Café Associate (Full Time)

Sunnyside Communities; Waynesboro (VA); On-site; USD 18,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Sunnyside Communities in Waynesboro, VA seeks a full-time Café Associate to support dining services with light cooking, food prep, and top-notch customer service in a fast-paced café environment.

The role covers preparing fresh items, serving residents and guests, handling grab-and-go orders, operating cashless payments, and keeping the café and kitchen clean and sanitary according to safety standards.

Qualifications

• Prepare fresh breakfast items and café offerings per recipes.
• Assist with light prep and food packaging.
• Handle grab-and-go items with labeling and dating.
• Take orders and provide friendly service.
• Follow food safety standards and FIFO.
• Maintain clean and sanitary service areas.

Responsibilities

• Greet residents and guests and provide attentive service.
• Prepare, package, and label grab-and-go items.
• Restock and maintain café displays.
• Collaborate with kitchen and dining teams.
• Adhere to safety, sanitation, and documentation procedures.

Skills

Customer service

Food preparation

Teamwork

Food safety

Cash handling

Tools

Dishwashers

Microwaves

Griddles

Toasters

Cashless payments system

Job description

Monday - Friday | 7:00am - 3:30pm |

Job Type: Full-time

Position Overview & General Responsibilities

The Café Associate is a full‑time, multi‑functional role on the dining services team. This position combines light cooking duties, food preparation, the ability to provide top‑note customer service duties. This position supports daily café operations by preparing fresh food items, assisting residents and guests with dine‑in and take‑out orders, and ensuring a welcoming experience to all who enter.

Food Preparation & Cooking

• Prepare fresh breakfast items and café menu offerings in accordance with established recipes, production sheets, and food safety standards
• Assist with light prep duties
• Prepare, package, label, and date items for the grab‑and‑go refrigerator (e.g., sandwiches, salads, snacks)
• Assist with basic cooking, warming, plating, and portioning of food items for service
• Read and follow instructions related to recipes
• Ensure proper food temperatures are maintained during preparation and service
• Properly store, cover, label, date, rotate, and discard food items in compliance with regulatory requirements

Serving & Customer Service

• Greet residents and guests warmly and provide friendly, attentive service
• Maintain knowledge of daily specials and menu offerings
• Serve food to residents and guests dining in the café
• Take phone and in‑person orders accurately and efficiently
• Answer basic menu questions and accommodate reasonable dietary needs and preferences

General Café Operations

• Collaborate with kitchen and dining team members to support smooth daily operations
• Comfortable operating cashless operation (card‑based payments + resident accounts) for food and beverage purchases. Accurately handle credit, and account charges
• Bus and reset tables and prepare dining and service areas for the next shift
• Operate equipment such as dishwashers, microwaves, griddles, toasters, and garbage disposals as needed

Inventory, Stocking & Equipment

• Stock food and supplies using First‑In, First‑Out (FIFO) method
• Check labeling, expiration dates, and food quality by the end of each shift
• Assist with stocking café displays, supplies, and delivered food items

Cleanliness

• Demonstrate proper personal hygiene practices in compliance with company policies, food safety standards, and Federal/State regulations.
• Follow proper sanitation, handwashing, and hygiene standards at all times
• Clean and sanitize food preparation and service areas; properly store cleaning chemicals and sanitizing solutions
• Maintain a clean, organized, and sanitary café, kitchen, dining, and service areas

Teamwork, Training & Compliance

• Collaborate with kitchen and dining team members to support smooth daily operations
• Assist in training new employees as assigned
• Work special functions and events as needed
• Maintain required licensure or certifications in accordance with company policy and regulatory standards
• Adhere to all company policies, procedures, and safety guidelines
• Attend required in‑services, training sessions, and meetings
• Demonstrate dependability, reliability, and punctuality
• Perform other duties as assigned

Physical & Environmental Considerations

This job operates in a kitchen or dining environment, housed with equipment such as an oven, stove, dishwasher, slicer, coffee machine, steamer, mixer and chef’s knives. The employee is frequently exposed to heat, steam, fire and noise. Work assignments and schedules are based on resident needs and staffing requirements and may be changed as needed. Weekend/holiday work schedules are part of regular scheduling. Overtime may be required as needed. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The employee is frequently required to stand for long periods of time. Additionally employee will routinely sit, stand, reach, lift, bend, kneel, stoop, climb, push and pull items weighing 30 lbs or less and occasionally more than 40 lbs. The position requires manual dexterity; auditory and visual skills; and the ability to follow written and oral instructions and procedures. Ability to stand for extended periods of time. Ability to bend, reach, and perform repetitive tasks

Wage And Salary Description

$13.00 - $20.36