Café Supervisor

Tanqeeb; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 100,000 - 167,000; Full time

Job summary

Tanqeeb in Abu Dhabi seeks a Café Supervisor/Manager to oversee daily café operations, ensuring exceptional customer service, beverage quality, and efficient workflow. You will supervise baristas and staff, manage schedules, monitor sales and costs, and maintain inventory while upholding food safety standards.

The role requires leadership, strong hospitality knowledge, and the ability to drive profitability through service excellence and team development.

Qualifications

• Diploma or degree in Hospitality/Business related field is preferred.
• Proven experience in café/restaurant/hospitality operations.
• Experience as Café Supervisor/Manager or similar leadership role.
• Strong understanding of café operations, service standards, and inventory control.
• Ability to manage staff schedules, training, and performance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily café operations, including opening/closing, service, and workflow.
• Ensure food, beverages, and service meet company standards and recipes.
• Welcome customers and maintain a friendly, professional service environment.
• Monitor customer flow, take-out and delivery orders, and reservations.
• Supervise staff to ensure duties are completed efficiently.
• Prepare staff schedules and shift assignments.
• Train and coach employees in service, hygiene, and SOPs.
• Monitor staff attendance and performance.
• Set and track sales targets, KPIs, and labor costs.
• Coordinate with suppliers and manage stock levels and costs.
• Maintain premises cleanliness and compliance with food safety standards.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Customer service

Beverage service

Food handling

Staff scheduling

Cash handling

Communication

Education

Diploma in Hospitality Management

Tools

POS systems

Inventory software

Staff scheduling software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Position Overview

We are seeking a professional, customer-focused, and results-driven Café Supervisor / Manager to oversee the daily operations of a café while maintaining high standards of customer service, food and beverage quality, cleanliness, and operational efficiency. The role is responsible for supervising staff, managing daily workflows, monitoring sales and costs, maintaining inventory, and ensuring a welcoming and consistent customer experience. The Café Manager will take overall responsibility for café performance, staffing, budgeting, supplier coordination, and business operations, while the Café Supervisor will support the Manager in leading the team and maintaining smooth day-to-day operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee daily café operations, including opening and closing procedures, customer service, food and beverage preparation, cleanliness, stock management, and overall workflow.
• Ensure all food, beverages, coffee, and service products are prepared and presented consistently according to company recipes, quality standards, and operating procedures.
• Welcome customers and maintain a friendly, professional, and efficient service environment.
• Monitor customer flow, table service, takeaway orders, delivery orders, reservations, queues, and peak-period operations.
• Handle customer enquiries, feedback, complaints, and service recovery professionally and efficiently.
• Supervise baristas, servers, cashiers, kitchen staff, and other café employees to ensure duties are completed effectively.
• Prepare staff schedules, shift assignments, break schedules, and manpower plans based on business requirements.
• Conduct daily briefings and communicate promotions, menu updates, operational priorities, service standards, and important information to the team.
• Train, coach, and support employees in customer service, beverage preparation, food handling, POS procedures, hygiene, safety, and company policies.
• Monitor staff attendance, punctuality, grooming, performance, conduct, and compliance with operating procedures.
• Set and monitor sales targets, service KPIs, average transaction value, customer satisfaction, labour productivity, and other operational indicators.
• Support revenue growth through upselling, cross-selling, promotions, seasonal products, loyalty programmes, events, and other sales initiatives.
• Monitor daily sales, transactions, discounts, refunds, voids, complimentary items, and cash handling procedures.
• Operate and monitor POS and payment systems and ensure accurate end-of-shift cash reconciliation.
• Monitor food and beverage inventory, stock levels, expiry dates, wastage, damaged products, and consumption patterns.
• Coordinate receiving, storage, labelling, stock rotation, and replenishment of food, beverages, coffee beans, packaging, and operating supplies.
• Apply appropriate FIFO/FEFO inventory practices and maintain accurate stock records.
• Coordinate with suppliers and purchasing teams regarding orders, deliveries, product quality, pricing, shortages, and supplier issues.
• Monitor food, beverage, packaging, labour, utilities, and other operating costs to support profitability.
• Identify unnecessary wastage, over-ordering, stock discrepancies and operational inefficiencies and take corrective action.
• Ensure café premises, counters, dining areas, kitchens, storage areas, equipment, and customer facilities remain clean, organised, and presentable.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, hygiene, sanitation, allergen management, health and safety, and company standards.
• Monitor cleaning schedules, temperature controls, food storage, equipment sanitation, and safe food‑handling practices.
• Conduct regular checks of coffee machines, grinders, refrigeration equipment, ovens, POS systems, and other café equipment.
• Coordinate equipment maintenance and report technical problems promptly to the appropriate service provider or management.
• Support menu updates, seasonal products, new beverage launches, promotions, tastings, and product development activities.
• Work with Marketing and Management teams to implement promotional campaigns, social media initiatives, events, and customer engagement activities.
• Monitor customer preferences, market trends, competitor activities, and local café developments and provide relevant feedback to management.
• Coordinate private events, corporate orders, catering requests, group bookings, and special customer requirements when applicable.
• Maintain accurate operational records, including sales reports, stock reports, wastage records, staff records, incident reports, and daily shift reports.
• Prepare regular performance updates covering sales, costs, staffing, inventory, customer feedback, operational issues, and KPIs.
• Ensure all company cash, stock, equipment, keys, customer information, and other assets are properly controlled and secured.
• Handle operational emergencies, equipment failures, staffing shortages, customer incidents, and other unexpected situations appropriately.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, training, performance reviews, and development of café employees.
• Promote teamwork, professionalism, accountability, and a positive working environment.
• Ensure company policies, SOPs, service standards, and operational procedures are consistently followed.
• Identify opportunities to improve service quality, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, staff productivity, and profitability.

Requirements

• Diploma or degree in Hospitality Management, Hotel Management, Food & Beverage, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred.
• Proven experience in café, restaurant, hospitality, food and beverage, or retail operations.
• Previous experience as a Café Supervisor, Café Manager, Restaurant Supervisor, Assistant Manager, or similar leadership position is preferred.
• Strong understanding of café operations, customer service, beverage service, food handling, inventory, staffing, and daily operational procedures.
• Strong leadership and team‑management skills with the ability to motivate, coach, and develop employees.
• Experience managing staff schedules, shift operations, attendance, performance, and training.
• Good understanding of sales targets, KPIs, labour costs, food costs, wastage, inventory control, and basic financial management.
• Familiarity with POS systems, payment terminals, inventory systems, staff scheduling software, and Microsoft Office.
• Strong customer service and communication skills with the ability to handle complaints and difficult situations professionally.
• Good organisational and time‑management skills with the ability to manage multiple operational priorities.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and the ability to remain calm and effective during busy periods.
• Knowledge of food safety, hygiene, sanitation, allergen control, and HACCP principles.
• Good commercial awareness and understanding of factors affecting café revenue, costs, customer retention, and profitability.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to maintaining high service and quality standards.
• Professional appearance, positive attitude, reliability, integrity, and strong work ethic.
• Ability to work in a fast‑paced environment and lead by example during peak operating periods.
• Willingness to work flexible shifts, weekends, public holidays, and extended hours when required.
• Food safety, barista, hospitality, or management certifications will be an advantage.