sales, maintaining high operational standards and ensuring the smooth running of the café.
Working closely with the wider management team, including the Kitchen Manager, you will play a key role in creating a welcoming environment that reflects the quality, hospitality and values of Netherby Hall Ltd.
You will be responsible for:
Café Operations & Customer Experience
- Lead the daily operation of the café, ensuring exceptional customer service at all times.
- Ensure café presentation, cleanliness and customer areas are maintained to the highest standards.
- Work closely with the Kitchen Manager to ensure seamless service and product availability.
- Handle customer feedback professionally and resolve issues promptly.
- Support the delivery of events, seasonal promotions and special activities.
- Identify opportunities to improve customer satisfaction and enhance operational efficiency.
Commercial Performance & Sales
- Monitor and drive café sales, profitability and performance.
- Prepare staff rotas and manage labour costs effectively.
- Manage stock ordering, merchandising and inventory control for beverages, retail products and café supplies.
- Maintain accurate records, reporting and cash handling processes.
- Identify opportunities to increase sales while improving overall café performance.
People Leadership
- Manage and motivate the front-of-house team to deliver a consistently high standard of service.
- Recruit, train, develop and support team members.
- Create a positive and customer-focused environment where the team can deliver consistently high standards.
Compliance & Operational Standard
- Ensure compliance with food safety, licensing, health and safety, and company procedures.
- Maintain accurate operational records and reporting.
- Ensure consistently high standards are maintained across all aspects of the café operation.
About you
You will be an enthusiastic and customer-focused manager with previous management or supervisory experience within a café, restaurant, hospitality or retail environment.
A confident and supportive leader, you will have proven experience leading and motivating teams and the ability to create a positive environment where excellent customer service comes naturally.
Commercially minded, you will be comfortable managing rotas, labour budgets and operational costs, while maintaining a clear focus on sales growth, profitability and the customer experience.
You will be professional, approachable and personable, with excellent organisational and communication skills. You will be able to work effectively under pressure in a busy environment, bringing a positive and proactive approach to problem-solving and adapting to changing business needs.
What you’ll bring:
Experience & Skills
- Previous management or supervisory experience within a café, restaurant, hospitality or retail environment.
- Proven experience leading and motivating teams.
- Strong customer service and relationship management skills.
- Experience managing rotas, labour budgets and operational costs.
- Excellent organisational and communication skills.
- A good understanding of food safety and health & safety requirements.
- Experience handling cash, banking and daily operational reporting.
- The ability to work effectively under pressure in a busy environment.
- A positive and proactive approach to problem-solving.
Personal Qualities
- Passionate about delivering outstanding customer experiences.
- A confident and supportive leader.
- Professional, approachable and personable.
- Organised and detail oriented.
- Commercially minded with a focus on sales growth and profitability.
- Flexible and adaptable to changing business needs.
- Enthusiastic about food, drink and local produce.
- Committed to maintaining high standards across every aspect of the business.
Benefits
- Competitive salary of £34,000 per annum.
- Full-time permanent position, 40 hours per week.
- Company pension scheme.
- Staff discounts across Netherby Hall Ltd businesses.
- Training and career development opportunities.
- Opportunity to be part of an exciting and growing business.
- Supportive management team and positive working environment.
Realise HR
Don’t meet every single requirement? At Realise, we are dedicated to helping our clients build diverse, inclusive and authentic workplaces, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we would encourage you to apply anyway! You might be just the candidate we're looking for!
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