Cafe Catering Operations Manager

Job Summary

The Operations Manager is responsible for consistent café execution during assigned management coverage, employee scheduling, catering coordination, and operational follow-through. The role provides visible leadership, supports employee development, and ensures essential work continues when the General Manager is focused on client, financial, construction, or expansion responsibilities.

The Operations Manager is expected to communicate clearly, address concerns promptly, and follow assigned responsibilities through completion.

Core Responsibilities

1. Daily Café Operations

• Provide visible management coverage during café setup, service, and closing activities.

• Confirm the café is prepared for service and employees understand their assignments.

• Deploy employees and adjust daily work based on service needs.

• Monitor service, cleanliness, organization, and the guest experience.

• Respond to immediate operational concerns and staffing gaps.

• Verify that assigned work is completed.

• Communicate unresolved issues, operational risks, and necessary handoffs to the General Manager.

2. Scheduling and Staffing

• Prepare and maintain employee schedules based on café, catering, and approved Eastgate needs.

• Communicate schedules and schedule changes clearly and on time.

• Respond to callouts and identify available coverage.

• Adjust employee deployment based on business needs.

• Escalate staffing gaps that cannot be resolved with available resources.

• Identify recurring scheduling or coverage concerns.

Secondary Responsibilities

3. Catering Coordination

• Coordinate assigned catering events from intake through completion.

• Prepare and maintain BEOs.

• Confirm menus, staffing, timing, equipment, setup, service, and breakdown plans.

• Coordinate with culinary partners, outside vendors, temporary staff, and internal stakeholders.

• Communicate approved event changes to the appropriate teams.

• Provide or assign day-of operational leadership.

• Confirm completion and document necessary follow-up.

• Manage all event catering tickets, requests, and related communication through Jira.

• Serve as the primary on-the-ground point of contact for the events team in Bellevue.

• Coordinate catering support for events, including timelines, vendor communication, delivery, setup, and breakdown.

• Manage catering rentals as needed, including high-top tables, bar rentals, linens, serving equipment, and other event-related items.

• Partner with the events team, building administration, vendors, and internal stakeholders to ensure event catering needs are fulfilled accurately and on time.

• Provide onsite support during events to address catering, rental, vendor, or service-related needs.

4. Eastgate Coverage

• Provide half-day supervision at Eastgate Monday through Wednesday unless coverage is adjusted by the General Manager.

• Monitor service execution, employee needs, and immediate operational concerns while onsite.

• Communicate issues requiring Bellevue or General Manager follow-up.

• Provide a clear handoff for unresolved concerns.

The Operations Manager is not expected to provide simultaneous physical coverage at Eastgate and Bellevue. Competing coverage needs must be communicated promptly so priorities can be adjusted.

5. Systems, Safety, and Employee Support

• Maintain assigned menus, printing processes, trackers, and recurring operational systems.

• Coordinate information between culinary, service, catering, and management teams.

• Reinforce Bon Appétit safety, sanitation, service, and workplace expectations.

• Support required employee training and corrective follow-through.

• Provide clear direction and timely performance feedback.

• Document and escalate recurring or significant employee concerns.

• Participate in employee coaching and progressive counseling with the General Manager.

Some management systems, safety processes, and employee-coaching responsibilities will transition into full ownership as training is completed and expectations are reviewed.

Requirements

The Operations Manager may independently:

• Direct and deploy employees during daily operations.

• Reassign routine work and adjust breaks based on service needs.

• Make reasonable operational adjustments necessary to maintain service.

• Respond to callouts and seek available coverage.

• Communicate approved scheduling and catering changes.

• Correct immediate safety, sanitation, or service concerns.

The General Manager must be involved in significant disciplinary matters, changes to staffing structure, unapproved spending, major client concerns, serious safety or compliance matters, and decisions with broader financial or contractual impact.

Priorities When Responsibilities Conflict

Unless directed otherwise, responsibilities should be prioritized in this order:

1. Immediate employee or guest safety and compliance.

2. Service continuity at the assigned location.

3. Confirmed, time-sensitive catering commitments.

4. Same-day staffing and scheduling needs.

5. Routine administrative, systems, and project work.

When competing responsibilities cannot both be completed, the Operations Manager is responsible for communicating the conflict early, recommending a path forward, and confirming what will be deferred or reassigned.

Measures of Success

• Consistent, organized café and catering execution.

• Accurate and workable employee schedules.

• Visible and dependable management coverage.

• Clear employee direction and verification of completed work.

• Timely communication of staffing gaps, risks, and unresolved concerns.

• Reliable completion of assigned responsibilities.

• Appropriate documentation and escalation.

• Increasing independence with management systems, employee coaching, safety, and compliance responsibilities.