Hospitality & Operations Lead (Lead Barista with Lead Management Skills)
2 months ago
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
About Light Switch Light Switch is a neighborhood coffee shop and bar opening in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. By day, we serve specialty coffee, pastries and light fare. By night, we transition into a relaxed social environment serving beer, wine, spritzes and shareable food offerings. We are seeking Hospitality & Operations Leads to join our opening leadership team. These roles are responsible for helping establish service standards, training team members, maintaining operational excellence and delivering exceptional guest experiences across both daytime and evening service. Working alongside the co-founders of the business Henry and Mark. This is an opportunity to play a key role in building a new hospitality business from the start. Position Summary The Hospitality & Operations Lead is a hands-on lead role responsible for overseeing front-of-house operations, supporting daily business performance and ensuring an outstanding guest experience throughout all trading periods. This role requires flexibility to lead both coffee service and evening beverage service, while acting as a role model for hospitality, teamwork and operational execution. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable leading a busy morning coffee rush, coaching team members during service and hosting guests during evening operations alongside the rest of the team. Key Responsibilities Guest Experience & Hospitality ● Deliver exceptional hospitality and create memorable guest experiences ● Build relationships with regular guests and foster community engagement ● Resolve guest concerns professionally and confidently ● Ensure service standards are consistently executed throughout the day and evening Coffee Operations ● Prepare and serve specialty coffee beverages to company standards ● Monitor coffee quality and consistency ● Support coffee training and ongoing development of team members ● Maintain espresso equipment and coffee workstations Evening Beverage Operations ● Serve beer, wine and spritzes to company standards ● Support beverage menu development and seasonal offerings ● Maintain beverage quality, presentation and service standards ● Ensure compliance with responsible alcohol service practices Leadership & Training ● Lead shifts and act as the senior team member on duty ● Train, coach and develop hospitality team members ● Support onboarding of new hires ● Drive accountability for service, cleanliness and operational standards ● Foster a positive and collaborative team culture Operations & Administration ● Open and close the business according to established procedures ● Perform cash handling and end-of-day reconciliation ● Monitor inventory levels and communicate ordering requirements ● Assist with receiving deliveries and stock management ● Ensure compliance with food safety and health regulations Business Performance ● Drive sales through guest engagement and product knowledge ● Support achievement of labor and operational goals ● Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and guest satisfaction ● Act as a trusted partner to ownership in day-to-day operations Qualifications Required ● Minimum 2-3 years hospitality experience ● Experience in specialty coffee (experienced barista), restaurants, bars or hospitality operations ● Strong leadership and communication skills ● Proven ability to perform in a fast-paced environment ● Passion for hospitality and guest experience ● Flexible availability including mornings, evenings and weekends ● Food Handler certification Preferred ● Experience leading shifts ● Specialty coffee experience ● Wine, beer or beverage service experience ● Experience with Toast POS ● Experience in a new start-up operation. What Success Looks Like ● Outstanding guest experience across all dayparts. ● Consistent coffee and beverage quality ● Strong team culture and engagement ● Well-executed openings, closings and shift transitions ● Operational excellence throughout both daytime and evening service ● Positive contribution to the growth and reputation of Light Switch Compensation ● Competitive hourly wage ● Participation in tip pool ● Leadership development opportunities ● Opportunity for future advancement as the business grows Schedule Full-time position averaging 35-40 hours per week with a mixture of morning, daytime, evening and weekend shifts. But we are flexible depending on the individual's needs. This role ideal requires flexibility to support both coffee and evening beverage operations. Or specifically one day-part throughout the week and weekend.
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