Job Description
Position Title: Cafe Service Supervisor
Department: Hospitality Services - The Spoke
Supervisor: Spoke Cafe Manager
Remuneration: $43,000/yr
Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent, In-Person
JOB SUMMARY
As a Cafe Service Supervisor, you are responsible for helping ensure that high-quality beverages and food items are prepared and served efficiently while maintaining accuracy, consistency, cleanliness, and excellent customer service. You will help lead the cafe during your shift, supporting the barista and management team and ensuring The Spoke operates smoothly, particularly during high-volume periods.
The Barista Supervisor must be able to balance speed, quality, and customer service while maintaining a calm and professional demeanor. You are expected to lead by example, prioritize tasks effectively, and ensure all products are prepared according to established recipes and standards.
Maintaining a fully stocked and organized cafe, following food safety and sanitation protocols, keeping work areas clean, maintaining strong menu and operational knowledge, and completing proper opening and closing procedures are essential components of this role.
The Service Supervisor provides direction, support, and coaching to part-time student employees throughout their shifts and assists the full-time management team in maintaining the standards and expectations of The Spoke.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Communicate clearly and respectfully with coworkers, supervisors, management, and customers.
- Provide direction, support, and supervision to part-time student employees during shifts.
- Lead by example and uphold The Spoke's standards for customer service, beverage quality, cleanliness, and professionalism.
- Prepare coffee, espresso beverages, teas, cold beverages, food items, and other menu products according to established recipes and specifications.
- Ensure products are prepared accurately and consistently, including customer modifications and dietary or allergen requests.
- Maintain a strong working knowledge of menu items, recipes, ingredients, allergens, equipment, and cafe procedures.
- Maintain a sense of urgency while ensuring the cafe remains clean, organized, stocked, and ready for business.
- Monitor product freshness, shelf life, rotation, labelling, and waste while following FIFO procedures.
- Properly operate cafe equipment, including espresso machines, grinders, blenders, ovens, refrigeration, and POS systems.
- Follow all food safety, sanitation, WHMIS, and workplace health and safety procedures.
- Maintain clean and sanitary workstations and customer-facing areas, including completing required cleaning, restocking, and setup/tear-down tasks.
- Assist with opening and closing procedures and ensure all required tasks are completed.
- Monitor the cafe and communicate operational concerns, equipment issues, shortages, or maintenance needs to management.
- Address minor customer service and operational concerns appropriately and involve management when necessary.
- Support the training and development of student employees by demonstrating proper procedures, providing feedback, and reinforcing cafe standards.
- Adapt responsibilities during slower periods by completing cleaning, prep, stocking, organization, and other operational tasks.
- Assist in other areas of the cafe and complete other duties as assigned by management.
LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES
Barista Supervisors play an important leadership role within The Spoke. While reporting directly to the full-time Cafe Management Team, Barista Supervisors are responsible for providing day-to-day supervision, direction, and support to part-time student employees during their assigned shifts.
Barista Supervisors are expected to:
- Set a positive and professional example for the team.
- Delegate tasks and help maintain an efficient workflow.
- Provide clear direction and support to student employees.
- Maintain cafe standards throughout the shift.
- Coach employees when standards are not being met and communicate ongoing concerns to management.
- Support the training and development of new employees.
- Help ensure staff are following recipes, food safety requirements, policies, and workplace expectations.
- Communicate important shift information and operational concerns to management.
- Maintain professionalism and a positive attitude, particularly during high-volume or stressful periods.
- Support a positive, respectful, and collaborative team environment.
The Barista Supervisor is not expected to replace the responsibilities of the full-time management team, but is expected to act as a reliable point of leadership and support for the student team while on shift.
EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS
- Minimum 1 year of experience in a cafe, coffee shop, restaurant, or customer-service-focused food service environment; 2 years preferred.
- Previous leadership or supervisory experience is considered an asset.
- Strong knowledge of coffee, espresso beverages, food service, or cafe operations is considered an asset.
- Strong communication, organization, customer service, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work independently while effectively supporting and leading a team.
- Ability to remain calm, organized, and professional in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to following established procedures and standards.
WORKING CONDITIONS
- The Spoke Cafe operates seven days a week and experiences significantly higher volumes during the academic year.
- Barista Supervisors are required to work a varied schedule based on operational needs, including opening, daytime, evening, closing, and weekend shifts.
- Shifts may begin before the cafe opens and extend beyond closing to allow for proper setup and closing procedures.
- Flexibility may be required during special events, orientation periods, campus events, and other high-volume operational periods.
- The role requires prolonged periods of standing and walking, frequent interaction with customers and staff, and the ability to work efficiently in a busy cafe environment.
- The position involves working around hot beverages, hot equipment, cleaning chemicals, food products, and common food allergens.
REPORTING STRUCTURE
The Barista Supervisor reports directly to the full-time Cafe Management Team.
Part-time student employees report to the Barista Supervisors and full-time Cafe Management Team while working their assigned shifts. Barista Supervisors are responsible for providing day-to-day supervision, direction, and support to student employees while ensuring management is informed of significant operational or employee concerns.
CORE EXPECTATIONS
The Barista Supervisor is expected to consistently demonstrate:
- Leadership and accountability
- Reliability and professionalism
- Strong customer service
- Attention to detail
- Product and menu knowledge
- Teamwork and effective communication
- A sense of urgency
- Commitment to cleanliness and food safety
- Consistency in following recipes, procedures, and cafe standards
BENEFITS
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- Wellness benefit
- RRSP matching
- Paid time off
- Vision care
- Discounted or free food
