Café Associate (Full Time)

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

Job summary

Sunnyside Communities is seeking a Café Associate to join its dining services team. This full-time, multi-functional role combines light cooking, food preparation, and top-notch customer service to support daily café operations and resident dining in a welcoming environment.

You will prepare fresh items, assist with grab-and-go orders, handle cashless purchases, maintain cleanliness, and collaborate with kitchen and dining staff to ensure smooth service and compliance with food safety standards.

Qualifications

• Experience in a kitchen or cafe environment preferred.
• Ability to follow recipes and food safety standards.
• Comfortable working in a busy dining environment.

Responsibilities

• Greet residents and guests warmly and provide friendly, attentive service
• Serve food to residents and guests dining in the café
• Take phone and in-person orders accurately and efficiently
• Assist with stocking café displays and daily operations
• Operate and maintain cleanliness and sanitation

Skills

Food preparation

Customer service

Cashless transactions

Teamwork

Food safety

Dishwashing/ Kitchen equipment

Tools

POS system

Job description

Job Type

Full-time

Description

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-notch 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