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JOB DETAILS

Cafe Assistant

CompanyHands On Children's Museum
LocationOlympia
Work ModeOn Site
PostedAugust 29, 2026
About The Company
Located on Olympia’s downtown waterfront, the Hands On Children’s Museum is the leading play-based early learning institution in the state. It is also the largest and most visited youth museum in the Pacific Northwest. The museum’s mission is to stimulate curiosity, creativity, and learning through fun, interactive exhibits, and programs. The museum offers a robust free and reduced Access Program that serves over one-third of its visitors. Its programs and exhibits are designed to encourage interaction and inquiry, and inspire a lifelong love of learning.
About the Role

Description

  

Status:  Part Time – 15 to 20 hours/week

Wages: $17.13 - $18.50 hourly, DOQ


About Hands On: 

The Hands On Children’s Museum is located on the picturesque East Bay waterfront in downtown Olympia. We are a nationally known family learning destination and the most visited children’s museum in the Pacific Northwest hosting more than 300,000 visitors each year. Our mission is to stimulate curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills through rich, interactive learning experiences. We believe that all children deserve respect and the opportunity to learn, regardless of their ability to pay, which is why the Museum works hard to serve more than one-third of its annual visitation through the Inspired Learning for All initiative. 

Voted a “Best Place for Kids” for more than a decade, the Museum offers a state-of-the-art LEED Gold facility with 150 indoor exhibits, a half-acre Outdoor Discovery Center, Art Studio, a MakeSpace for tinkering and inventing, café and gift shop, and award-winning education programs including camps, workshops, preschool, parenting classes, field trips, community outreach and family support programs.


Position Overview:

We are a fast-paced café dedicated to serving fresh, delicious food with exceptional customer service. We’re looking for a friendly, reliable Café Assistant to support daily café operations and help create a welcoming environment for our guests. 

Our Playday Café offers salads, sandwiches, grilled paninis and quesadillas, soup, coffee, and other grab and go options in a family-focused environment.  Open 7 days a week, daily service hours are typically 10am to 4pm.


  Job Duties:

  • Greet customers, take orders, and      provide excellent service
  • Prep, cook & serve café      menu items
  • Prepare coffee, tea, and specialty      beverages
  • Clean & sanitize prep spaces and counters
  • Handle cash and operate POS system 
  • Follow all food safety and sanitation      procedures
  • Sweep, clean & sanitize guest dining      area
  • Restock supplies and ingredients      throughout the shift
  • Clean dishes and café      equipment to meet state and county health requirements.
  • Assist with opening and      closing procedures
  • Assist with monthly      inventory
  • Accurately record waste,      tips, R&D, and malfunctioning/broken equipment


Requirements

  Qualifications:

  

· Candidates with flexible availability preferred -- including local and regional school district breaks, weekends, holidays, museum events, and occasional after-hours events.

· Food handler’s card and 1 year of previous café or quick food service experience, including use of a POS system

· High School Diploma or actively pursuing; Associate degree preferred

· Understanding of safe food preparation, storage and handling procedures

· Must be punctual, reliable, positive and team oriented 

· Preferred candidate will have schedule flexibility

· Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, with noise and crowds

· Ability to communicate with Museum visitors, parents/caregivers, community members and Museum colleagues in a courteous and professional manner

· Physical requirements include stooping, kneeling, bending, standing, squatting/crouching, crawling, pushing/pulling, climbing up and down stairs, and reaching above the shoulders

· Must be able to stand for long periods of time and lift up to 30 lbs.

Key Skills
Customer serviceFood preparationPOS system operationCash handlingSanitationCoffee preparationInventory managementTeamworkPunctualityCommunication
Categories
Food & BeverageHospitalityCustomer Service & SupportRetail
Job Information
📋Core Responsibilities
The Café Assistant is responsible for preparing and serving food and beverages while providing excellent customer service to museum visitors. They also maintain cleanliness in the dining and prep areas, handle cash transactions, and assist with inventory and opening/closing procedures.
📋Job Type
full time
💰Salary Range
$17 - $19
📊Experience Level
0-2
💼Company Size
46
📊Visa Sponsorship
No
💼Language
English
🏢Working Hours
20 hours
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