General Manager

POSITION

Café General Manager

CLASSIFICATION

Exempt

Reporting Relationships

Reports to the District Manager

Direct Reports : Shift Leads, Baristas, and Food Prep Positions

About Equator

In 1995, Equator Founders Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell began their values‑driven path, roasting coffee in a Marin County, CA garage. Possessing an obsessive commitment to green coffee sourcing and unparalleled roasting expertise, Helen and Brooke have committed over 30 years to sustainable and fair trade coffee practices all in the name of creating a remarkable coffee experience for consumers. Today, Equator Coffees is a retail and wholesale coffee roaster and coffee farm owner with twelve retail cafes throughout California—from Marin County to San Francisco to Oakland to Los Angeles and beyond. Throughout the years, Equator Coffees has spearheaded industry‑leading sourcing and roasting practices, and has forged progressive partnerships with Michelin‑starred chefs, specialty grocers, tech campuses, and more. Women‑owned, LGBTQ‑founded, and an early adopter of Fair Trade certification, Equator Coffees is the first California coffee roaster to achieve B Corp Certification.

Position Summary

The Café General Manager is responsible for leading the entire cafe team to provide an exceptional coffee experience for the customer. To be successful in this position, you must have a passion for the mission and values of Equator Coffees and want to share that passion with your team and the greater community by being a leader within the café.

Key Responsibilities

Sets a standard of conscientiously hiring, training, developing, and retaining employees

Continuously develop self and team

Inspires and creates a positive environment

Communicates regularly with team, provides positive and constructive feedback, and holds quarterly team meetings

Create timely and complete schedules, taking the business and employees needs into consideration

Completes payroll accurately and submits it within the proper time frame

Models hospitality and is in service to the customer

Acts to resolve customer concerns and is always looking for ways to make the experience better

Monitors, coaches, and encourages team members to exceed the customer’s expectations through the team’s execution of the operations, processes, recipes, and knowledge

Know all products, including ingredients, quality consistency positioning, and signage with the ability to answer questions that might come up from staff or customers

Completes required inventories and accurate ordering in the proper time frame

Manage the store’s financial performance and costs to include accurate cash controls and product ordering

Completes the weekly financial corporate requirements accurately and in a timely manner

Is relentless in finding ways to drive sales and create new customers

Monitors Key Performance Indicators and is always looking for areas to improve

Qualifications and Requirements

Demonstrates a passion for coffee and inspires it in others

Management experience in specialty coffee, retail, hospitality, and / or customer service is required

Experience managing a profitable & operationally sound single café / restaurant preferred

Must maintain current state‑issued SERVSafe Manager Certificate

Experience recruiting, hiring, and managing staff

Strong leadership skills with professional maturity

Proven ability to understand and execute an organization’s goals and objectives

Enjoys working on a team and collaborating as a team player

Leadership, relationship, team building, and conflict management skills

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills - both oral and written

Must be able to exercise independent judgment and decision‑making skills

Ability to work in a fast‑paced environment, manage competing priorities and meet deadlines

Experience reviewing financial reports and meeting budgets

Able to work full time (the work regularly demands more than 45 hours per week) including variable hours such as early morning, evenings, weekends, and / or holidays

Ability to lead change, deal with ambiguity, and prioritize in a fast‑paced environment

Experience with POS touch screen, Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and other computer skills

Minimum High School or GED

Compensation

Available to all employees

Competitive wage

Commuter Benefits - pre‑tax parking and transit

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Physical and mental health, financial and legal coaching available at no cost to the employee

Free mental health app subscription

Employee discount on merchandise, coffee gear, and at Equator cafes

Continuing coffee education classes

Free coffee

Paid Time Off for voting on Election Day

After 60 days as an employee at Equator

Healthcare Benefits (for full‑time employees working over 30 hours per week)

100% employer‑covered premium medical insurance

Voluntary Insurance Plans - dental, vision, long‑term disability, and supplementary life insurance

Employer covered life insurance premium

Flexible Spending Account (FSA) - healthcare and daily dependent care

After 90 days as an employee at Equator

Holiday Pay after 90 days of employment.

After six months as an employee at Equator

401K with up to a 4% company match on employee contributions

Eight Equator‑observed holidays per year

Paid Time Off with tenured increases for full‑time employees

1 paid volunteer day per year

Additional Notes

Compensation Will Be Commensurate With Experience.

We’d love for you to use the video answer feature for our screening questions! It’s a great way for us to get a better sense of your experience and how comfortable you are discussing your skills. Plus, it helps us see your personality and passion for the role!

Equator Coffees is an equal‑opportunity employer. All aspects of employment, including the decision to hire, promote, and discharge, will be based on competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability or any other applicable legally protected characteristics.

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