Cafe Manager

Restaurant Associates; New York (NY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 89,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement Plan

Health and Wellness Programs

Discount Marketplace

Identity Theft Protection

Pet Insurance

Voluntary Benefits

Job summary

Restaurant Associates in New York is seeking a Cafe Manager to lead the café operations, drive exceptional guest experiences, and oversee financial stewardship, labor management, and safety compliance across multiple campus beverage outlets.

Reporting to the General Manager, you will build a high-performing team, partner with culinary and regional stakeholders, and uphold standards that reflect our partner’s goals and a culture of safety and hospitality.

Qualifications

• 2–3+ years of leadership experience in a supervisory role.
• Expert espresso pulling, milk texturing, latte art, and manual brewing skills.
• Allergen management and compliance with health regulations.
• Budget awareness and basic financial literacy.
• Ability to train and develop new hires in coffee service.

Responsibilities

• Manage 12 coffee/beverage bars across locations.
• Staffing: oversee morning scheduling to fit demand.
• Collaborate with regional teams to enhance beverage offerings.
• Enforce food and workplace safety and health regulations.
• Own the overall cafe experience from atmosphere to service.
• Uphold hospitality standards and guest engagement.
• Develop team through coaching and training.
• Manage budgeting, inventory, and labor costs.
• Coordinate with culinary leadership for back- and front‑of‑house alignment.
• Foster inclusion and maintain relationships with client partners.

Skills

Leadership

Staff Development

Hospitality Excellence

Quality Control

Job description

• We have an opening for a Cafe Manager position.
• Location: New York, NY
• Schedule: Monday - Friday
• Pay Range: $85-89K

Restaurant Associates

Become part of Restaurant Associates, the industry’s leading provider of dining and event catering for some of the nation's most prestigious museums, performing arts centers and corporations! Voted Glassdoor's Employee Choice Awards- Best Places to work This is R/A !

The Cafe Manager is a pivotal leader responsible for the holistic café experience, bridging the gap between innovative hospitality and operational excellence. Reporting to the General Manager, you will leverage your hospitality and operational expertise to partner with key stakeholders across the account. Your mission is to deliver a world-class food service experience that delights our guests and aligns with our partner’s strategic goals. You will oversee all facets of the café, from financial stewardship and labor management to fostering a high-performance team culture. We are deeply committed to a culture of workplace and food safety, which you will champion every day! As the Cafe Manager, you will set the standard for responsible practices, ensuring the well‑being of you, our guests and our valued team members. The Food program’s vision is to inspire and enable the world to make food choices and use food experiences to develop more sustainable lifestyles and communities.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage 12 coffee / beverage bars in multiple locations
• Managing staffing levels on a morning basis to fit business needs.
• Work with regional team to enhance beverage bars across campus
• Safety Standards: Strategically enhance and enforce a culture of food and workplace safety, including rigorous allergen management and compliance with all health regulations.
• End-to-End Experience: Design, manage, and take full ownership of the overall coffee bar experience, ensuring every touchpoint - from atmosphere to service - reflects excellence.
• Hospitality Excellence: Establish and maintain a high standard of hospitality that is warm, inclusive, and proactively engages our guests.
• Cultivate Talent: Lead the professional development of your team, fostering a culture of continuous learning, growth, and high associate engagement.
• Fiscal Performance: Take full accountability for financial and budgetary responsibilities, including meticulous inventory control and labor management..
• Culinary Synergy: Collaborate closely with the culinary leadership team to ensure a seamless integration between back-of-house innovation and front-of-house service.
• Champion Inclusion: Actively integrate diverse perspectives and experiences into the café’s culture, building a team that reflects our global community.
• Stakeholder Management: Maintain robust relationships with client partners and regional leadership to ensure the café consistently exceeds program expectations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Industry experience: Typically 2–3+ years working in specialty coffee environments.
• Leadership experience: At least 2 years in a supervisory role, such as a shift lead, head barista, or assistant manager.
• Technical mastery: Expert-level ability to pull espresso, steam milk to proper microfoam texture, pour consistent latte art, and execute manual brewing methods (pour-overs, AeroPress, etc.).
• Palate development: The ability to taste espresso and recognize if it is over-extracted (bitter/dry) or under-extracted (sour/salty), and know how to adjust the grind or yield to fix it.
• Equipment troubleshooting: Knowing how to perform daily and weekly maintenance on espresso machines and grinders, and knowing when a problem requires calling in a professional technician.
• Training: The ability to teach all skills to new hires who might have zero prior coffee experience.
• Inventory management: Tracking stock levels, minimizing waste, and placing weekly orders for everything from roasted coffee and milk to cups and cleaning supplies.
• Vendor relations: Communicating with local bakeries, milk suppliers, and coffee roasters to ensure consistent deliveries.
• Financial literacy: A basic understanding of managing a budget.
• Community building: Remembering regulars' names and orders, and setting a hospitable tone that the rest of the team will emulate

Associates At Restaurant Associates Are Offered Many Fantastic Benefits.

Both full-time and part-time positions offer the following benefits to associates:

• Retirement Plan
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits, including Critical Illness Insurance, Accident Insurance, Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Legal Services, and Choice Auto and Home Program

In addition, full-time positions also offer the following benefits to associates:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance/AD
• Disability Insurance
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Abides by all Company policies and procedures including but not limited to:

• The use of a medium weight cut gloves when handling or using knives, peelers, choppers, mandolins or cleaning a slicer.
• The use of oven mitts, fryer gloves or steamer gloves when handling hot pans from ovens, warmers or steamtables.
• The use of slip‑resistant shoes and proper lifting techniques.

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, click here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.

https://www.compass-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023_WageTransparency_RA.pdf

About Compass Group: Achieving leadership in the foodservice industry

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity.

Certain positions may require Florida Level 2 background screening. Details: https://info.flclearinghouse.com/

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.