Cafe Shift Lead

Approximately 20–30 Hours per Week

Pay: $12.50/hour + Tips

Position Overview

The Shift Lead is an experienced Barista who provides on-shift leadership and serves as a primary coach for Fresh Start interns.

This is a hands-on position. Shift Leads regularly work behind the bar while helping ensure the café maintains Fresh Start CoffeeWorks' standards for excellent coffee, genuine hospitality, cleanliness, teamwork, and professionalism.

A significant part of this role is helping Fresh Start interns develop practical skills, confidence, and healthy workplace habits.

Primary Responsibilities

Shift Leadership

•    Regularly work behind the bar as part of the café team.

•    Lead assigned shifts and help ensure smooth café operations.

•    Provide direction and support to Baristas and interns during assigned shifts.

•    Maintain standards for coffee quality, hospitality, cleanliness, and organization.

•    Assist with opening and closing responsibilities.

•    Address routine on-shift issues and communicate larger concerns to the Café Manager.

Coffee & Hospitality

•    Prepare and serve drinks according to Fresh Start CoffeeWorks recipes and quality standards.

•    Provide warm, welcoming, and attentive customer service.

•    Help maintain a clean, organized, and inviting café environment.

•    Model excellent hospitality and professionalism for Baristas and interns.

•    Help ensure consistency in drink preparation and customer experience.

Team Development

•    Help train and develop Baristas in coffee preparation, customer service, hospitality, and café procedures.

•    Provide encouragement, instruction, and constructive feedback during assigned shifts.

•    Help reinforce café procedures and expectations established by the Café Manager.

Fresh Start Intern Coaching

•    Serve as a primary on-shift coach for assigned Fresh Start interns.

•    Train interns in coffee preparation, customer service, hospitality, cleaning, organization, and other café responsibilities.

•    Help interns develop workplace skills including punctuality, communication, teamwork, professionalism, initiative, and receiving feedback.

•    Provide patient and consistent coaching while maintaining appropriate workplace expectations.

•    Communicate intern progress, challenges, and areas for development to the Café Manager.

•    Help create a safe and encouraging environment where interns can build confidence and gain meaningful work experience.

Qualifications

•    Previous barista, café, restaurant, or customer-service experience preferred.

•    Leadership, training, mentoring, or coaching experience preferred.

•    Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

•    Dependable, organized, and able to take initiative.

•    Ability to provide clear direction and constructive feedback.

•    Patient and encouraging when training and developing others.

•    Comfortable working in a fast-paced, customer-facing environment.

•    Willingness to learn and uphold Fresh Start CoffeeWorks recipes, procedures, and quality standards.

•    Passion for helping people grow personally and professionally.

Schedule & Compensation

This position is approximately 20–30 hours per week and will primarily consist of behind-the-bar shifts, including assigned opening and closing responsibilities.

Compensation: $12.50 per hour + tips.

The Shift Lead reports to the Café Manager and works closely with Baristas and Fresh Start interns.