Assistant Cafe Restaurant Manager

Sassafras Trading Pty Ltd; Sydney; On-site; AUD 52,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Sassafras Trading Pty Ltd is seeking a hands-on Café/FOH professional for a front‑of‑house leadership role in Sydney. You’ll lead the floor, ensure a warm welcome and a consistently high standard of coffee, service and guest experience.

Reporting to the Restaurant Manager, you’ll train staff, manage pastry cabinet presentation, coordinate with the kitchen for a la carte and weekday buffet offerings, and uphold food safety and cleanliness in a busy CBD setting.

Qualifications

• Experience as Café/FOH professional on the floor with guest focus.
• Strong coffee knowledge and barista skills to train others.
• Calm, organised, no‑nonsense approach to service and problem solving.
• Confident with POS systems; Square experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Leading daily FOH operations – opening, service and close.
• Training and coaching FOH staff in SOPs, coffee standards and service.
• Overseeing presentation and replenishment of pastry and sandwich cabinet.
• Collaborating with kitchen to deliver a la carte and buffet offerings at high standards.
• Maintaining cleanliness and guest readiness of dining room, service areas and bar.
• Using Square POS for orders, payments and basic reporting.
• Upholding food safety, RSA and workplace health & safety standards.

Skills

Front of House

Customer service

Coffee knowledge

Barista skills

POS systems

Tools

Square POS

Job description

Sassafras Trading Pty Ltd – Sydney CBD NSW

We’re a locally owned café/restaurant using high-quality products and serving a predominantly professional crowd from nearby legal, financial, education and government offices. Our offering includes:

Specialty Ona coffee and a full range of hot and cold beverages, including alcohol

A cabinet of pastries and sandwiches for service and toasting

A weekday lunch buffet for our CBD regulars

We pride ourselves on friendly, efficient service, consistent coffee and a clean, welcoming space.

Beautiful café setting opposite Hyde Park with a loyal professional clientele

Hands-on role working closely with the Restaurant Mananger and owner to ensure the smooth running of FOH operations

A stable, long-term role in a beautiful Hyde Park location

The opportunity to shape the FOH team and service standards

A collaborative relationship with ownership and kitchen

Competitive remuneration, based on experience

About Hydeaway Café

We’re a locally owned café/restaurant using high-quality products and serving a predominantly professional crowd from nearby legal, financial, education and government offices. Our offering includes:

• Specialty Ona coffee and a full range of hot and cold beverages, including alcohol

• A cabinet of pastries and sandwiches for service and toasting

• A modern à la carte menu

• A weekday lunch buffet for our CBD regulars

We pride ourselves on friendly, efficient service, consistent coffee and a clean, welcoming space.

Why join us

• Beautiful café setting opposite Hyde Park with a loyal professional clientele

• Quality-focused offering, showcasing Ona coffee, fresh pastries, sandwiches, a modern à la carte menu and weekday lunch buffet

• Hands-on role working closely with the Restaurant Mananger and owner to ensure the smooth running of FOH operations

• A stable, long-term role in a beautiful Hyde Park location

• The opportunity to shape the FOH team and service standards

• A collaborative relationship with ownership and kitchen

• Competitive remuneration, based on experience

About the role

Reporting to the Restaurant Manager, you’ll take full ownership of the front of house. You’ll lead by example on the floor, ensuring every guest enjoys a warm welcome, great coffee and a smooth, professional experience.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading daily FOH operations – opening, service and close

• Training and coaching FOH staff in SOPs, coffee standards, beverage preparation and customer service

• Overseeing the presentation and replenishment of the pastry and sandwich cabinet

• Working closely with the kitchen to deliver our a'la carte menu and weekday buffet at a high standard

• Ensuring the dining room, service areas and bar are clean, organised and guest-ready at all times

• Confidently using Square POS for orders, payments and basic reporting

• Upholding food safety, RSA and workplace health & safety standards

About you

You’re an experienced, hands-on Café / FOH professional who enjoys being on the floor, setting the tone and getting the best from your team.

You will have:

• Strong coffee knowledge and solid barista skills, with the ability to train others

• A calm, organised and no‑nonsense approach to service and problem solving

• Confidence working with POS systems (experience with Square an advantage)

• High standards of cleanliness, presentation and attention to detail

• Excellent communication skills and a genuine focus on guest experience