Assistant Café Manager

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About the Jikoni Group

Founded in 2016 in Marylebone, Jikoni is a purpose-led restaurant and community-focused business founded on the belief that the purpose of a restaurant is to restore. We create warmth, generosity, and kindness through hospitality that transforms how people feel, drawing on multicultural culinary traditions and the wisdom of the maternal kitchen. Our approach, "Cooking Without Borders," celebrates diversity by sharing flavours, stories, and techniques from Asia, the Far East, India, the Middle East, and East Africa, bringing the nourishing, selfless essence of home-cooked meals to every guest. Since our founding, Jikoni has grown steadily and is now poised to expand to 2 new sites: a vibrant new restaurant in Bloomsbury and a new all-day café and restaurant project with the new V&A East Museum in Stratford's Olympic Park. This expansion will serve as the foundation of the Jikoni Group.

What we're looking for

• We’re looking for someone who is kind and leads with heart and curiosity.
• Emotional Skillset: You embody the qualities that define great hospitality: Kindness, Optimism, Self-Awareness, Curiosity, Integrity, and Empathy.
• Experience: 2 years' experience as a Cafe Supervisor/Manager is preferred or any equivalent experience welcome. If you meet most of the criteria and are excited about the role, we encourage you to apply.
• Values Alignment: You share our family values of Multiculturalism & Pluralism, Integrity, Hospitality & Seva (Selfless Service), Excellence, and Entrepreneurialism.
• Leadership & Ambition: A desire and drive to build and shape new channels of the business, contribute to a positive and supportive culture and build a career with us.
• Culinary Curiosity: A deep curiosity for our style of maternal cooking and immigrant cuisine and global flavours.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee daily café operations to ensure smooth and efficient service.
• Lead, train, and supervise front-of-house and kitchen staff.
• Manage staff scheduling, performance, and payroll tracking.
• Deliver excellent customer service and handle customer feedback or complaints.
• Monitor stock levels, place orders, and manage supplier relationships.
• Control costs, manage budgets, and meet sales targets.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, hygiene, and health & safety regulations.
• Maintain high standards of cleanliness, presentation, and brand consistency.
• Prepare reports on sales performance and operational metrics to present back to the senior team.

What we offer

• Career Progression: Opportunities for growth in a dynamic and progressive company and working directly with senior management and directors to grow your leadership, business and hospitality skills while contributing to business with a positive purpose.
• Unique Training: Go beyond the kitchen with visits and hands‑on training with our biodynamic farm partner and specialist producers.
• Competitive Package and Team Benefits: Delicious and wholesome team meals, a 51% team discount at our restaurants upon passing probation, 28 days holiday, a company pension scheme and private health insurance plans for all team members.

Everyone Is Welcome

At Jikoni, one of our core values is Pluralism, the idea that celebrating both our similarities and differences make our community richer and stronger. We warmly encourage applications from women and people of all backgrounds and lived experiences. If this role speaks to you but you don't meet every requirement, we would still love to hear from you. Please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments or accommodations we can make during the hiring process.