Customer Service Associate - Cafe Kitchen

AlFuttaim; Dubai; On-site; AED 55,800 - 89,280; Full time

Job summary

Al‑Futtaim Retail's Marks and Spencer Cafe in Dubai is seeking a Customer Service Associate - Cafe Kitchen to assist in daily food preparation, kitchen operations, and order assembly while maintaining high standards of hygiene and safety.

The role emphasizes accuracy, speed of service, and teamwork with front‑of‑house colleagues; prior cafe/kitchen experience and HACCP knowledge are preferred, with flexibility for shifts.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent required.
• Experience in cafe kitchens or food service preferred.
• Ability to work quickly and accurately in a busy kitchen.
• Knowledge of HACCP and food hygiene practices.
• Strong English communication; Arabic a plus.
• Willingness to work rotating shifts and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook menu items per Marks and Spencer Cafe recipes.
• Assemble orders accurately within service timelines.
• Maintain food safety, cleanliness, and hygiene standards.
• Monitor stock levels and assist with inventory checks.
• Open/close kitchen operations and prep for peak periods.
• Report equipment faults and safety concerns promptly.

Skills

Food Preparation-Cooking

Cafe kitchen operations

Menu preparation

Food order assembly

Recipe compliance

Portion control

Food safety

HACCP compliance

Temperature control

Stock rotation

Team collaboration

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent qualification

Job description

Customer Service Associate - Cafe Kitchen

Customer Service Associate - Cafe Kitchen in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is a Retail hiring opportunity focused on food preparation, kitchen operations, hygiene compliance, stock control, and timely customer order fulfilment within a Marks and Spencer Cafe. The role ensures menu items are prepared consistently, presented correctly, and served according to established food quality and safety standards. This opportunity is suitable for a dependable food service professional with practical experience in cafe kitchens, restaurants, food retail, hospitality, or commercial food preparation environments.

Role Context

The Customer Service Associate - Cafe Kitchen will support the daily preparation and assembly of food orders while maintaining a clean, safe, and efficient kitchen. The position works closely with front‑of‑house colleagues to ensure orders are completed accurately and delivered within expected service times. Consistent performance in this role supports customer satisfaction, food quality, speed of service, product availability, waste control, and compliance with company and municipality requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook menu items according to approved Marks and Spencer Cafe recipes and specifications.
• Follow required portion sizes, cooking methods, presentation standards, and service procedures.
• Assemble customer orders accurately and complete them within expected service timelines.
• Check food appearance, temperature, freshness, and consistency before orders leave the kitchen.
• Support opening preparation, service-period operations, and closing routines.
• Ensure ingredients, utensils, equipment, and workstations are ready before peak trading periods.
• Operate kitchen equipment safely and according to manufacturer and company instructions.
• Report damaged equipment, operating faults, and safety concerns immediately.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, personal hygiene, and kitchen cleanliness.
• Follow HACCP, municipality, health, safety, and company food handling requirements.
• Store raw, prepared, chilled, frozen, and ambient food products correctly.
• Apply approved temperature control procedures throughout preparation, cooking, holding, and storage.
• Label food products accurately with preparation, opening, and expiry information.
• Monitor food quality, freshness, packaging condition, and expiry dates.
• Apply First In, First Out stock rotation to reduce spoilage and unnecessary waste.
• Use accurate portion control to maintain consistency and support food cost management.
• Clean and sanitize preparation surfaces, utensils, equipment, storage areas, and kitchen workstations.
• Prevent cross‑contamination by following approved food separation and handling procedures.
• Support front‑of‑house colleagues by preparing complete orders correctly and on time.
• Respond promptly to requests involving order changes, food preparation, or customer requirements.
• Communicate delays, unavailable items, and quality concerns to the Cafe team.
• Maintain a professional and customer‑focused approach during busy service periods.
• Receive food deliveries and check quantities, quality, temperature, expiry dates, and product condition.
• Store incoming products promptly in the correct designated locations.
• Monitor stock levels and report shortages or replenishment requirements to the Cafe Manager.
• Assist with stock counts, inventory checks, food usage monitoring, and waste recording.
• Maintain an organized kitchen that supports safe movement and efficient service.
• Prepare sufficient ingredients and menu components for forecasted customer demand.
• Follow standard operating procedures and complete assigned kitchen duties accurately.
• Participate in shift briefings, training activities, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Assist colleagues across cafe operations when additional support is required.
• Perform other operational duties assigned by the Cafe Manager.

Ideal Profile

• High School Diploma or equivalent qualification.
• Hospitality, culinary, food preparation, or catering training is advantageous.
• 1‑3 years of experience in a cafe, restaurant, commercial kitchen, food retail, catering, or hospitality environment.
• Previous experience preparing food according to documented recipes and food safety requirements.
• Practical understanding of kitchen operations, ingredient preparation, cooking, food presentation, and order assembly.
• Knowledge of HACCP principles, municipality requirements, and food hygiene practices.
• Familiarity with food storage, labelling, temperature control, stock rotation, and expiry management.
• Ability to work quickly and accurately in a busy kitchen environment.
• Strong attention to product quality, cleanliness, portion control, and presentation.
• Good organization and time management skills.
• Ability to manage several food orders while maintaining consistent quality.
• Confident working under pressure during peak service periods.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
• Positive attitude with a customer‑focused approach.
• Good verbal communication skills in English.
• Arabic communication skills are an advantage.
• Physically capable of standing for extended periods and completing manual kitchen tasks.
• Willingness to work rotating shifts, weekends, evenings, and public holidays.

Skills Set

• Food Preparation‑Cooking
• Cafe kitchen operations
• Menu preparation
• Food order assembly
• Recipe compliance
• Portion control
• Food presentation
• Kitchen opening procedures
• Kitchen closing procedures
• Food safety
• HACCP compliance
• Municipality regulations
• Food hygiene
• Temperature control
• Cold storage
• Food labelling
• Expiry date monitoring
• First In, First Out
• Stock rotation
• Waste reduction
• Food delivery receiving
• Inventory monitoring
• Stock counting
• Kitchen equipment operation
• Equipment sanitation
• Cross‑contamination prevention
• Workstation organization
• Customer order accuracy
• Speed of service
• Peak period preparation
• Team collaboration
• Health and safety compliance

Why Join Us

This opportunity provides practical experience across food preparation, cafe operations, stock handling, customer order fulfilment, food safety, and service delivery within an established international Retail environment. The role offers a strong foundation for career progression into senior kitchen, food service, cafe supervision, or culinary operations positions. The successful candidate will contribute directly to food quality, customer satisfaction, and efficient cafe performance while working within structured Marks and Spencer standards. Al‑Futtaim Retail also offers the stability, scale, and development potential of a diverse regional organization.

About the Company

Al‑Futtaim Retail manages a broad portfolio of international brands across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, with operations covering fashion, food, furniture, home improvement, beauty, and children's retail. As a major regional partner of Marks and Spencer, the division operates stores and cafes supported by established food quality, customer service, hygiene, merchandising, and operational standards, with teams working together to deliver consistent products and welcoming customer experiences.