Beverages, Business Operations, Coaching, Communication Skills, Cost Control, Customer Relations, Food Quality, Food Services, Food and Beverage Industry, Inventory Management, Leadership, Lift/Move 50 Pounds, Onboarding, Point of Sale (POS) Systems, Problem Solving Skills, Reconciliation, Relationship Management, Revenue/Sales Reporting
About the Role
Makeworth is an independent cafe and speciality coffee roastery in Bellingham, WA with a team that takes both coffee and culture seriously. We're hiring an Assistant Cafe Manager to join our leadership team someone who's ready to run strong shifts, develop the people around them, and grow into broader responsibility over time.
This is a real leadership role with a clear path upward, and you'll be the first in line when Cafe Manager and other leadership positions open as we grow.
What You'll Do
On the floor:
- Run shifts end-to-end, serving as the primary point of contact in the Cafe Manager's absence
- Uphold high standards for beverage, food, and service quality
- Coach and support team members in real time leading by example on pace, professionalism, and care
- Manage cafe flow during peaks and make operational calls on the fly
- Handle opens and closes, cash reconciliation, and POS accuracy
- Respond to and resolve guest concerns quickly and professionally
Off the floor (dedicated leadership time):
- Assist with scheduling, inventory, and vendor communications
- Support training, onboarding, and performance feedback for team members
- Track daily sales reports and flag discrepancies to the Cafe Manager
- Monitor food and beverage costs and help reduce waste
- Coordinate the Cafe Artist Program managing artist relationships, display rotations, and incoming requests
- Contribute to team culture through community-building efforts and management-level participation
What We're Looking For
- Experience in cafe, restaurant, or hospitality leadership (preferred, not required if you're the right person)
- Strong communication and problem-solving skills you stay composed when things get busy
- A genuine interest in developing people, not just managing them
- Flexible availability including weekends and holidays
- Familiarity with POS systems, scheduling tools, or inventory management is a plus
- Knowledge of coffee and food service standards is a plus
Physical: Ability to stand for extended periods and lift up to 50 lbs.
Compensation
We believe in being straightforward about pay, so here's how this role actually works:
- Base rate: $23 - $27/hr, depending on experience and readiness for leadership responsibility
- Tips: ACMs participate in the tip pool during customer-facing shifts total hourly earnings during floor shifts are significantly higher than base pay (~$10-12/hr)
- Leadership Premium: During scheduled non-floor leadership hours, ACMs receive an additional $10/hr on top of base pay to offset foregone tips and reflect the responsibility of that work
- Pay progression is performance-based, not tenure-based moving from entry to strong/high-performing ACM is tied to how you lead, not how long you've been here
Additional perks:
- Expanded free coffee and product access beyond already generous employee perks
- Eligibility for discretionary bonuses tied to business performance and your contribution
- Participation in management meetings and real exposure to business operations and financials
- Priority consideration for Cafe Manager and other leadership roles as Makeworth grows