Café Lead

Our client is a well-established destination farm market east of Toronto, where thousands of guests come each season for fresh food, baked goods and a genuinely valuable experience. They're looking for a Café Lead to run the café and own the beverage program.

This is a hands-on leadership role with real creative control. You'll build the drink menu, set the standard behind the bar and lead the café team through service, while working closely with the kitchen and bakery.

What You'll Own The Beverage Program

• Build and refresh seasonal and monthly drink menus: coffee, tea, iced drinks, smoothies, frozen beverages and cocktails

• Cost every beverage so the menu hits its margin targets

• Keep recipes, presentation and quality consistent, whoever is making the drink

• Follow what's happening in the industry and bring in ideas that suit the brand

• Help shape the espresso program: an espresso machine is planned within the next year

Leading the Team

• Direct the café team through service: delegate, keep the workflow tight and step in when it gets busy

• Train new team members on drink preparation, service standards and daily procedures

• Keep the café running smoothly when management isn't on site

• Set the tone: positive, professional and genuinely welcoming

Guest Experience

• Deliver the kind of service guests remember, and lead by example on the floor

- Handle concerns quickly and gracefully

• Keep looking for ways to make the café experience better

Daily Operations

• Run opening and closing procedures, and keep the café clean, organized and food-safe

• Watch product quality and freshness, and make sure equipment is working properly





• Keep the café and beverage area looking good: displays, merchandising and presentation

Inventory & Ordering

• Track inventory on supplies, ingredients and packaging, and submit weekly orders to the General Manager

• Receive and organize deliveries, control costs and keep waste down

Working With the Kitchen

• Coordinate with the kitchen and bakery on menu items, offerings and inventory needs

• Make sure food and drinks come together for the guest, cohesive and served quickly

What You Bring

• 2–3+ years in a café, coffee shop, restaurant or hospitality setting

• Barista training and real experience behind the bar (required)

• Supervisory or team lead experience (preferred)

• Experience developing beverage menus and costing recipes

- Comfort with inventory management and ordering

• Smart Serve and Food Handler certification, plus WHMIS 2015 and Occupational Health & Safety Awareness training

• Specialty coffee and espresso equipment experience (an asset)

• Creative, organized and trend-aware, with the confidence to take ownership and run your own area The Details

• Full-time, permanent, on-site in Durham Region, east of Toronto

• Weekends and holidays required; standing for extended periods and lifting up to 40 lbs

Why This Role

Most café jobs hand you someone else's recipe book. This one gives you the beverage program: the menu, the margins, the standards and a team to build. With an espresso machine coming and thousands of guests each season, there's room to make the café your own.

To apply or learn more, contact Jarrett Carson at OpTalent — [email protected]. The employer's name is shared with shortlisted candidates.

📌 Cafe Lead (Clarington)
🏢 Optalent
📍 Clarington