Cafe Manager: shape & run a new neighbourhood cafe, Barnes

Shape and run a new neighbourhood cafe from day one.Dee is a new independent neighbourhood cafe in Barnes. We're building a place that feels like a second home: warm, unhurried, rooted in good food and the community around it.Nature plays a quiet role here, from the ingredients on the plate to the plants and light that shape the space. We source most of our food from UK farms, work closely with sustainable suppliers, and take seriously the connection between what people eat and how the land is treated.We're not a corporate operation. We're two people, Olessia and Antonio, running something we believe in. Now we're looking for the person who will help us open the doors, and then run Dee day to day alongside us.The roleThis role starts before we open. The foundations are in place: legal and compliance requirements are covered, and the menu, suppliers and stock are already set up for our head chef to lead. What we still need to build is front of house: how the bar and floor run, our service standards, and a shared workflow between front and back of house, created together with our chef. You'll help us build it, open with us, then run it.You'll be at the heart of how Dee runs. This is a hands-on role: you'll be behind the bar pulling shots as often as you're building the rota, and on the floor with guests as much as you're checking stock. You'll work closely with our chef on ingredients, suppliers and where the menu goes next, and you'll lead a small team that shares what we care about. Lunches and weekends will be busy, so you'll lead from the floor when it counts.Everything at Dee is new, and we run on modern tech: a building management system, software to manage workflows and the team, EPOS, and we're fully cashless. You'll need to be comfortable with technology and happy to get the most out of it.We want someone who takes initiative. If you see something that could work better, we want to hear it, and we want you to run with it. The role will grow as Dee grows, and you'll have real room to shape it.What the role coversGetting front of house ready for openingCreating our front of house routines, checklists and service standards, from opening and closing to how we look after guestsBuilding a shared workflow between front and back of house with our chef, so orders, ingredients and communication flow smoothlyGetting the floor and team ready for opening day, and refining what needs changing in the first weeksRunning the cafeOpening and closing, and keeping the floor running smoothly through the dayBuilding and managing the staff rotaOrdering and managing front of house stock: drinks, and the pastries and cakes we buy inMaking sure health and safety, food safety and allergen procedures are followed day to dayBehind the bar and on the floorWorking as a barista and setting the standard across our full drinks menu: coffee we roast on site from farms we choose ourselves, specialty coffees, specialty hot and iced drinks, juices and smoothiesRunning juices and smoothies as part of our overall ingredients management, in close step with the kitchen to make the most of every ingredient and cut wasteLooking after guests and making Dee feel like a place people want to come back toFood, ingredients and suppliersWorking side by side with our chef on seasonal ingredients and where the menu goes next, bringing in what you hear from guests and what's sellingWorking with the chef on drinks and front of house suppliers, within our 60%+ UK sourcing commitment and budgetThe teamHelping recruit, settle in and train new people, not just on how to do the job, but on what Dee stands forBeing the first person the team comes to, and building a team that works well togetherWaste and costsUsing our reporting systems to spot over-ordering, spoilage or labour creep, and working with the chef to adjust ordering, portioning and rotasWhat's in it for youThe chance to shape front of house in a new cafe from day one, with your ideas built into how Dee worksWorking alongside on-site coffee roasting and a chef-led, seasonal kitchen, and learning from bothPutting sustainability into real practice every day, with room to grow your role as Dee growsWhat Dee stands forFood that nourishes people and is honest about the planetA menu that evolves gently towards more plant-forward options over time and with the seasonsA space that belongs to the neighbourhood, Barnes and beyondService that feels human, never corporateThe detailsLocation: Barnes, SW13, South West LondonHours: Full-time, 5 days a week including regular weekends, shifts between 6:00am and 6:00pm. Expect longer hours during set-up and the first weeks after openingReporting to: Olessia, co-founderSalary: From £37,000 a year, depending on experience, plus tipsStart: As soon as possible, to help us through set-up and openingHow to applyIf Dee sounds like your kind of place, we'd love to hear from you.When you apply, please include a short note telling us about a cafe you have run and what sustainability means to you.We're a small team opening something new, and every application will be read by one of us personally.