Coffee & Tea Shop Manager at Boulange USA Inc – Los Angeles, California

Reports to: General Manager

Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Department: Front of House Management

Job Summary

The Coffee & Tea Shop Manager oversees all daily operations of the café’s beverage and service program, ensuring exceptional product quality, smooth workflow, and elevated hospitality. This role leads the barista team, maintains beverage standards, manages inventory and ordering, and drives overall café performance. The ideal candidate has experience running a specialty coffee or high-volume café environment and brings strong leadership, communication, and operational expertise. This position is a hands-on leadership role, modeling excellence in guest service, barista craft, and team development.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Leads, trains, and mentors baristas and FOH beverage staff, ensuring service consistency and quality.
• Oversees daily shift operations, bar flow, staffing, and readiness.
• Provides guidance, coaching, and feedback to support team growth and performance improvement.
• Works closely with other department Leads and management to ensure clear communication, smooth coordination, and accurate dissemination of information.
• Takes full accountability for beverage operations, staffing, quality control, and guest experience within their area.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Manage all beverage operations, including specialty coffee, artisanal teas, tonics, smoothies, juices, and seasonal offerings.
• Ensure beverage quality and consistency through daily tastings, recipe adherence, and calibration sessions with baristas.
• Lead by example behind the bar, upholding speed, efficiency, and service etiquette.
• Create and maintain a warm, welcoming guest experience through hospitality-driven interactions.
• Oversee barista scheduling, shift coverage, and time management aligned with labor budgets.
• Maintain inventory of coffee beans, teas, milk/alt milks, syrups, juices, paper goods, and bar equipment; place orders as needed.
• Manage vendor relationships, product deliveries, and proper storage standards.
• Ensure daily set-up and closing procedures for the bar are executed consistently and thoroughly.
• Maintain cleanliness, sanitation, and organization of all beverage areas and equipment.
• Address guest feedback or complaints professionally and promptly.
• Collaborate with management, culinary and bakery teams to support cross-department operations and cohesive service flow.
• Support hiring, onboarding, and training for baristas and beverage-focused employees.
• Ensure compliance with health department regulations, food safety practices, and workplace safety.
• Monitor sales trends, identify opportunities to improve beverage performance, and assist with seasonal drink launches or menu enhancements.
• Perform additional operational duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to inspire and guide a team.
• Advanced barista skills and understanding of specialty coffee, tea brewing, and beverage craft.
• Solid knowledge of café operations including scheduling, inventory, ordering, and workflow management.
• Excellent customer service, hospitality, and conflict-resolution abilities.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, and maintain calm under pressure.
• Organized, detail-oriented, reliable, and proactive.
• Comfortable working early mornings, weekends, holidays, and peak rush periods as needed.

Education and Experience

• 2–4 years of coffee or tea shop management experience required.
• Experience in specialty coffee strongly preferred; high-volume café management experience also beneficial.
• 5+ years of barista experience required.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of standing and walking.
• Must be able to lift up to 30 pounds.
• Manual dexterity to operate espresso machines, grinders, brewers, and other equipment.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced café environment.