Cafe Manager: Flexible Schedule & Team Leadership

Phoenix3 Collective; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 52,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discounts

Flexible schedule

Free food & snacks

Training & development

Job summary

Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea at the University of Chicago in Chicago, IL is seeking a Café Manager committed to leading daily operations with warmth and precision. You will mentor teammates, manage scheduling, inventory, and standards to deliver outstanding hospitality.

Join a community-focused cafe team that values quality beverages, guest experiences, and collaborative work culture. The role emphasizes leadership, reliability, and a passion for coffee and service excellence.

Qualifications

• Previous management or supervisory experience in a café, restaurant, or hospitality environment preferred.
• Strong knowledge of specialty coffee, food service, and daily café operations.
• Experience with employee scheduling, inventory management, and ordering.
• Experience training, coaching, and developing team members.
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily café operations, team performance, and shift execution.
• Lead, coach and develop Shift Leads and Teammates through hands-on training, feedback, and ongoing support.
• Manage team scheduling, shift coverage, deployment, and communication of daily expectations.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, and accountable team environment.
• Lead by example in delivering warm hospitality and memorable guest experiences.
• Uphold Fairgrounds recipes, preparation techniques, and quality standards for all beverages and food.
• Oversee opening and closing procedures, daily prep, and consistent execution of café standards.
• Manage inventory, ordering, product availability, and waste reduction to maintain efficient operations.
• Ensure equipment cleanliness, organization, and compliance with food safety procedures.
• Identify operational challenges and implement improvements to support café efficiency and performance.
• Coordinate café initiatives, promotions, and company standards.
• Monitor sales, labor, inventory, and operational performance to support café goals.
• Communicate team performance and updates to café leadership.

Skills

Management experience

Café knowledge

Scheduling experience

Team development

Communication skills

Job description

Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea at the University of Chicago in Chicago, IL is seeking a Café Manager committed to leading daily operations with warmth and precision. You will mentor teammates, manage scheduling, inventory, and standards to deliver outstanding hospitality.

Join a community-focused cafe team that values quality beverages, guest experiences, and collaborative work culture. The role emphasizes leadership, reliability, and a passion for coffee and service excellence.