Assistant Cafe Manager

La Colombe Coffee Workshop; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 61,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits package

Job summary

La Colombe Coffee Workshop is seeking an Assistant Cafe Manager in Chicago to support the Cafe Manager in daily operations and staff development. You will lead by example, coach baristas, and ensure top-tier guest service and coffee quality.

The role requires a hands-on leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and can balance staffing, training, and operational standards. You will collaborate with the General Manager to recruit, train, and deploy a high-performing team, maintain beverage

Qualifications

• Previous leadership or supervisory experience in hospitality, retail, or food & beverage.
• Strong people skills and the ability to inspire a team.
• Knowledge of cafe operations, barista skills, or a passion for coffee culture.
• Ability to multitask and stay calm under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Basic understanding of business operations (scheduling, inventory, POS systems).

Responsibilities

• Customer Service Champion: ensure a positive guest experience and coach the team to deliver outstanding service.
• Lead from the Floor: recruit, train and develop a high-performing team; provide ongoing coaching.
• Quality Control: manage daily cafe operations, ensure high standards, and safety compliance.
• Business Management: assist opening/closing, develop efficient schedules and deploy staff to optimize customer experience.

Skills

Leadership experience

People skills

Cafe operations knowledge

Multitasking under pressure

Job description

As an Assistant Cafe Manager, you’ll be the right hand to the Cafe Manager, helping lead daily operations while creating an environment where both guests and team members feel welcome. The Assistant General Manager should enjoy working in a fast-paced environment and can collaborate with the General Manager to help recruit, work with, train, and develop a team of baristas to provide the exceptional customer service and quality coffee experience that La Colombe has built its reputation on.

Responsibilities

What You’ll Do:

Customer Service Champion

• Act as a host, ensuring every customer has a positive experience
• They lead by example and coach the team to deliver outstanding service, addressing customer inquiries promptly
• Handle guest concerns with empathy and quick solutions, keeping service standards high

Lead from the Floor

• Assist in recruiting, training, and developing a high-performing team
• Provide ongoing coaching and feedback, fostering a positive and collaborative environment while demonstrating compassion and care in relationships with teams
• Be visible, approachable, and ready to jump in wherever needed
• You’ll work side by side with the team to keep the service fast, friendly, and on point

Quality Control

• Assist in managing daily café operations, ensuring high standards of food and beverage preparation, presentation, and service
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations
• Work collaboratively with the market trainers to ensure that all employees are bar trained up to La Colombe’s beverage standards

Business Management

• Manage opening and closing procedures and assist in developing strategies to drive business growth
• Develop and maintain a weekly schedule with General Manager support that is efficient, cost-effective and most importantly, can deploy all Barista's to positions that drive positive and most importantly, can deploy all Baristas to positions that drive a positive customer experience

Requirements

What You Bring:

• Previous Leadership or supervisory experience in hospitality, retail, or food & beverage
• Strong people skills and a natural ability to inspire a good team
• Knowledge of cafe operations, barista skills, or a passion for coffee culture
• Ability to multitask and stay calm under pressure in a fast-paced environment
• Basic understanding of business operations (scheduling, inventory, POS systems)
• Flexibility to work early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
• Ability to stand for long periods and lift up to 50 lbs
• Frequent walking, bending, reaching, and twisting

About Us

Chobani is a food maker with a mission of making high-quality and nutritious food accessible to more people, while elevating our communities and making the world a healthier place. In short: making good food for all. In support of this mission, Chobani is a purpose-driven, people-first, food-and-wellness-focused company, and has been since its founding in 2005 by Hamdi Ulukaya, an immigrant to the U.S. The Company manufactures yogurt, oat milk, and creamers – Chobani yogurt is America's No.1 yogurt brand, made with natural ingredients without artificial preservatives. Following the 2023 acquisition of La Colombe, a leading coffee roaster with a shared commitment to quality, craftmanship and impact, the Company began selling cold-pressed espresso and lattes on tap at cafés nationwide, as well as Ready to Drink (RTD) coffee beverages at retail. In 2025, Chobani acquired Daily Harvest, a modern brand offering consumers nutritious, delicious and convenient ready-to-make meals.

Chobani uses food as a force for good in the world – putting humanity first in everything it does. The company's philanthropic efforts prioritize giving back to its communities and beyond. Chobani manufactures its products in New York, Idaho, Michigan and Australia, and its products are available throughout North America and distributed in Australia and other select markets.

For more information, please visit www.chobani.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Chobani is an equal opportunity employer. Chobani will not discriminate against any applicant for employment on any basis including, but not limited to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, military and/or veteran status, marital status, predisposing genetic characteristics and genetic information, or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws.

The salary range for this full-time position is $67,500.00 + bonus + equity + benefits. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

Chobani provides a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision coverage, disability insurance, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, and tuition reimbursement. To help save for the future, all employees are eligible for a 401k match of 100% on up to 5% of eligible pay. To support growing families, we provide fertility and childcare assistance, and 12 weeks of parental leave at full pay after six months of continuous employment. In addition, we provide wellness resources which include an employee assistance program, fitness discounts, a wellness reimbursement, on-site gym access (certain locations) and a monthly wellness newsletter to connect you with resources and timely information. We offer up to 60 hours accrued PTO (which includes vacation and personal time off) and up to 60 hours accrued of FTO (which includes sick time).