Cafe Manager

Casa Libre - Costa Mesa; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Casa Libre - Costa Mesa is seeking a Café Manager to lead a high-volume cafe, model excellence on the shop floor, and build a culture of hospitality. You will recruit, train, coach, and retain top teammates while controlling labor and quality.

The role emphasizes developing systems for consistency, managing daily operations, and delivering unforgettable guest experiences as Casa Libre expands its café presence in California.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years in specialty coffee, managing high-volume cafés.
• Exceptional barista with espresso, milk texturing and workflow skills.
• Passionate about coffee, hospitality, and guest experiences.
• Experience hiring, coaching, scheduling, and team development.

Responsibilities

• Lead, inspire, and develop a high-performing café team.
• Oversee scheduling, labor planning, and daily staffing needs.
• Maintain hospitality standards and guest experience.
• Manage café operations, profitability, and quality control.

Skills

Espresso expertise

Team leadership

Staff development

Hospitality focus

Bilingual EN/ES

Tools

POS systems

Inventory management

Job description

For the one who leads people, builds culture, and creates unforgettable hospitality

Move like a jaguar.

If those words feel like they were written for you, you may be the Café Manager we're searching for.

We are a respected, world-class Mexican grocery brand entering a new era of café culture, specialty coffee, fresh-roasted beans, and hospitality rooted in warmth, heritage, and pride. As we launch multiple new cafés over the next two years, we're looking for a leader who can build exceptional teams, deliver remarkable guest experiences, and create cafés that become part of their communities.

This role begins on the café floor—leading by example, developing people, and creating systems that allow the team to thrive. As we grow, you'll help shape the culture, operational excellence, and hospitality standards that define every Casa Libre café.

WHO YOU ARE

• A hospitality leader with at least 5 years of experience in specialty coffee, successfully managing high-volume cafés.
• An exceptional barista with advanced skills in espresso preparation, milk texturing, dial-ins, workflow management, and specialty coffee standards.
• Passionate about coffee, hospitality, and building unforgettable guest experiences.
• Experienced in hiring, coaching, scheduling, performance management, and developing high-performing teams.
• Financially minded, with a strong understanding of labor, cost of goods, inventory management, and café profitability.
• Knowledgeable in specialty coffee, brew methods, coffee origins, sensory evaluation, and quality control.
• Organized, accountable, and able to balance strategic leadership with day-to-day operations.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred.
• Calm under pressure with excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
• Someone who leads with humility, earns trust through action, and treats the business like it's your own.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

Leadership

• Lead, inspire, and develop a high-performing café team.
• Hire, onboard, train, coach, and retain exceptional team members.
• Create a culture built on accountability, hospitality, respect, and continuous improvement.
• Lead by example and maintain a visible presence on the café floor every day.

Guest Experience

• Ensure every guest receives warm, genuine, and memorable hospitality.
• Set and maintain service standards that exceed expectations.
• Resolve guest concerns quickly and professionally.
• Build relationships with regular guests and foster strong community connections.

Coffee & Beverage Excellence

• Maintain exceptional standards for espresso, brewed coffee, tea, and every beverage served.
• Support daily espresso dial-ins and ensure beverage quality remains consistent throughout every shift.
• Coach and develop baristas on technique, workflow, latte art, and specialty coffee standards.
• Lead coffee tastings, calibration sessions, and ongoing education to build product knowledge and craftsmanship.
• Protect the connection between exceptional coffee and exceptional hospitality.

Café Operations

• Oversee all daily café operations, ensuring smooth, efficient service.
• Manage scheduling, labor planning, and daily staffing needs.
• Maintain exceptional standards for cleanliness, organization, food safety, and operational execution.
• Ensure all opening, closing, cash handling, and operational procedures are consistently followed.

Financial Performance

• Manage labor, cost of goods, waste, and controllable expenses.
• Monitor daily sales, key performance indicators, and operational reports.
• Maintain inventory accuracy and oversee ordering of café supplies.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability while enhancing the guest experience.

Team & Culture

• Coach and develop future leaders within the café.
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance reviews, and ongoing feedback.
• Foster an environment of trust, collaboration, accountability, and genuine care.
• Partner with the Director of Operations to implement new systems, training, and operational improvements.
• Build leaders who build leaders.

Growth & Development

• Support the opening of future café locations and help train new teams.
• Execute new menu launches, seasonal programs, and operational initiatives.
• Help develop systems that can scale as the company expands.
• Grow with the company and play a key leadership role as Casa Libre continues to grow.

WHO THRIVES HERE

• Someone who believes people are the greatest investment any business can make.
• Someone who finds joy in developing others and celebrating their success.
• Someone who can balance hospitality, financial performance, and operational excellence without ever compromising coffee quality.
• Someone who leads with confidence, humility, and integrity every single day.
• Someone who carries the spirit of the jaguar—calm under pressure, fiercely protective of the team, relentlessly committed to excellence, and always ready to lead from the front