At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead our café operations, manage events, and create a welcoming atmosphere for customers.
- Company: Join House of Books & Friends, a vibrant community hub in Manchester.
- Benefits: Enjoy a paid 'Reading Day' and be part of a supportive team.
- Other info: Flexible hours with opportunities for creativity and growth in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Make a real difference by combating loneliness through books and community gatherings.
- Qualifications: 2+ years in café management, strong customer service skills, and a love for literature.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
Location: House of Books & Friends – 81 King Street Manchester M2 4AH
Hours: Full Time – Permanent
About House of Books & Friends
House of Books & Friends is more than a bookshop and café, we are a vibrant Community Interest Company in the heart of Manchester city centre, our mission is to address loneliness and social isolation. We bring people together through books, conversation, great coffee, and memorable events. From carefully curated shelves and cosy reading corners to bustling Afternoon Teas and community gatherings, we create a welcoming and inclusive space.
We are now looking for an experienced, energetic Café and Catering Manager to lead our café operations and play a key role in our continued growth.
The Role
As Café and Catering Manager, you will lead on the daily running of our busy café while working closely with our bookshop and events teams. This is a hands-on, shop-floor-based role where leadership, creativity and commercial awareness are equally important.
Key Responsibilities
- Operations
- Oversee all café activities including food & beverage preparation, service, and cleanliness
- Manage stock levels, ordering, supplier sourcing, and negotiations
- Maintain and enforce health & safety standards and ensure compliance with legislation
- Keep all paperwork up to date and aligned with regulations
- Develop innovative, costed ideas to broaden services and product offerings
- Key holding duties (opening and closing)
- Support shop floor operations across both the bookshop and café, including serving and phone enquiries
- Events
- Organise and deliver our popular Afternoon Tea events, generating and implementing new ideas with minimal direction
- Collaborate with the events team to deliver high-quality room hire and catered events
- Create clear systems and procedures to enable smooth event delivery
- Further develop catering options from standardised to bespoke packages for a range of budgets
- Undertake hosting duties where required
- Customer Experience
- Create a warm, welcoming atmosphere with exceptional service
- Manage enquiries, feedback, and complaints professionally and efficiently
- Foster a positive, collaborative working environment
- Manage budgets, revenue, expenses, and profitability
- Implement cost controls without compromising quality
- Analyse sales data, identify trends and key seasonal opportunities
- Develop strategies to increase revenue and meet targets
- Menu Development & Marketing
- Adapt offerings based on seasonality, dietary needs, and customer preferences
- Support promotional campaigns and monitor competitor activity
- Create and implement creative and new revenue streams for the cafe
About You
- Proven experience (at least 2+ years) as a shop-floor-based Café/Catering Manager (or similar hospitality leadership role) – only people with this experience will be considered for the role.
- Strong knowledge of café operations, food safety, and customer service
- Experience training and managing a team
- Confident using POS systems and standard office software
- Flexible to work weekends and holidays as required
- A genuine interest in books and the literary world
What We Offer
- One paid "Reading Day" per year to catch up on your reading
Cafe and Catering Manager in Manchester employer: House of Books & Friends CIC
At House of Books & Friends, we pride ourselves on being a vibrant Community Interest Company that not only serves delicious coffee and food but also fosters a sense of community in the heart of Manchester. Our inclusive work culture encourages creativity and collaboration, offering employees opportunities for personal and professional growth while making a meaningful impact on social isolation. With unique benefits like a paid 'Reading Day' each year, we ensure our team enjoys a fulfilling and rewarding work experience.
Contact Details:
House of Books & Friends CIC Recruitment Team
