General Manager | Cambridge (Hiring Immediately)

About Blank Street

At Blank Street, we’re on a mission to become the defining food and beverage brand of our generation. From the very beginning, we’ve set out to add a spark to ordinary experiences through elevated products, attention-to-detail, and a commitment to making every moment memorable. We’re motivated by the millions of customers we serve across cities, and know that our potential is unlimited. It all starts with our people and their commitment to make magic happen each and every day.

Start Something Extraordinary… As a General Manager, you take full ownership of your store experience. You are responsible for upholding standards through well orchestrated shifts where you act as both host and taskmaster. You must be able to work independently, while also thriving in a team environment. We’re looking for dynamic leaders that will motivate and inspire our teams in the Cafes to fulfil and represent Blank Street’s goals and vision. We want our team to become part of the community’s infrastructure, serving customers with passion, care, and precision.

The right person for this role is a proven operator who takes pride in giving amazing hospitality experiences and influencing their team to do the same. You thrive for opportunities to serve your community and make a big local impact. You are customer centric and believe in quality product through flawless execution. You empower your team to give customers exactly what they need, every day, in their way. You excel in high growth environments, thrive under pressure, are highly organised, and can handle competing priorities.

What You’ll Own:

• Barista Hero - Uphold and coach our standards every day, on every shift with every customer and barista. Lead from the front delivering elevated hospitality - spending time outside the bar to manage queues, recognise regulars and role model to your team. Set the pace of the shift, jumping in when it’s most needed to support your team and maintain high energy in every shift.
• People Leadership - Own barista recruitment, and recruit only the highest potential talent across our four Barista Hero pillars. Upskill your team through hands-on coaching, Field trainer collaboration and specialised sessions, identifying future leaders with Operations Managers. Maintain standards through firm, fair and regular feedback. Address underperformance promptly with clear coaching and consequences. Recognise wins and outsized performance through genuine moments of recognition that motivate your team. Develop a connected and engaged team - by building a fun and welcoming work environment and organising thoughtful team events.
• PnL Owner - Design each shift by station with precision, balancing labour productivity with store demand needs. Work with your OM to define area labour planning and hiring needs. Oversee inventory, ordering, and waste with precision. Manage POs, counts, and stock to ensure product availability whilst reducing waste. Identify and execute tactical levers to drive store sales, e.g., opening 2nd POS, labour changes for peak weeks, optimising workflow.
• Change Maker - Lead rollout of HQ initiatives (SOPs, seasonal launches, tools). Land effectively both the “why” and “how” with your team - driving successful adoption and team enthusiasm. Track KPIs very closely (Mystery Shopper, Audits, Reviews) and take action to drive change swiftly. Combine team feedback to surface opportunities and develop a clear quarterly plan to drive continuous improvement. Take initiative to propose and test new ideas that can have an impact. Collaborate with your OM and HQ to pilot and refine solutions.

Who are you:

• 1+ years of experience leading operations in high-growth hospitality/consumer brands.
• Track record scaling and managing hospitality teams.
• Track record managing inventory and supply chain ordering.
• Highly effective interpersonal and communication skills.
• Hands-on and highly action-oriented.
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to perform under pressure and time constraints.
• Deep knowledge and interest in specialty coffee.

Benefits & Perks:

• Private health and dental insurance.
• 25 days of annual leave (on top of bank holidays), along with an additional paid day a year ‘to start something extraordinary’ and pursue a passion.
• A salary sacrifice scheme to spend on Cycle to Work, bike subscriptions, pensions and medical.
• Exclusive access to our coveted Regulars program – yes, that means free coffee, matcha and more!
• Great culture with regular team events.