CAFE SUPERVISOR JOB DESCRIPTION

A Cafe Supervisor runs the shift. Every cash reconciliation, food temperature log, and service standard check lands with this person - not a manager watching from an office, but the individual physically present on the floor when things go right or wrong. In hospitality and food service operations, HACCP compliance and responsible service of alcohol licensing are non-negotiable regulatory floors that this role owns directly. The Cafe Supervisor sits between frontline team members and the Cafe Manager, translating policy into daily practice and keeping guest experience consistent across every service period.

As the Cafe Supervisor, you are responsible for overseeing daily café operations including cash handling, food hygiene compliance, and team supervision across front and back of house to deliver consistent service standards. You work directly with the Cafe Manager and coordinate with department heads and kitchen staff, with the scope of your accountability spanning shift-level performance, stock management, and staff development.

Career Impact: Supervisory experience gained in a HACCP-regulated, high-volume food service environment is directly transferable to Cafe Manager and Food Service Supervisor roles, accelerating your path to operational leadership.

Business Impact: Guest satisfaction and repeat visits depend on the standard you hold during every shift, from the accuracy of cash reconciliation to the temperature of food in the display cases.

Growth Opportunity: Hands-on exposure to budgeted KPI management, vendor ordering, and staff scheduling builds the financial and operational literacy that distinguishes a future Cafe Manager from a permanent shift lead.

• Supervise front and back of house café staff across each shift to maintain service and hygiene standards.
• Manage all cash handling procedures including daily reconciliation, petty cash, and safe checks.
• Monitor food preparation and presentation against HACCP requirements and Health Department temperature standards.
• Lead shift open and close-down processes, including display case setup and end-of-day product storage.
• Order and replenish stock to maintain correct inventory levels in line with manager guidelines.
• Train team members in food hygiene procedures, responsible service of alcohol, and barista skills.
• Produce weekly rotas, delegate tasks, and provide promotion or disciplinary recommendations to the Cafe Manager.
• Resolve customer complaints and oversee hourly team members to ensure a positive, consistent guest experience.

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality, Food Service Management, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 2 or more years of supervisory experience in a café, restaurant, or high-volume food service environment, with demonstrated team leadership.
• Current food handler's certification or Food Protection Manager certification.
• Knowledge of food hygiene legislation including HACCP principles and safe temperature management.
• Experience with cash registers, POS systems, and daily cash reconciliation procedures.
• Ability to lead, motivate, and delegate to a team of permanent and casual staff under shift pressure.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for reporting, staff management, and customer resolution.
• Flexible availability across mornings, evenings, weekends, and public holidays as required by the operation.

• Barista certification or demonstrated ability to train others in espresso-based beverage preparation.
• Background in conference and banqueting, visitor attractions, or contract-managed food service environments.
• Experience with responsible service of alcohol licensing requirements and related compliance obligations.
• Familiarity with merchandising, stock rotation principles, and seasonal menu planning to support sales performance.

• Shift cash variance rate, measuring accuracy of daily reconciliation and safe checks.
• Food temperature log compliance rate across all display cases and storage areas per shift.
• Staff rota coverage rate, reflecting how consistently shift hours are filled without gaps or overtime.
• Customer complaint resolution rate, tracking how many issues are resolved at the shift level without manager escalation.
• Inventory shrinkage rate, measuring stock loss against ordered volume over weekly replenishment cycles.
• HACCP audit pass rate across internal and external food hygiene inspections within the café.

• Base Salary Range: $38,000 to $52,000 per year, depending on location and operation size.
• Bonus: Occasional performance bonus tied to shift or venue KPIs.
• Equity: Not typically offered at this level.
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage standard at full-service employers.
• PTO: 10 to 15 days per year plus public holidays, varying by employer.
• Common Perks: Meal allowance or staff meals during shifts, uniform provision, and opportunities for internal promotion.

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Reasonable accommodations are available to applicants and employees with disabilities throughout the hiring process and employment. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Employment is contingent on successful completion of a background check. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States prior to their start date.

The Cafe Supervisor delivers high-standard daily café operations by supervising front and back of house teams, managing cash handling procedures, and ensuring HACCP and food hygiene compliance. Working closely with department heads and key stakeholders, this role drives service quality and café performance against budgeted KPIs to support business growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise daily café operations to ensure high service standards and compliance with company procedures.
• Manage cash handling procedures including petty cash, lodgements, and safe checks.
• Monitor and evaluate café performance and productivity against budgeted KPIs.
• Support front of house and back of house teams to deliver excellent customer service.
• Ensure full compliance with food hygiene, HACCP, and health and safety legislation.
• Build and maintain working relationships with department heads and key stakeholders.
• Identify growth opportunities and investigate potential targets with the Café Manager.
• Train team members in responsible service of alcohol and barista skills.

Required Qualifications

• 1 year or more of supervisory experience in a café or similar hospitality environment.
• Strong background in high-volume hospitality, conference and banqueting, or food service operations.
• Experience with standalone café cash handling and POS systems.
• Knowledge of food hygiene including HACCP.
• Barista skills with the ability to train others.
• Ability to lead, motivate, and develop a team in a diverse environment.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Professionalism in presenting and reporting on business information.

Embedded within a clinical food service environment, the Cafe Supervisor leads kitchen scheduling, vendor relationships, and nutritional care coordination for client meals while managing departmental finances against an approved budget. Working closely with clinical staff, agency clients, and culinary team members, this role ensures sanitation standards and food safety regulations are consistently met across all café and kitchen operations.

Core Functions

• Conduct training on kitchen procedures and expectations for café and kitchen staff.
• Develop and oversee scheduling for café and kitchen coverage to ensure operational efficiency.
• Establish relationships with vendors and place food and supply orders as necessary.
• Operate the department in accordance with the approved budget and track weekly and monthly finances.
• Ensure menus are maintained and filled in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Collaborate with clinical staff to ensure appropriate nutritional care is met for client meals.
• Teach culinary skills in small group settings to agency clients interested in learning culinary arts.
• Ensure café and kitchen sanitation meets all safety regulations and federal, state, and local standards.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Nutrition, Dietetics, Biology, or a related field preferred.
• Certification as ANSI Food Protection Manager required.
• Certification from culinary school preferred.
• 9 years of experience working in a restaurant or commercial kitchen environment required.
• 3 years of previous leadership experience required.
• Experience working with populations holding a mental health diagnosis or intellectual developmental disability.
• Excellent attention to detail, customer service skills, and organizational skills.

Reporting to management, the Cafe Supervisor leads a small frontline team by overseeing stock orders, delivery checks, rota production, and daily cash transactions to maintain correct inventory levels and service flow. Partnering with managers and team members, this role shapes a positive, compliant working environment that meets food handling, hygiene, and health and safety standards.

Primary Duties

• Supervise a small team and create a positive, supportive working environment.
• Ensure all deliveries are checked and stored promptly and correctly.
• Produce weekly rotas following manager guidelines and delegate tasks to ensure team productivity.
• Place orders for stock to maintain correct inventory levels.
• Use the till, take orders, and receive payments accurately.
• Assist with weekly bookwork and other duties as required by management.
• Comply with food handling, hygiene standards, and health and safety regulations.

Skills and Qualifications

• Previous experience supervising frontline teams in a similar environment.
• Ability to comply with legislation and follow all rules and regulations in accordance with unit policy.
• Customer service focused with a team player and can-do attitude.
• Self-motivated with the ability to use own initiative and work under pressure.
• Good communication skills to liaise with a wide range of team members and customers.

Sitting at the intersection of customer service and kitchen management, the Cafe Supervisor oversees food preparation sanitation, cash register operations, and shift open and close-down processes to maintain consistent service delivery. Operating across daily kitchen tasks and team coordination, this role supports the Café Manager in ensuring food ordering needs and operational procedures are reliably met each shift.

Duties

• Supervise daily tasks of café staff and oversee food preparation to ensure proper sanitary procedures.
• Support preparation and maintenance of the food line.
• Operate cash register and follow established cash handling procedures.
• Work with the Café Manager to determine food ordering needs.
• Lead the opening and close-down process of the kitchen at the start and end of each assigned shift.
• Assist with routine kitchen tasks including washing dishes and cleaning kitchen equipment.

Experience and Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to direct tasks and assign work to café staff team members.
• Experience handling cash and POS equipment.
• Experience handling cooking equipment such as meat slicer, stove, and oven.
• Excellent customer service, listening, speaking, and writing communication skills.
• Flexible availability including days, evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

A key member of a hospitality and vocational training team, the Cafe Supervisor owns all front of house café operations while planning, designing, and scheduling training courses in collaboration with the Team Leader and hospitality trainer. Collaborating across café management, legislative compliance, and student supervision, this role ensures both operational excellence and effective vocational skills development for trainees.

Accountabilities

• Oversee all front of house operations of the café.
• Work collaboratively with the chef and hospitality trainer to manage all aspects of café operations.
• Establish and implement procedures relating to all front of house café operations.
• Develop and implement an effective waste management strategy for front of house operations.
• Assist with and support vocational training courses including classroom-based and practical delivery.
• Plan, design, and schedule vocational training courses in conjunction with the Team Leader.
• Meet industry legislation and standards for hygiene and cleaning requirements of people, facilities, and equipment.

Position Requirements

• Commercial cookery or hospitality qualification required.
• Certificate IV in Training and Assessment desirable.
• Minimum 3 years of industry experience in the hospitality sector.
• Experience supervising trainees or students.
• Experience as a vocational trainer desirable.
• Excellent barista skills.
• Willingness to undergo a National Police Check.

Consistent member satisfaction and shift-level operational control depend on the Cafe Supervisor, who manages LifeCafe shift scheduling, food preparation, and team performance while responding efficiently to member questions and concerns. Based within a fitness and wellness environment, this role provides daily shift leadership and delivers promotion and disciplinary recommendations that directly support overall café team development.

Role Responsibilities

• Manage LifeCafe shift operations and make schedule adjustments based on traffic flow.
• Act as daily shift leader by providing high levels of customer and team support.
• Ensure team members prepare menu items correctly and professionally serve customers.
• Provide promotion and disciplinary recommendations to the Manager.
• Manage light food prep responsibilities during shift.
• Respond quickly and efficiently to member questions, comments, and concerns.

Education and Experience

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• CPR and AED certification required within the first 30 days of hire.
• ServeSafe certification required within the first 60 days of hire.
• 1-2 years of supervisor or manager experience in a food service or retail background preferred.
• Ability to routinely lift more than 20 lbs and work in a stationary or mobile position for prolonged periods.
• Night and weekend availability required based on business needs.

Cafe Supervisor leads food preparation standards, portion control, and daily cleaning routines within a hotel food service environment, ensuring all outputs meet established food safety and health and safety legislation. The work directly supports the hotel's operational quality by maintaining well-stocked fresh food and dry store orders and motivating the team to meet consistent presentation standards.

What You'll Do

• Ensure food preparation and presentation meets required standards.
• Keep all working areas clean and tidy throughout the shift.
• Supervise and motivate the team as required.
• Comply with hotel health and safety and food safety legislation.
• Monitor portion control and manage fresh food and dry store orders.

Professional Experience

• Experience in a food-led venue with a passion for hospitality.
• Basic knowledge of food production and service methods.
• Good understanding of how to run a café.
• Positive and approachable manner.
• Ability to embrace new ideas and processes.

As the Cafe Supervisor, this role builds a well-maintained, hygienically clean café environment by supervising and motivating permanent and casual staff, monitoring product and service quality, and ensuring health and safety regulations are strictly observed and archived. The café team relies on this work to consistently deliver professional customer service and meet operational cleanliness standards across every shift.

Job Functions

• Supervise and motivate permanent and casual café staff.
• Ensure health and safety regulations are strictly observed, recorded, and archived.
• Monitor the quality of the product and service provided.
• Deliver professional customer service to all guests.
• Ensure the café is always kept hygienically clean.

Background and Experience

• Customer service experience in a similar role.
• Creative approach to merchandising and sales promotions.
• Ability to work efficiently under pressure.
• Flexible approach and attitude.
• Ability to confidently handle money.

The Cafe Supervisor delivers exceptional deli and café service by greeting customers, preparing selections, managing display case presentation, and overseeing all hourly team members across a natural food retail environment. Working closely with the manager during quarterly inventory and new team member training, this role builds a high-performance team that upholds Health Department and food freshness standards throughout every shift.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Greet customers in a warm and friendly manner and answer questions regarding their purchases.
• Determine customer needs and prepare their selections accordingly.
• Make suggestions to up-sell products appropriate to the customer's selection.
• Keep display cases, counters, salad bar, and soup bar clean and presentable throughout the day.
• Check proper food temperatures in display cases to maintain Health Department standards.
• Break down display cases at end of day and return product to proper storage space.
• Rotate and remix product to maintain fresh appearance and optimal freshness.
• Assist in training new team members using learning checklists and training materials.
• Oversee the department entirely including all hourly team members and resolve difficult customer situations.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least 2 years of experience in supervising or managing health and natural food service or restaurant operations.
• Knowledge of deli department procedures and policies.
• Maintain Food Handler's Certification.
• Excellent knife handling skills.
• Ability to prioritize effectively and delegate responsibilities.
• Strong work ethic, time management skills, and sense of urgency.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with staff and customers.
• Flexible availability including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Embedded within a club and venue hospitality team, the Cafe Supervisor leads daily shift operations by managing cash reconciliation, barista service, product replenishment, and WHS compliance to ensure a consistent, high-quality café experience for members and guests. Working closely with staff and management, this role shapes team cohesion and resolves employee and customer enquiries in line with Panthers policies and legislative requirements.

Scope of Work

• Maintain high levels of customer service at all times during shift.
• Take customer orders and handle cash accurately.
• Provide food and beverage service including barista, desserts, and basic food preparation.
• Perform general cleaning duties including maintaining floor cleanliness and collecting glasses and plates.
• Manage daily shift operations and staff.
• Order and effectively replenish products as needed.
• Assist in resolving employee and customer enquiries.
• Complete daily shift reports and daily cash reconciliation.
• Ensure all WHS requirements are met to maintain the comfort and wellbeing of members and guests.

Qualifications and Experience

• Previous 2 years of experience in a supervisory role within the hospitality café industry.
• RSA and RCG Certificates or willingness to obtain.
• Proven track record for providing exceptional customer service.
• Fantastic written and verbal communication skills.
• Energetic and enthusiastic approach to work.
• High standard of personal grooming with strong attention to detail and problem-solving ability.