General Manager, The Mindful Café

About The Mindful CaféThe Mindful Café is an independent organic café offering thoughtfully prepared food, specialty coffee and tea, smoothies, baked goods, catering and private events. We combine high-quality ingredients and personal service with the warmth of a neighborhood café.We are seeking an experienced, hands-on General Manager to lead daily operations, develop our team, strengthen our coffee and beverage program, improve operating systems and help move the café toward sustainable profitability.This is not simply a shift-management position. We are looking for an experienced operator who understands both hospitality and the business of running a successful café.What Success Looks LikeThe General Manager will be responsible for five primary outcomes:Improve financial performance and move the café toward profitabilityDeliver an exceptional customer experience, with coffee and beverages as a core part of the caféBuild, train and lead a strong, accountable teamCreate reliable systems so daily operations do not require constant owner involvementMake the café increasingly efficient, consistent and repeatable while preserving its neighborhood characterKey ResponsibilitiesBusiness Performance & ProfitabilityA major objective of this position is to materially improve the financial performance of the café.Working with the owner and chef, the General Manager will:Monitor sales, labor costs, food and beverage costs, inventory, waste, spoilage and portion consistencyUnderstand which menu items and beverages sell well and contribute appropriately to marginsIdentify opportunities to grow revenue, customer frequency and average transaction sizeImprove scheduling and labor efficiency without compromising serviceRecommend appropriate pricing, menu, portion, product or operational improvements for owner approvalHelp grow catering, private events and other appropriate revenue opportunitiesTrack agreed operating and financial measures and regularly communicate results and action plans to the ownerThe General Manager will not be expected to single-handedly guarantee profitability, but will be expected to take ownership of the financial and operational factors within their control and demonstrate measurable improvement.Coffee & Beverage ExcellenceCoffee and beverages are an important part of The Mindful Café experience.The General Manager should have meaningful coffee-shop or specialty-beverage experience and be able to develop a high-performing beverage operation.Responsibilities include:Maintaining consistent preparation of espresso drinks, coffee, matcha, chai and other hot and iced beveragesEnsuring proper milk steaming, drink construction, presentation and speed of serviceTraining and coaching employees on beverage preparation and bar workflowMaintaining cleanliness and proper care of coffee equipmentMonitoring beverage inventory, waste, pricing and profitabilityContinuously improving beverage quality and consistencyStrong barista skills are highly preferred. A candidate who is not already highly proficient must have the ability and commitment to become fully trained.Operations & SystemsThe General Manager will oversee day-to-day café operations and create the systems needed for consistent execution.This includes:Staffing and scheduling within approved labor budgetsOpening, closing, cleaning, preparation and service proceduresInventory, ordering and routine vendor managementPOS and cash-control proceduresFood safety, sanitation and allergy/cross-contact protocolsCustomer complaints and service recoveryCatering and private-event executionBuilding and improving practical SOPs, checklists and training systemsThe manager should continuously ask: What can we improve, simplify, standardize or do more efficiently?Team LeadershipThis is a hands-on leadership role. The General Manager must be willing to make food, prepare beverages, take orders, serve customers, clean, restock and work alongside the team when needed.We want a leader who combines high standards with kindness and respect.The manager will:Train, coach and develop employeesSet clear expectations and hold people accountableAddress performance problems promptly and professionallyResolve employee conflicts fairly and calmlyCross-train employees and develop stronger team members into future leadersBuild a culture of hospitality, teamwork, initiative and responsibilityRoutine issues should be handled independently. The manager should also have the judgment to recognize when owner involvement is appropriate.Experience & QualificationsWe are looking for someone with a proven track record, not simply someone ready for their first management opportunity.Required:Approximately 5+ years of restaurant, café, fast-casual or comparable food-service experience, including at least 3 years in a meaningful management roleDemonstrated responsibility for employees and daily operationsExperience scheduling labor, managing inventory and ordering, training employees and enforcing proceduresWorking knowledge of food costs, labor costs, waste control, margins and restaurant/café profitabilityStrong customer-service and hospitality experienceFood-safety knowledge and appropriate certification, or willingness to obtain certification promptlyStrong communication, judgment, organization, problem-solving and conflict-resolution skillsWillingness to work hands-on in every front-of-house positionEspecially valuable experience:Specialty coffee or high-volume café operationsOrganic or health-conscious food conceptsWell-run fast-casual, quick-service, franchise or multi-unit restaurant environmentsImproving an underperforming operationBuilding SOPs and repeatable operating systemsCatering, private events and delivery platformsMenu analysis and improving restaurant or café marginsWorking With the Chef & OwnerThe General Manager and Chef are peer leaders with complementary responsibilities. The Chef leads culinary preparation and kitchen execution; the General Manager leads overall daily operations, front-of-house performance, staffing, customer experience, systems and business performance.The General Manager will have meaningful authority over routine daily operations. Major employment decisions, compensation, significant purchases, pricing, major menu changes, policies and overall business direction remain subject to owner approval.How To ApplyPlease submit your résumé and briefly describe:The food-service operations you have managedThe size of the teams you have supervisedYour coffee/café experienceAn example of how you improved the financial or operational performance of a restaurant, café or similar businessProfessional references will be requested.We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.Schedule & CompensationSalary: $61,000 annuallyPTO: 14 paid daysComplimentary lunch, coffee and tea while workingAnnual bonus opportunity plus potential additional performance-based compensation for meaningful improvement in the café’s financial and operating performanceApproximately 45–50 hours per week, generally centered around 10:00 a.m.–6:30 p.mWeekend availability required, with scheduling flexibility as staffing and coverage permit