Cafe Manager

Chartwells Independent; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension

Career Pathways

Digital GP access

Wider healthcare benefits

Travel discounts

Food discounts

Cinema discounts

Cash rewards

Wellness and mindfulness classes

Friends & family discounts

Job summary

Compass Group UK&I is seeking a Café Manager to launch a brand-new site within a busy retail environment in the UK. You’ll lead from the front, setting the tone, and turning a blank canvas into a space people love — from the first morning coffee rush to the final close-down.

You’ll recruit and develop a hands-on team, drive service excellence and uphold high standards across food, coffee and presentation.

Qualifications

• Experience running a café, retail unit or fast-paced food operation.
• Ability to recruit, train and develop a strong team that delivers great service.
• Commitment to high standards across food, coffee and presentation.
• Strong stock, performance and operational processes management.
• Capable of creating a warm, welcoming space from day one.
• Attention to detail and consistency in delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day running of a newly opened café, keeping everything smooth, organized and on point
• Recruit, train and develop a strong team that delivers great service
• Set and maintain high standards across food, coffee and presentation
• Manage stock, performance and operational processes
• Create a space that feels warm, relaxed and welcoming from day one
• Embed consistency — because the little details matter
• Ensure Health & Safety standards are always met and maintained

Skills

Leadership

People management

Communication

Organisation

Customer service

Health & Safety

Job description

A brand-new café. A blank canvas. An opportunity tobuild something special from day one.

Simple moments,made special.

Great coffee. Freshly baked pastries. Proper food donewell.

Taste Café is about creating the small, everydaymoments people genuinely look forward to — a quick coffee that turns into acatch-up, a bite to eat that hits the spot, and a space that feels easy,comfortable, and just right.

This is a new café opening within a busy retailenvironment — fast-paced, full of energy, and with huge potential. From dayone, it’s a place designed to feel local, welcoming, and worth coming back to.

The Role

This is a start-up opportunity within an establishedbusiness.

As Café Manager, you’ll play a key role in bringing abrand-new site to life — setting standards, building a team, and shaping howthe café looks, feels, and operates from the very beginning.

If you’ve managed a café, retail unit, or fast-pacedfood operation before, this is your chance to truly make it your own.

You’ll lead from the front, set the tone, and turn abrand-new café into a space people love — from the first morning coffee rush tothe final close-down of the day.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading the day-to-day running of a newly opened café, keeping everything smooth, organised and on point
• Recruiting, training and developing a strong team that delivers great service (and enjoys doing it)
• Setting and maintaining high standards across food, coffee and presentation
• Managing stock, performance and operational processes
• Creating a space that feels warm, relaxed andwelcoming from day one
• Embedding consistency — because the little detailsmatter
• Ensuring Health & Safety standards are always met and maintained

About You

If you’ve run a café, retail unit, or fast-paced food environment, you’re well-suited to this role — especially if you enjoy building teams and shaping operations.

You’ll also be:

• A hands-on leader who sets the pace and leads by example
• People-focused — great with both your team and your customers
• Organised, proactive and calm under pressure
• Passionate about good food, great coffee and doing things properly
• Comfortable taking ownership and continuously improving performance

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families

About Us

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Job Reference: com/0409/43833001/52815821/R/SU #One Retail

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!