Cafe Manager

1. POSITION PURPOSE

The Café Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management and smooth operation of Station Pottery Cafe.

The purpose of the role is to ensure that customers receive friendly and professional service, food and beverages are prepared and served to the required standard, the café and pottery studio are clean and well organised, and staff are effectively supervised.

The Café Manager will lead the team during shifts and ensure that café operations, pottery-painting sessions, customer bookings, stock control and health and safety requirements are managed effectively.

2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Café Operations and Customer Service

• Oversee food and beverage service so orders are taken accurately, special dietary needs are noted, and meals and drinks leave the pass in good time.
• Protect the safety of cash, stock and property. Investigate and report discrepancies to the Owner the same day.
• Keep the dining room, counter, bathrooms, outdoor seating and public areas clean, tidy and safe throughout service.
• Handle guest feedback and complaints calmly. Resolve what you can on the spot and escalate anything serious to the Owner.
• Support the kitchen with service flow, plating checks at the pass when needed, and clear communication of 86’d items or delays.
• Follow all food safety, hygiene and Health and Safety requirements, and see that the team does the same.

B. Pottery Studio, ceramics stock and painting sessions

Station Pottery Cafe is both a café and a paint-your-own pottery studio. The Café Manager is expected to treat the studio as a core part of the business, not an add-on.

• Maintain stock levels of pottery ceramics. Check shelves daily against a simple par list. Note popular pieces that are running low. Reorder or flag shortages to the Owner in time so guests always have a good range to choose from (the studio typically carries a wide selection across price points, from entry pieces through to larger items).
• Receive, unpack, price and shelve incoming ceramics so displays stay full, tidy and appealing. Rotate stock and keep damaged or seconds pieces aside for the Owner to decide
• Keep an accurate running record of ceramic stock movement (items out to guests, items awaiting glaze/firing, and items ready for collection).
• Assign team members jobs related to ceramic painting each shift. This includes setting up painting stations, restocking underglazes, brushes, water pots, paper towels and tools, briefing guests on how a session works, sitting with first-time or younger painters when needed, wiping tables between sittings, tagging pieces with guest names, and moving finished work to the glaze / kiln area as instructed.
• Make sure bookings for pottery painting are recorded, confirmed and communicated to the team. Protect space for pre-booked groups.
• Report breakages, kiln issues, missing names on pieces, or guest concerns about a finished item to the Owner promptly.
• Keep the studio looking like a creative workshop guests want to sit in: clean tables, organised paints, safe walkways and a well-presented ceramic wall.
• Support group sessions, kids’ birthdays, hens and stag dos, bridal showers, work dos and corporate bookings so the activity side of the visit runs as smoothly as the food and coffee.

C.  Leading the team

• Run a short pre-service briefing: who’s on, session times, large bookings, 86’d dishes, ceramic stock notes and any events that day.
• Allocate tasks fairly across the team — front of house, kitchen support, pottery set-up, cleaning and close-down — and follow up that they are done.
• Train new and existing staff in service standards, till use, food safety basics, and how to host a pottery-painting guest.
• Lead by example on the floor. Step into service, pottery hosting or cleaning whenever the shift needs it.
• Give clear, respectful feedback. Raise performance or conduct concerns with the Owner rather than letting issues drift.
• Approve reasonable shift swaps only where coverage stays safe and legal. Do not authorise overtime or extra hours beyond agreed limits without the Owner’s approval.

D. Stock admin and the building

• Maintain café stock levels (milk, coffee, drinks, packaging, cleaning products, takeaway supplies) and place or request orders within any budget the Owner sets.
• Complete opening and closing cash-up, float counts and basic daily takings notes for the Owner.
• Record pottery and café shortages, wastage and breakages.
• Keep first-aid kit, incident book and Health and Safety paperwork accessible and up to date, and report hazards or injuries immediately.
• Make sure cleaning chemicals are used and stored correctly.
• Liaise with regular suppliers in a professional way. Do not change supplier arrangements or pricing without the Owner.
• Support private events and evening functions as rostered, including set menus, platters and exclusive-use set-ups when these are booked.
• Any other duties the employer may reasonably require that sit within the skill and standing of a café manager.

3. Person specification and personal attributes

• Honest, reliable and calm under pressure — especially on weekends and in school holidays.
• Warm, professional guest manner and clear spoken English.
• Proven café, restaurant or busy hospitality experience; supervisory or shift-lead experience strongly preferred.
• A minimum of 2 years work experience in a café, restaurant or busy hospitality environment is required.
• Comfortable managing both a dining room and a hands-on activity space.
• Organised with stock, bookings and a till; able to keep simple written records.
• Able to roster, delegate and give instructions without standing over people.
• Willing to learn the pottery-painting process and explain it simply to guests of all ages.
• Food safety awareness; a current Food Safety or Serving Alcohol qualification is an advantage.
• Physically able to work a full floor shift, including standing, carrying trays and moving ceramic stock.
• Right to work in New Zealand.

5. PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

A successful Café Manager will ensure that:

• Customers receive prompt, friendly and professional service.
• Food and beverages meet the required quality and presentation standards.
• The café remains clean, organised and safe.
• Pottery stock is adequately maintained and displayed.
• Pottery-painting sessions are properly prepared and managed.
• Bookings and walk-in customers are effectively coordinated.
• Staff understand their responsibilities before each shift.
• Customer concerns are handled professionally.
• Cash, stock and business property are properly accounted for.
• The Owner receives timely information about operational issues.

6. OTHER DUTIES

The Café Manager may be required to undertake other reasonable duties that are within the skills, experience and responsibilities of the position.