Café Manager - Barista experience necessary

About the role

Manteiga is looking for an experienced Café Manager who knows great hospitality, great coffee and how to lead from the floor. This is a hands-on management position — you'll be leading the team, running service and working alongside them when things get busy. Strong barista experience is essential. You should be completely comfortable jumping behind the machine, dialling in, managing workflow and producing consistently excellent coffee.

Key responsibilities

• Leading the day-to-day operation of the café
• Managing the floor and keeping service running smoothly
• Leading, motivating and supporting FOH and barista team
• Working on the coffee machine as part of regular service
• Maintaining consistently high coffee and service standards
• Training and developing baristas and FOH staff
• Managing workflow, breaks and staff positioning during service
• Overseeing opening and closing procedures
• Monitoring stock and assisting with ordering
• Handling customer feedback professionally

About you

• Previous café management or strong supervisory experience
• Solid barista experience and excellent coffee knowledge (minimum 3 years experience)
• Can confidently dial in espresso, adjust grinders and texture milk
• Experience in a busy, quality-focused café
• Natural leader who can give direction without losing the team
• Organised, reliable and calm under pressure
• High standards but willing to get your hands dirty
• Understand that great hospitality is in the details
• Available to work weekends

About us

Manteiga is a Portuguese-inspired café and restaurant in Darlinghurst. We care about quality food, great coffee and warm, genuine hospitality. We're looking for a manager who wants to take ownership of the café, build a strong team culture and help us deliver the kind of experience that keeps people coming back.