Cafe General Manager

The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Bonus eligibility

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Paid time off

Employee discounts

Growth opportunities

Job summary

The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts operates CSCA Café in Cambridge, MA, offering coffee, pastries, and house-made syrups. The Café Bakery Manager will oversee daily café bakery operations, lead a team of baristas, and partner with pastry chefs to ensure exceptional service and quality.

You will manage staff, scheduling, inventory, and budgets, maintain a welcoming, spotless environment, and drive profitability while building a culture of hospitality that keeps CSCA Café a neighborhood

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in cafe, bakery, or restaurant management.
• Proven leadership in hospitality or food service environments.
• Hands-on experience with professional coffee equipment preferred.
• ServSafe Food Manager certification or equivalent preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day café operations.
• Recruit, hire, onboard, and train baristas and support staff.
• Lead ateam of Shift Leads, Baristas, and support staff.
• Create and manage schedules to cover busy periods.
• Manage vendor relationships, ordering and inventory; control waste.
• Collaborate on menu development and seasonal specials.
• Develop seasonal drink programs with the barista team.
• Monitor budgets and sales performance; identify cost-control ideas.
• Partner with marketing on promotions and events.
• Maintain a clean, welcoming space compliant with health codes.
• Turn customer feedback into action to convert visitors to regulars.
• Support CSCA Academics and Student Life as needed.

Skills

Cafe management

Staff training

Vendor management

Budgeting

Food safety

Customer service

Scheduling

Education

High school diploma or GED

Culinary/Pastry Arts degree preferred

Business Administration/Management degree preferred

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Job Summary

CSCA Café is a café and bakery in Cambridge, MA, run by the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. Since opening in early 2025, it has become a favorite neighborhood gathering spot, offering exceptional coffee alongside pastries, specialty desserts, spreads, and syrups that are all made from scratch, in-house, by CSCA's culinary talent. We pride ourselves on providing top-notch service, the highest quality products, showcasing the work of CSCA's Professional students, and creating a community space where customers can relax and enjoy their favorite beverages and baked goods.

The Café Bakery Manager is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the café bakery, leading a team of baristas, and partnering with our pastry chefs to ensure exceptional customer service, efficient operations, and high-quality product delivery. This role involves managing staff, scheduling, inventory, budgets, and maintaining a welcoming, spotless environment for customers.

To be successful in this role, you should have proven experience managing in a café, bakery, or restaurant setting. Ultimately, you will help increase profitability, boost customer engagement, and build a culture of hospitality that keeps CSCA Café the favorite neighborhood spot.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day café operations,
• Recruit, hire, onboard, and train baristas and support staff
• Lead, train, and develop ateam of Shift Leads, Baristas,and support staff
• Build fiscally responsible schedules that keep the café sufficiently, yet efficiently covered, even when someone calls out
• Manage vendor relationships, ordering, and inventory — and keep waste in check
• Partner with our Executive Pastry Chef, Production Lead, and ownership on menu development and seasonal specials
• Work with your barista team to develop trendy and unique seasonal drink specials
• Monitor budgets and sales performance, and find smart ways to control costs
• Collaborate with the marketing team on promotions and events
• Keep the cafe spotless, welcoming, and up to health and safety code
• Turn customer feedback into action — and turn first-time visitors into regulars
• Create a culture of hospitality that is second to none
• Partner with CSCA's Academics and Student Life teams to support student learning opportunities as needed

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in cafe, bakery, or restaurant management (required: managerial experience in food or hospitality)
• Previous Hands-on experience with professional coffee equipment, Barista experience preferred
• A ServSafe Food Manager certification (or equivalent)
• Strong organizational skills — able to juggle a rush, a delivery, and a scheduling gap all at once
• A genuine, customer-first attitude and leadership skills to bring a team along with you
• Comfort with MS Office
• High school diploma or GED required; a degree in Culinary/Pastry Arts, Business Administration, or Business Management is preferred
• Availability to work within café hours, including weekends and holidays
• The drive to do whatever it takes to succeed

Physical Demands

• The ability to lift 25+ pounds and stand for long periods of time

Work Environment

• This job operates in a retail/restaurant environment

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

• This is a full-time, salaried position
• Work hours are 40+ hours per week
• Schedule based on operating hours and business needs

Benefits

• Competitive, bonus-eligible salary
• Health, dental, and vision insuranceli>
• Paid time off
• Employee discounts
• Real opportunities for professional growth