Café & Deli Operations Manager – Hawthorne Garage
Do you love the cafe rush? Obsessed with food, coffee, and creating a buzzing team environment? Hawthorne Garage is looking for a hands-on leader to run our DNA Espresso bar and gourmet deli cafe, the beating heart of Brisbane's favourite neighbourhood grocer.
This is your chance to own a high-volume cafe department, lead a 20-person team, and deliver premium coffee, food, and service every single day.
The Role
As Cafe & Deli Operations Manager, you'll lead from the front. You're not hiding in the office up to your eyeballs in spreadsheets all day, you're on the floor, setting the pace, coaching team members, and making sure every customer is satisfied.
You'll oversee the full cafe operation: service, sales, coffee standards, deli presentation, rostering, stock, financial performance, and food safety. This role suits someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, loves structure and process, and knows how to balance great food with commercial results.
Lifestyle reality check: four days a week you'll start early (5am to 2 pm), and once a week you'll run a late shift (midday to 8:30 pm) to stay across the full operation. If you're looking for school-drop-off hours, this isn't the role.
Key Responsibilities
Customer Experience
● Own the cafe service journey with every customer greeted, served quickly, and leaving happy.
● Enforce coffee standards. Grind, extraction, milk texture, presentation.
● Keep cafe and deli presentation sharp: clean counters, full displays, premium grab-and-go.
● Drive upselling and product knowledge so customers discover something new each visit.
● Monitor customer feedback and respond fast.
Team Leadership & Culture
● Lead daily huddles and weekly cafe meetings.
● Recruit, train, and mentor a 20-person team across baristas, deli, and counter staff.
● Hold people accountable and fix problems early, as well as reward high standards.
● Build a culture of speed, consistency, and pride in food and service.
Operations & Stock
● Manage ordering of coffee, milk, deli, and consumables. No over-ordering, no outages.
● Oversee stocktake's, waste tracking, and corrective actions.
● Keep deli displays fresh, full, and appealing.
● Deliver promotions, seasonal offers, and loyalty programs.
Financial Performance
● Review weekly sales, GP, wages, and waste reports, and act fast on variance.
● Manage rostering to align labour with budget and demand.
● Adjust pricing in line with supplier changes to protect margin.
● Ensure accurate daily cash handling and reconciliation.
Compliance, Safety & Standards
● Maintain strict food safety across cafe and deli.
● Oversee cleaning schedules, temperature checks, and food safety logs.
● Document and act on all incidents.
What We're Looking For
● Hospitality leader: 3+ years' cafe, deli, or hospitality management experience.
● Barista skills: confident on the machine, passionate about coffee.
● Food lover: strong product knowledge, loves talking food and upselling.
● Commercial mindset: proven ability with wages, cost of goods, P&L, and reporting.
● Team builder: experience leading 10+ staff, coaching, and holding accountability.
● Process-driven: thrives on structure, compliance, and consistent standards.
● Flexible and committed: early mornings and weekly late shift included.
This is not a chef role but your creativity shines in team culture, food presentation, and customer experience.
About Us
The Hawthorne Garage and DNA Espresso Bar is a fast-paced environment nestled in Brisbane's Eastern Suburbs. We are your local grocer, offering a one-stop shopping solution for all things gourmet. Our unique shopping experience combines fresh food with excellent service in a distinctive setting. The iconic old 'Garage' is perfect for your daily shop, featuring a wide range of fresh produce, delicatessen items, an espresso bar, groceries, and organic options.
Please forward your resume to