Cafe Operations Manager

Socket.dev; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Katz Coffee in Houston operates the in-house café, mobile unit, and the IAH Terminal B café in partnership with a third-party operator. The Café Operations Manager will own day-to-day performance, set standards, and protect brand quality across all locations.

This hands-on role requires leadership, budgeting, equipment maintenance, inventory, and a strong partner relationship mindset, with travel between sites and flexibility for varied hours.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of management in cafe/food service with budgeting responsibilities.
• Experience with espresso equipment operation and basic troubleshooting.
• Proficiency with POS, scheduling, and inventory tools.
• Food Manager Certification or ability to obtain within 30 days.

Responsibilities

• Hire, onboard, train, and manage café and mobile unit staff with HR coordination.
• Build schedules and validate timecards; support payroll timelines.
• Own operating budgets, reconcile sales, monitor margins and labor.
• Coordinate supply chain with third‑party operator and vendors.
• Ensure compliance with local health, safety, and permitting requirements.
• Oversee equipment, vehicle maintenance, and facility cleanliness.

Skills

Management experience

Budget management

Espresso equipment operation

POS systems

Scheduling software

Inventory management

Communication skills

Flexible scheduling

Franchise/third-party operator rel.

Education

Food Manager Certification

Driver's license (Texas)

Tools

NetSuite

Job description

Position Summary

The Café Operations Manager owns the day-to-day performance and long-term health of Katz Coffee's consumer-facing operations: the in-house café, the mobile coffee/food truck, and the brand's presence at the IAH Terminal B café operated in partnership with a third-party operator. This role carries direct management responsibility and operating budget accountability for the café and truck and serves as the primary relationship manager for the IAH location — protecting brand standards, product quality, and the commercial relationship without direct oversight of third-party operator personnel.

This is a hands‑on operating role for multiple locations including our mobile unit. The right candidate is equally comfortable pulling shots during a rush, reviewing a weekly labor report, troubleshooting an espresso machine, and sitting across the table from an airport concessions partner.

Key Responsibilities

People & Scheduling

• Hire, onboard, train, coach, and manage performance for café and mobile unit staff in coordination with HR
• Build and maintain staff schedules across the cafes and events calendar, balancing coverage against equipment and staffing capacity
• Review and validate timecards for all direct reports, including event‑based hours; resolve discrepancies and submit to the central payroll function by established deadlines
• Provide barista training support, calibration, and quality coaching as needed

Financial Accountability

• Own operating budget performance for the café and mobile unit — COGS, labor, and cost control
• Reconcile daily sales; track margin and labor against targets
• Analyze per-event profitability for mobile deployments
• Deliver timely, accurate monthly financial reporting to leadership

Supply Chain & Inventory

• Manage ordering, par levels, vendor coordination, and stock rotation across the café and truck to prevent both outages and waste
• Plan load‑outs and complete post‑event inventory reconciliation for mobile operations
• Coordinate supply chain with the third‑party operator team at IAH — forecasting, ordering cadence, delivery logistics, and resolution of product availability issues

Menu & Product Quality

• Develop or create coffee and food menu viability across the café and truck: seasonal offerings, pricing, margin analysis, recipe standards, and beverage quality
• Adapt menu execution to mobile operating constraints
• Monitor product quality and customer satisfaction at IAH including scheduled mystery shopping our locations to reinforce company standards; conduct quality audits against Katz Coffee standards

Equipment, Facilities & Vehicles

• Manage preventive maintenance and service scheduling for all production equipment (espresso machines, grinders, brewers, refrigeration) across the café and truck
• Oversee vehicle maintenance, inspections, registration, and roadworthiness; coordinate repairs to minimize downtime
• Maintain facility, production area, and commissary cleanliness, organization, and health‑code readiness at all times
• Conduct regular IAH site visits to assess facility organization and cleanliness against Katz Coffee standards; document findings and drive corrective action through the partner

Daily Operations & Systems

• Own opening and closing procedures; ensure consistent execution across all shifts
• Administer POS systems at both the café and mobile unit — menu configuration, pricing updates, user access, connectivity, troubleshooting, reconciliation, and integration with company systems

Events & Compliance

• Maintain the event calendar, including booking coordination and logistics planning
• Secure event permitting and required documentation for each engagement
• Ensure compliance with Texas state and Harris County regulations, including mobile food unit permitting, food handler and manager certifications, and fire/propane requirements

Qualifications

Required

• 3+ years of management experience in specialty coffee, food service, restaurant, or retail operations, including direct responsibility for staffing and financial results
• Demonstrated accountability for operating budgets — COGS, labor management, and cost control
• Working knowledge of espresso equipment operation, calibration, and basic troubleshooting
• Experience with POS systems, scheduling software, and inventory management tools
• Food Manager Certification (or ability to obtain within 30 days of hire)
• Valid Texas driver's license with a clean driving record
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to represent Katz Coffee professionally with external partners
• Ability to work a variable schedule including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and event dates

Preferred

• Specialty coffee background with knowledge of sourcing, roast profiles, and quality standards
• Mobile food unit or event catering experience, including permitting
• Experience managing a franchise, licensee, or third‑party operator relationship
• Familiarity with airport concessions or other high‑security/high‑compliance environments
• Experience with NetSuite or comparable ERP systems

Physical Requirements

Able to lift and move up to 50 lbs., stand for extended periods, and work in variable indoor and outdoor conditions including heat and inclement weather. Requires travel between the café, roastery, event sites, and IAH Terminal B. Must be able to obtain airport security badging as required for terminal access.