Job title: Café Manager

Reports to: Café Operations Manager

Team Domenica is a Brighton-based social enterprise charity supporting young people with learning disabilities into paid employment. By removing barriers to work, we help young people to discover their full potential, to live happy fulfilled lives, and to feel included within the local community.

We are looking for a Café Manager to join our team at Café Domenica Preston Road, a training café for young people with learning disabilities (candidates) serving a fresh locally sourced menu alongside our own roasted coffee.

We need someone with lots of get up and go, who can work under their own initiative to carry out all daily production and operational tasks. You must have management experience in a busy café/food environment, with strong food preparation skills. We are a local café, and you need to be able to create a professional training environment for our candidates, provide seamless service and meet the demands of the business including café service as well supply of goods to clients and/or functions.
You will be the type of manager that thrives in a hands-on environment where you will be able to implement quality control and maintain every detail within the café. You will develop the performance and confidence of our candidates and train them how to prepare homemade soups, cakes, sandwiches and bakes. Managing a small team, you will develop dishes and create menus to supply goods for our other cafes, functions, and our online shop.

Responsibilities and duties

• Work alongside our management team to create and deliver a creative, seasonal, cost-effective menu of the highest standard. Work collaboratively with other café managers to ensure menus meet demands of individual cafés and reflect current food trends.
• Oversee and carry out training sessions with candidates, (food preparation, making coffee, till training, baking/cooking) helping them gain independence and confidence in a work environment.
• Be an ambassador for their training and work openly with our education staff.
• Work with and deliver standardised menus to an excellent standard, support the team to streamline production processes, increase volume of production and reduce wastage.
• Have a strong financial awareness and understanding of food profit and losses, be able to cost
  menus effectively ensuring good profit margins.
• Control costs without compromising standards and customer experience.
• Attend team meetings and contribute to the development and growth of the café and catering
  enterprise.
• Be able to create, deliver and measure promotional activities alongside our marketing team.
• Take responsibility for the daily, weekly and monthly cleaning rota for the kitchen and café and
  upkeep the food safety (SFBB) diary daily.
• Ensuring the food preparation areas are clean and hygienic.
• Prepare food in advance and to order for the café menu.
• Prepare food for our other cafés in our food prep room.
• Produce and fulfil menus for outside catering events and wholesale cakes.
• Be involved in new product development for the online shop.
• Ordering, receiving, and storing ingredients and ensuring careful stock rotation and loss control.
• Contribute to the weekly and monthly management of stock including a monthly stock take.
• Be responsible for the health and safety requirements of the café and ensure equipment is
  suitably maintained.
• Contribute to each candidate’s bespoke education and training programme.
• Use the ‘Systematic Instruction’ training method to train candidates in barista skills, till training,
  cookery techniques and customer service.
• Lead food preparation tasks, monitor and evaluate candidates’ progress.
• Keep candidates safe and adhere to charity’s safeguarding policy.
• Manage a small team and allocate jobs each day to ensure the smooth running of the production kitchen and café.
• Assist with the staff rota as necessary each week.

Requirements and Person Specifications

• A strong all-rounder with the ability to create a seasonally exciting café menu.
• Is able to upscale and streamline our current production and catering offering.
• Has a friendly and engaging personality, a good communicator and able to work well under
  pressure.
• Is able to multi-task is crucial in this role, you will be willing to learn, take instruction and work
  under your own initiative whilst supporting the team.
• Is adaptable to changing situations, willing to meet the demands of the company and across our café sites if required.
• Is patient with the ability to remain calm in stressful situations.
• Is thorough and pay attention to detail.
• Has experience of working in a café/kitchen, preferably you will have at least three years’ experience of food preparation.
• Is a keen baker/cook with a willingness to support our candidates and increase their training opportunities.
• Has experience of working with adults with learning disabilities (preferred but not essential).

Salary: Circa £26,000 – £27,500 (based on experience) per annum with 25 days holiday per annum plus 8 English bank and public holidays.

Contract: Full time (40 hours per week)

Deadline for application: 17th July 2023

Expected start date: 7th August 2023

To apply for this position, please send a cover letter and your current CV to: catering@teamdomenica.com

Notes:

Team Domenica is dedicated to providing an inclusive working environment that encourages diversity and equal opportunities for all. We are committed to supporting a team that is representative of a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills.
As part of our recruitment process, Team Domenica collects, stores and processes personal data relating to job applicants.
An Enhanced DBS check is required for this role prior to commencing employment.

Shortlisted candidates will be emailed a Team Domenica Application Form to complete and return prior to the interview as part of our Safer Recruitment policy. Please refer to our Safer Recruitment Policy for information regarding all of the steps in our recruitment process and to find out more about how we use and protect the information you
provide.