Community Cafe Manager

We are looking for a cafe manager to be responsible for the safe and successful operation of the community cafe at the Walworth Living Room, London SE17.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received

Start Date: 6 September

Pay: £13.50 / hr

Hours of Work: 30 per week Tuesday to Saturday (potential to increase hours)

Contract length: 3 months initially, with possibility of extension

To apply: complete and submit the application form at the bottom of this page. There are two additional forms, detailed below, which need to be completed before the application can be considered.

WALWORTH LIVING ROOM COMMUNITY CAFE

The Community Cafe at the Walworth Living Room is a new venture, led and supported by Pembroke House, a community organisation. The Walworth Living Room is set to open in late September 2021 and the cafe will be the focal point. Initially trading 5 days a week (Tuesdays to Saturdays) with restricted hours from 10am to 3pm. Once established, the cafe and Walworth Living Room will expand its activities and opening hours, to provide a fuller range of products and services to the local community.

You will be supported by a catering consultant (www.tastebed.com) throughout the set up and during the early weeks of operation after which you will take on full management responsibility of the cafe, drawing on the existing buildings and finance teams for support.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Engagement
• Interact with customers, creating a welcoming environment and encouraging repeat custom.
• Promote other activities by the charity to customers and gain insight and feedback as to community needs, assets and opportunities.

Food and Drinks Service
• Lead the café team to prepare and serve food and drinks items correctly, efficiently, safely and as per the product instructions – including barista coffee

Revenue Management
• Ensure that all transactions - including sales, discounts, voids and stock transfers - are correctly recorded.
• Minimise fraud by putting in place systems with the Director of Finance and Operations.
• Maximise transaction numbers and values, wherever possible, to grow café sales.

Cost Management
• Manage all purchasing and ordering to maximise value for money and minimise waste, stock loss and expiry.
• Record all relevant transactions in the appropriate software, where applicable making and recording stock takes.

Staff Management & Training
• Day to day management and training of volunteers and staff, to ensure a high quality of customer service, efficient preparation of food and drink and a safe and clean working environment.
• Leading team feedback sessions for potential ways to operate the café more efficiently or to grow sales or increase community engagement with the WLR and with Pembroke House.

Food Safety and Health and Safety
• Ensure that at all times the cafe is compliant with all applicable foodservice and workplace regulation, including allergen information and the charity’s Health and Safety policies.

Other
• A commitment to the Equal Opportunities Policy of Pembroke House.
• Take part in weekly and monthly meetings of all staff or smaller project-based teams helping foster effective team-working and a coherent approach across all our activities.
• Contribute to developing the learning framework for our organisation as a whole by taking part actively in discussions and learning days.

Occasional Duties
• Attend special events organised by Pembroke House which may be during the evenings or at weekends.
• Attend monthly team meetings held during the evening.
• Complete other tasks commensurate with the level of the role

The Community Cafe Manager will have relevant, hands on experience of running an independent café or customer-facing foodservice business. They will be able to take ownership of all key aspects of the day-to-day running of the café, including food safety, supplier orders, staff training and management, customer service and complaints handling and operational financial reporting.

A key part of the role will be to engage with the local community, not just to encourage sales but also to develop a genuine conversation with them so they know about activities and services available to them and to embed a sense that the Walworth Living Room is a community asset. You will have excellent communication and listening skills as well as an open and friendly attitude in order to do this well.

Person specification

Essential
• Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate
• At least 2 years’ experience as a manager or assistant manager, ideally in an independent cafe
• Experience managing a small team well
• Ability to work with volunteers, including those with higher needs
• A people person with the ability to build relationships with people of all walks of life
• A passion for the vision and mission of Pembroke House and the Walworth Living Room

Desirable
• Computer literacy and ability to use basic software
• Experience working with volunteers
• Barista coffee experience

Pembroke House is a centre for social action and residential community in Walworth, south-east London.

We were founded in 1885, by students from Pembroke College, Cambridge, as one of the first settlement houses. Shocked by growing poverty and inequality, the pioneers of the settlement movement sought a new approach; taking up residence to live, work and solve problems alongside local communities.

For over 130 years, we’ve been working to bridge traditional divides and unite people – whatever their background or walk of life – in building a better Walworth.

Approximately a half of the team are part-time employees and we all come from diverse backgrounds and experience – ranging from local and central government and youth & community work, to academia, music, dance and politics.

No-one at Pembroke House is confined to a desk or computer — everyone chips in with projects, events and activities. Food plays a central and growing role at Pembroke House: when possible we run community lunch clubs, monthly team dinners, healthy breakfasts, and lunches.