Assistant Cafe Manager

Chartwells Independent; Woking; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hospitality provider is seeking an experienced Assistant Café Manager to join their team at RHS Garden Wisley, in Woking. In this role, you will support the Cafe Manager in managing daily operations, staff training, and ensuring compliance with health regulations, while fostering a positive team environment. The ideal candidate will have supervisory experience in hospitality and excellent customer service skills. The position offers competitive benefits including 20 days annual leave, free meals on duty, and wellness programs.

Benefits

20 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Free meals on duty

Free on-site parking

Exclusive travel discounts

Access to wellness, mindfulness, and fitness classes

Digital GP services

Up to 44% off cinema tickets

Contributory pension scheme

Career Pathways and MyLearning development programmes

Qualifications

• Previous experience supervising frontline teams within a similar environment.
• Outstanding communication skills with guests, staff, and the client.
• Ability to maintain a positive attitude under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Ensure all deliveries are checked and stored promptly and correctly.
• Supervising a team within the café.
• Complying with Food Handling & Hygiene standards.

Skills

Supervising frontline teams

Communication skills

Customer service focus

Team player attitude

Ability to work under pressure

Job description

Assistant Café Manager

Location: RHS Garden Wisley

Salary: £30,000 per annum

Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent, 5 over 7 days

We’re currently on the lookout for an experienced supervisor or assistant manager, that has worked in hospitality contract catering previously, to join us as our Assistant Café Manager at the prestigious RHS Garden Wisley, located in Woking. As the Assistant Café Manager, you will be responsible for supporting the Café Manager in managing and optimising the day-to-day operations of the Wisley Cafe at RHS Garden Wisley, one of Restaurant Associates’ flagship venues. This role requires that all activities run efficiently and effectively in line with company objectives and client expectations. This role focuses on operational excellence, process improvement, and team performance to support the delivery of exceptional service and high operational standards. The Assistant Café Manager will support the Café Manager to oversee staffing, training, inventory management, and service delivery to maintain smooth business operations. They will monitor key performance indicators, implement cost control measures, and support financial targets through efficient resource management. The Assistant Café Manager will support the Café Manager to ensure compliance with all health and safety regulations, uphold brand and service standards, and foster a positive, productive work environment for all team members to create memorable guest experiences.

Why Join Us?

At Restaurant Associates, we believe in celebrating individuality and nurturing talent. As Assistant Café Manager, you’ll be supported by an experienced Café Manager to deliver outstanding customer service and learn a variety of new approaches.

We offer a competitive benefits package, including:

• 20 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Free meals on duty
• Free on-site parking
• Exclusive travel discounts
• Access to wellness, mindfulness, and fitness classes
• Digital GP services for you and your family
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets
• Contributory pension scheme
• Career Pathways and MyLearning development programmes

Our Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure all deliveries are checked and stored promptly and correctly
• Supervising a team within the café, creating a positive environment where the team feel welcomed and supported
• Using the till, taking order and receiving payments
• Completing weekly finance tasks and collaboratively assist the General Manager with any duties and queries associated
• Assisting with café rotas following the General Manager's guidelines
• Placing orders for stock to maintain the correct stock levels
• Delegating where necessary and ensuring the team are always proactive
• Complying with Food Handling & Hygiene standards
• Complying with Health & Safety regulations

Who We’re Looking For:

• Previous experience supervising frontline teams within a similar environment
• Good communication skills with a focus on what great customer service looks like
• Team player and can-do attitude
• Ability to work under pressure whilst maintaining a positive attitude
• Outstanding communication skills with guests, staff and the client.

About Us:

Restaurant Associates is a leading premium hospitality provider with an ethos drawn from our history of fine and high-quality dining in London and New York. Within our venues team, we provide catering and hospitality services to some of the most iconic visitor attractions and destinations in the UK including the Imperial War Museum London, Glyndebourne Opera House, Knebworth House, Design Museum, Whipsnade Zoo and many more. Within these amazing venues we operate a host of bespoke cafés and restaurants, as well as delivering private events ranging from small meetings to large‑scale ground events of up to 1000 people. You can find a full list of our venues on our website.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive, diverse, fun, and dynamic place to work with opportunities to collaborate with a wide range of teams plus a commitment to putting our people first. Restaurant Associates is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds. As a business, we are committed to sustainability led practices and are proud to have achieved 3 stars with the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Food Made Good Programme.