Café Manager – Edwinstowe
Full-Time | Excellent Work-Life Balance | Quality-Led Independent Hospitality
We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Café Manager to lead a busy, quality-focused café in the heart of Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire.
This is an opportunity to manage a venue that is passionate about exceptional produce, freshly prepared food, genuine hospitality and local heritage — while offering something increasingly rare within the industry: a genuinely good work-life balance.
The Role
As Café Manager, you will take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the business, leading from the front and creating a welcoming, professional environment for both customers and the team.
We aren't interested in cutting corners. Quality is central to what we do, from the ingredients coming into the kitchen to the coffee, drinks and food leaving the counter.
You'll work closely with the kitchen and wider management team to ensure that standards remain consistently high while helping the business continue to grow.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Leading, motivating and developing the front-of-house team
- Delivering consistently excellent customer service
- Managing rotas and staffing levels effectively
- Maintaining high standards of presentation and cleanliness
- Working closely with the kitchen to deliver a seamless service
- Managing stock, ordering and wastage
- Helping control labour and operational costs
- Developing the customer experience and encouraging repeat business
- Supporting events, promotions and new ideas
- Ensuring the character and local heritage of the venue remain part of the customer experience
Food, Produce & Provenance
We want our café to be recognised for the quality of what we serve.
Our approach is centred around excellent ingredients, carefully sourced produce and food that is prepared properly rather than relying on mass-produced, generic alternatives.
We want a manager who understands that customers notice the details — from the quality of the breakfast ingredients and bread to the coffee, presentation and warmth of the welcome.
There is also a strong connection to the heritage of Edwinstowe and Nottinghamshire, and we want to celebrate that history in a way that feels authentic, contemporary and relevant rather than themed or gimmicky.
Work-Life Balance
Hospitality management shouldn't automatically mean sacrificing your life outside work.
We want to build a strong management team that can deliver an excellent operation without relying on excessive hours and constant late nights.
The role therefore offers a working pattern designed around a much healthier balance than many traditional restaurant or pub management positions.
You'll still be expected to lead during important and busy services, but good organisation, sensible staffing and a strong team should mean your days off are actually days off.
Who We're Looking For
Ideally, you'll have previous experience managing or supervising a successful café, restaurant, food-led pub or similar hospitality business.
More importantly, we're looking for someone who:
- Cares genuinely about food and ingredient quality
- Is confident leading a team
- Understands the commercial side of hospitality
- Has high standards without creating an unpleasant working environment
- Is organised and comfortable taking responsibility
- Enjoys getting to know regular customers
- Understands the importance of local community
- Can bring new ideas to the business
- Wants to build something they can be proud of
What We Offer
Competitive management salary
Excellent work-life balance
Sensible working hours
Quality fresh-food environment
Supportive ownership and senior management
Opportunity to influence menus, events and the future direction of the business
A venue with genuine local character and heritage
A role where quality is valued over simply cutting costs
Interested?
If you're an experienced hospitality professional who loves great food, great produce and creating places people genuinely want to return to, we'd love to hear from you.
Please apply with your CV and a brief introduction explaining what you're looking for from your next hospitality management role.
Location: Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire
Applications will be treated in confidence. Further details about the business will be provided to suitable candidates during the recruitment process.
Pay: £27,000.00-£31,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
