Cafe Manager

Compass Group UK; Southampton; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

Compass Group UK & Ireland is opening a brand-new Taste Café inside a busy retail environment in Southampton. The Café Manager will bring the site to life, set standards, and build a team from day one.

You will lead from the front, shape operations, and create a warm space that customers love for coffee, food, and atmosphere. This role offers real ownership within a supportive wider business.

Qualifications

• Experience running a café, retail unit, or fast-paced food operation.
• Ability to recruit, train and develop a team.
• Strong standards in food, coffee and presentation.
• Experience with Health & Safety standards.
• Ownership mindset and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day running of the newly opened café.
• Recruit, train and develop a strong service-focused team.
• Set high standards for food, coffee and presentation.
• Manage stock, performance and processes.
• Create a warm, welcoming space from day one.
• Embed consistency in every detail.
• Ensure Health & Safety standards are met.

Skills

Hands-on leadership

People management

Customer service

Operational excellence

Job description

Location: Sainsburys Southampton Portswood
Contract: Full-time
Employer: Compass Group UK & Ireland

£34,000 per annum • 5 out of 7 days • 40 hours per week

Meet Your Recruiter

Have a question before you apply? This opportunity is being managed by Alina Swiatek, Talent Acquisition Partner.

Connect with Alina on LinkedIn to learn more about the role, the team and life at Compass Group UK&I - Alina Świątek | LinkedIn

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

Simple moments, made special.

Great coffee. Freshly baked pastries. Proper food done well.

Taste Café is about creating the small, everyday moments people genuinely look forward to — a quick coffee that turns into a catch-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 retail environment — fast-paced, full of energy, and with huge potential. From day one, it’s a place designed to feel local, welcoming, and worth coming back to.

The Role

This is a start-up opportunity within an established business.

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

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

You’ll lead from the front, set the tone, and turn a brand-new café into a space people love — from the first morning coffee rush to the 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 and welcoming from day one
• Embedding consistency — because the little details matter
• 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

Why This Role?

This isn’t just another café management role.

It’s a chance to open a new site, shape the culture, and create a destination — somewhere customers return to for the coffee, the food and the atmosphere.

You’ll have real ownership, support from a wider business, and the opportunity to build something that genuinely feels like yours from the ground up.

About Us

Healthcare Retail, part of Medirest, is passionate about delivering excellent products, standards and customer service to patients, staff and visitors in over 50 NHS hospitals around the UK through convenience and catering retail formats. The portfolio comprises many high street brand franchises including Costa Coffee and M&S Simply Food as well as a selection of in-house brands.

Job Reference: com/3010/45055001/52824858/SU #OneRetail

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!