Cafe - Store Manager

WHSmith Travel; Metchley; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Pension scheme

33 days holiday

Employee discounts (up to 50%)

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

WHSmith Travel at Costa Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham is seeking a Single Site Store Manager to lead our newly opening Costa Café.

You will drive store performance through effective leadership, customer-first service, and daily operational excellence, while developing your team. Join a supportive, inclusive environment with opportunities to grow and a data-led approach to guest experiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead store performance and KPI-driven growth through effective leadership and operation excellence.
• Coach and develop the store team, identifying talent for key roles.
• Ensure customer-first service, manage queues, upsell, and maintain high service standards.
• Maintain brand standards, compliance, health & safety, and loss prevention measures.
• Oversee cash handling, stock, waste, and daily store operations.
• Collaborate with Costa and WHSmith to leverage data insights for proactive actions.

Job description

Single Site Store Manager – Costa Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

An Exciting opportunity to run our newly opening Costa Cafe.

At WHSmith/Costa, our mission is clear: to make every journey better, with our people, customers, and partners at the heart of everything we do. As a Single Site Store Manager, you will lead your store’s performance, driving growth and success through effective leadership, operational excellence, and a customer-first mindset.

What being a Single Site Store Manager is all about:

People:

• Collaborating with other stores within your group to achieve business objectives, sharing insights, successes, and strategies.
• Coaching and developing your store team, identifying and nurturing talent for key roles.
• Advocating for the colleague voice, ensuring open communication and sharing ideas with your team and manager.
• Supporting and embedding the Group Engagement Plan, keeping your team engaged and aligned with business goals.
• Ensuring compliance with HR processes and policies with guidance from Employee Advisors and your manager.
• Overseeing mandatory training completion and providing new starters with an effective and welcoming induction experience.
• Fostering a culture of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, ensuring everyone feels valued and able to be themselves at work.

Plan:

• Identifying sales-driving opportunities using data insights and collaborating with your manager to implement proactive solutions.
• Ensuring store activities are executed on time and in line with brand guidelines and supplier compliance through effective planning and communication.
• Maintaining a safe and legally compliant work environment by adhering to all Health & Safety and legal requirements.
• Managing cash and shrink processes, ensuring adequate food supply and minimising waste while addressing areas of loss.
• Overseeing day-to-day store operations, ensuring operational excellence through consistent best practices.
• Supporting your manager in delivering key performance indicators (KPIs), resolving any performance issues with SMART actions.

Customer:

• Role modelling exceptional customer service and creating a customer-first culture, ensuring a welcoming and efficient environment.
• Managing queues, upselling products, and making your store the go-to choice for food and beverages.
• Maintaining consistently high standards across your store, using the operational booklet (or equivalent) effectively.
• Taking full accountability for colleague productivity, stock availability, and overall store performance to enhance the customer experience.
• Coaching and training your team to grow sales by focusing on key metrics like spend per passenger, average transaction value (ATV), and transaction volumes.

How we reward our teams:

• Competitive salary, pension scheme, and 33 days holiday (including bank holidays).
• Employee discounts (up to 50%) and deals from retail partners for savings on dining, entertainment, and more.
• Employee Assistance Programme to support physical, mental, and financial wellbeing.

About WHSmith:

With a rich heritage, WHSmith continues to grow, particularly in airports, hospitals, rail stations, and motorway services. Our InMotion brand is leading the way in digital accessories, offering an exceptional customer experience. We have established strong partnerships with brands like M&S and Costa Coffee to broaden our customer offerings across the UK. As we grow, our mission remains simple: to make every journey better.

We are proud to be an inclusive employer, where our colleagues are welcome and free to be themselves.