Cafe Duty Manager at Fia's Cafe

Fia's Cafe; Ireland; On-site; EUR 21,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

Fía’s Café is seeking a Duty Manager to lead daily operations on a shift basis. You will manage staff, ensure top-notch customer service and uphold our food and drink standards from opening to close.

The role requires strong leadership, organisational skill, and a proactive approach to maintain a smooth operation and excellent guest experiences. The Duty Manager will drive service quality, oversee stock and safety, and collaborate with management to ensure profitability while maintaining Fía’s

Qualifications

• Essential previous experience in hospitality, café, restaurant or customer service.
• Previous supervisory experience or demonstrated ability to lead a team.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Strong customer-service skills.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Good organisation and time-management skills.
• Ability to deal with difficult situations professionally.
• Reliable and punctual.

Responsibilities

• RUNNING THE SHIFT: Take full responsibility for the café during your shift and organise staff.
• CUSTOMER SERVICE: Deliver an exceptional customer experience and monitor service speed.
• TEAM MANAGEMENT: Lead, motivate and supervise the café team and allocate duties.
• FOOD & DRINK STANDARDS: Ensure food and drinks meet Fía’s standards and check stock levels.
• SALES & UPSELLING: Support commercial performance and upsell where appropriate.
• CLEANLINESS & PRESENTATION: Maintain high standard of cleanliness and presentation.
• OPENING PROCEDURES: Open the café on time with staff briefed and ready.

Skills

Hospitality experience

Supervisory experience

Customer service

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Tools

EPOS/till system

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE The Duty Manager is responsible for the day-to-day running of Fía’s Café during their assigned shift. You will be responsible for leading the team, maintaining excellent customer service, ensuring food and drink standards are consistently met, managing the pace and organisation of the café, and ensuring the premises are clean, safe and presented to the standard expected at Fía’s. The Duty Manager is a senior member of the team and is expected to lead by example, take ownership of the shift and ensure the café operates efficiently from opening through to closing.

Key Responsibilities

1. RUNNING THE SHIFT Take full responsibility for the café during your assigned shift. Ensure the café is properly prepared for service. Organise staff and allocate positions and duties. Ensure adequate staff coverage throughout the shift. Monitor the flow of service and move staff where required. Ensure the team remains productive during both busy and quiet periods. Deal with operational issues quickly and appropriately. Communicate any important issues to the General Manager/Owner. Ensure all Fía’s standards and procedures are followed.


2. CUSTOMER SERVICE Deliver an exceptional customer experience. Lead by example when interacting with customers. Ensure customers are greeted and served in a friendly and professional manner. Monitor waiting times and service speed. Ensure orders are accurate and presented correctly. Deal with customer complaints professionally and attempt to resolve issues before escalating them. Monitor customer feedback and identify opportunities to improve the customer experience. Maintain the atmosphere and presentation of Fía’s throughout the shift.


3. TEAM MANAGEMENT Lead, motivate and supervise the café team. Allocate staff to appropriate areas including front of house, till, coffee, food preparation and service. Ensure employees understand their responsibilities for each shift. Monitor staff attendance and punctuality. Ensure staff take appropriate breaks while maintaining adequate service coverage. Ensure staff remain productive and engaged during their shift. Address minor performance issues promptly. Report ongoing or serious performance, attendance or conduct issues to senior management. Assist in training new members of staff. Set a positive example for all employees.


4. FOOD & DRINK STANDARDS Ensure all food and drinks are prepared and served to Fía’s standards. Monitor presentation, portion sizes and product quality. Ensure coffee and drinks are consistently prepared to the required standard. Monitor food displays and ensure products are fresh and attractively presented. Check stock levels throughout the shift. Rotate stock correctly and monitor use‑by dates. Minimise food waste. Report any quality issues immediately.


5. SALES & UPSELLING The Duty Manager should actively support the commercial performance of Fía’s. Responsibilities include: Encourage staff to upsell where appropriate. Promote additional items such as coffees, pastries, desserts, sides and drinks. Ensure staff are knowledgeable about the menu. Monitor sales performance during the shift. Identify opportunities to increase average customer spend. Ensure promotional products and specials are actively communicated to customers. Maintain strong service standards without compromising the customer experience.


6. CLEANLINESS & PRESENTATION The Duty Manager is responsible for ensuring Fía’s maintains a consistently high standard of cleanliness and presentation. This includes:
   
   
   
   • Front-of-house areas.
   
   
   • Tables and customer seating.
   
   
   • Counter and till area.
   
   
   • Coffee station.
   
   
   • Food preparation areas.
   
   
   • Kitchen/service areas.
   
   
   • Toilets.
   
   
   • Floors.
   
   
   • Windows and visible surfaces.
   
   
   • Outdoor/customer-facing areas.
   
   
   
   The Duty Manager should carry out regular checks throughout the shift rather than waiting until closing time.


7. CASH & TILL MANAGEMENT Ensure all till procedures are followed. Monitor cash and card transactions. Ensure staff use the correct till procedures. Authorise refunds, discounts or complimentary items where appropriate. Report cash discrepancies immediately. Complete cash-up procedures when required. Ensure no unauthorised discounts or complimentary items are given.


8. STOCK CONTROL Monitor stock levels throughout the day. Inform management of products running low. Ensure deliveries are checked and stored correctly. Ensure stock is rotated correctly. Minimise waste, breakages and unnecessary product usage. Ensure storage areas remain clean and organised. Report damaged, missing or incorrect stock.


9. FOOD SAFETY & HEALTH AND SAFETY Ensure all staff follow food safety and hygiene procedures. Monitor food storage temperatures and procedures where applicable. Ensure appropriate cleaning procedures are followed. Identify and report hazards. Ensure equipment is used safely. Report accidents, incidents or equipment faults immediately. Ensure the café complies with company health and safety procedures.


10. OPENING PROCEDURES Where responsible for opening the café, the Duty Manager will ensure:
    
    
    
    • The café is opened on time.
    
    
    • The premises are clean and presentable.
    
    
    • Equipment is switched on and ready for service.
    
    
    • Food and drink stations are prepared.
    
    
    • Displays are fully stocked.
    
    
    • Till systems are operational.
    
    
    • Staff are briefed and allocated positions.
    
    
    • The café is ready to provide service at the advertised opening time.
    
    


11. CLOSING PROCEDURES Where responsible for closing, the Duty Manager will ensure:
    
    
    
    • All cleaning duties are completed.
    
    
    • Food is stored correctly.
    
    
    • Stock is secured.
    
    
    • Equipment is cleaned and switched off where required.
    
    
    • Waste is removed appropriately.
    
    
    • Customer areas are clean and organised.
    
    
    • Till/cash procedures are completed.
    
    
    • The premises are secured in accordance with company procedures.
    
    

Management Expectations

• LEAD — Set the standard for the team and lead by example.


• OWN THE SHIFT — Take responsibility for everything that happens during your shift.


• BE CUSTOMER-FOCUSED — Always prioritise a high-quality customer experience.


• BE PROACTIVE — Identify problems before they become bigger issues.


• BE COMMERCIAL — Look for opportunities to improve sales and average spend.


• BE ACCOUNTABLE — Take responsibility for standards, staff performance and the overall operation.


• BE PROFESSIONAL — Maintain a professional attitude towards customers and colleagues at all times.

Required Skills & Experience

• Essential Previous experience in hospitality, café, restaurant or customer service.


• Previous supervisory experience or demonstrated ability to lead a team.


• Excellent communication skills.


• Strong customer-service skills.


• Ability to work effectively under pressure.


• Good organisation and time-management skills.


• Ability to deal with difficult situations professionally.


• Reliable and punctual.


• Desirable Previous café or restaurant management experience.


• Barista experience.


• Food safety training.


• EPOS/till experience.


• Experience with stock control.


• Experience training and supervising staff.

Key Performance Areas

• Customer service standards.


• Staff performance and productivity.


• Speed and accuracy of service.


• Food and beverage quality.


• Café cleanliness and presentation.


• Staff punctuality and attendance.


• Stock control and waste management.


• Cash and till procedures.


• Sales and average customer spend.


• Compliance with company procedures.


• Overall smooth running of the shift.

Important

The Duty Manager is a senior position within Fía’s Café. When the General Manager or Owner is not present, the Duty Manager is expected to take responsibility for the operation of the café and make appropriate decisions within their authority. Any serious issues involving staff conduct, health and safety, cash discrepancies, customer incidents, equipment failure or other significant operational matters must be reported to the Owner as soon as possible. The Duty Manager may also be required to carry out other reasonable duties necessary for the successful operation of Fía’s Café.

Pay: €15.00-€17.50 per hour

Expected hours: 20.0 – 35.0 per week

Work Location: In person