CAFÉ FRONT OF HOUSE LEAD

Bok Tower Gardens Inc; Florida; On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Bok Tower Gardens Inc is seeking a Café Front of House Lead to oversee daily front-of-house operations at the Blue Palmetto Café. You will coordinate staff and volunteers, ensure excellent guest service, and support revenue and safety standards within a fast-paced garden setting.

Responsibilities include training, scheduling, catering support for events, and managing inventory while maintaining attractive displays and accurate transactions. This role reports to the Café Services Manager.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent and 2 years in food service or hospitality.
• Experience supervising staff or volunteers and providing training.
• Strong customer service, communication, and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate daily front-of-house operations and staff/volunteer training.
• Provide friendly guest service and manage inquiries about menu and events.
• Process register sales, discounts, and promotions; maintain displays.
• Lead catering setup/breakdown for events; assist with food prep as needed.
• Monitor inventory, order supplies, and ensure safe food handling.
• Maintain cleanliness and safety in all areas; support opening/closing duties.
• Communicate needs and feedback to management; participate in meetings.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Computer literacy

Organizational skills

Time management

Problem solving

Supervisory experience

Training experience

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

POS system

Cash register

Job description

Mission

The Café Front of House Lead supports the mission of The Bok Tower Gardens Foundation through the profitable operation of the Blue Palmetto Café, providing a quality experience for visitors and coordinating front-of-house service, staff, and volunteers.

This role consistently upholds and supports Bok Tower Gardens’ mission, vision, and cultural values.

Core Duties/ Responsibilities

• Coordinate daily front-of-house operations, delegate tasks, support scheduling needs, and provide training and guidance to Café staff and volunteers in service standards, cashiering, safety, and opening and closing procedures.
• Provide friendly, professional guest service; answer questions about the menu, Gardens, and events; resolve guest concerns and refer matters to management as needed. Ensure the service counter is attended and telephone calls are answered promptly.
• Process register sales and apply approved discounts, tax exemptions, departmental charges, and promotions. Serve and replenish menu items and beverages and maintain attractive displays and approved signage.
• Lead catering setup and breakdown in the Magnolia Rooms, Olmsted House, and Hilltop. Support onsite and offsite events and assist with food preparation, boxed meals, and catered meals.
• Monitor food and supply levels, prepare weekly front-of-house ordering lists, receive and verify deliveries, document discrepancies, and assist with inventory counts. Maintain organized storage and rotate products using first-in, first-out procedures.
• Maintain safe food handling, labeling, rotation, and temperature monitoring. Keep kitchen, dining, patio, service, and storage areas clean; maintain the weekly cleaning list; operate service and cleaning equipment; and complete opening, closing, and security duties.
• Communicate staff needs, visitor feedback, sales trends, supply needs, and operational concerns to management. Report safety hazards or suspicious activities promptly, attend meetings and training, and participate in committees as assigned.
• Support revenue goals and expense control, follow Gardens policies and procedures, and perform other appropriate duties as assigned.

Requirements

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

Ability

Vision, hearing, and speech for guest service and communication.

Organization, problem solving, and handling multiple duties

Physical

Prolonged standing and walking

Bending, reaching, and handling food, supplies, and equipment

Moving heavy boxes using safe handling procedures

Environment

Fast-paced food service setting

Kitchen, dining room, patio, storage, coolers, and freezers

Exposure to cleaning chemicals

Varied 40-hour weekly schedule, Monday through Sunday, including weekends, holidays, and occasional evenings. Opening and closing duties extend beyond public Café hours; special events may require earlier or later hours.

Supervision

Receives general supervision and performance assessments from the Café Services Manager/Chef. Provides daily coordination, training, and guidance to Café staff and volunteers.

Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or equivalent; two years of food service, hospitality, or comparable experience; and supervisory and training experience. Requires outstanding customer service, effective communication, computer literacy, and strong organizational, time-management, and problem-solving skills. Must be dependable, flexible, able to manage multiple duties in a fast-paced setting, and able to obtain SafeStaff certification.