Deli & Kitchen Associate

Tavola Italian Market is a family-owned Italian specialty market and caf in Brooklyn. We are looking for a reliable, hardworking, friendly, and customer-focused Deli & Kitchen Associate to join our team.

This is a hands-on position that includes food preparation, deli service, customer service, cleaning, restocking, and general store support. Because we are a small team, we work closely together and help each other throughout the day to keep the market running smoothly.

Responsibilities

• Prepare panini, salads, meat and cheese platters, and other prepared foods according to our recipes and standards.
  
• Slice, portion, package, and serve deli meats, cheeses, and other products.
  
• Greet customers and provide friendly, attentive, and professional service.
  
• Take customer orders and accurately operate the Toast POS system and process payments.
  
• Assist with daily deli and kitchen preparation, including ingredient prep and station setup.
  
• Restock products, ingredients, packaging, and supplies throughout the shift.
  
• Maintain clean, organized, and attractive product displays and workstations.
  
• Wash dishes, utensils, equipment, and other kitchen items as needed.
  
• Keep counters, equipment, kitchen, deli, and customer-facing areas clean and sanitized.
  
• Safely operate deli and kitchen equipment, including meat and cheese slicers.
  
• Properly store, label, rotate, and handle food and ingredients.
  
• Follow food safety, sanitation, and hygiene procedures.
  
• Assist with opening, closing, and general store duties as scheduled.
  
• Communicate with coworkers and management about inventory, prep, customer needs, and anything requiring attention.
  
• Stay organized and work efficiently during busy periods.
  

Teamwork Is Important to Us

As a small, family-run business, we work closely as a team and everyone helps keep the store running smoothly. While each shift may have different priorities, team members should be comfortable jumping in where needed whether that means preparing food, helping a customer, restocking, doing dishes, or keeping the space clean and organized.

We value people who are dependable, communicate well, take initiative, and are happy to support their coworkers. We're looking for someone who enjoys being part of a team and takes pride in creating a welcoming experience for our customers.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a deli, restaurant, caf , kitchen, grocery store, or food-service environment is preferred, but we are willing to train the right person.
  
• Customer service experience is a plus.
  
• Experience using a deli slicer is a plus.
  
• Toast or other POS experience is a plus.
  
• English and Spanish language skills required.
  
• Reliable, punctual, organized, and responsible.
  
• Comfortable multitasking and working in a fast-paced environment.
  
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
  
• Positive attitude and willingness to learn.
  
• Able to follow instructions, recipes, portioning standards, and food-safety procedures.
  
• Comfortable taking initiative and working independently when needed.
  

Physical Requirements

This is an active, hands-on position. Team members should be comfortable standing and moving for extended periods, bending and reaching, and lifting or carrying boxes, ingredients, and supplies as part of normal store and kitchen operations.

What We're Looking For

Above all, we're looking for someone who is dependable, responsible, friendly, and willing to be part of the team. We value people who take pride in their work, treat customers warmly, communicate with their coworkers, and are willing to learn.

If you enjoy working with food and people and are looking to be part of a small, welcoming neighborhood business, we'd love to hear from you.