Food Service Manager / Café Operations Manager

We are opening two café locations (One in Port Charlotte and one in North Venice) this month and are seeking an experienced, motivated, and hands-on Food Service Manager / Café Operations Manager to help us successfully plan, prepare, launch, and operate both locations.

Our cafés will offer a polished, welcoming customer experience with a menu that may include coffee, pastries, sandwiches, salads, soups, smoothies, açaí bowls, beer/wine, and other grab-and-go or made-to-order food and beverage items.

This is a key leadership role for someone who can take ownership, create structure, train a team, manage daily operations, and help turn a new concept into a well-run business.

Position Overview

The Food Service Manager will be responsible for helping finalize café operations prior to opening, coordinating the launch of two locations, and managing ongoing daily food service operations after opening.

We are looking for someone with strong food service, café, restaurant, or hospitality management experience who can confidently "take the reins." The ideal candidate is organized, proactive, calm under pressure, and capable of building systems from the ground up.

This person will work closely with ownership and the existing team to help establish menus, workflows, staffing plans, ordering systems, food safety practices, training procedures, and customer service standards.

Key Responsibilities

Opening & Launch Responsibilities

• Assist ownership with preparing two café locations for opening.
• Help finalize operational workflows, service procedures, and kitchen/prep systems.
• Support menu execution, recipe consistency, portioning, food prep standards, and product presentation.
• Coordinate equipment, supplies, smallwares, ingredients, and opening inventory.
• Help establish vendor ordering routines and par levels.
• Assist with pricing, product mix, menu organization, and cost controls.
• Create opening checklists, closing checklists, prep lists, cleaning schedules, and training materials.
• Train new and existing employees on café operations, customer service, food handling, recipes, and POS use.
• Help oversee soft opening, grand opening, and early operating adjustments.

Ongoing Management Responsibilities

• Manage daily café operations across two locations.
• Supervise, train, schedule, and support café staff.
• Maintain high standards for food quality, drink quality, cleanliness, speed of service, and customer experience.
• Monitor inventory, ordering, waste, food costs, labor usage, and product availability.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, health department, and alcohol service requirements where applicable.
• Maintain proper opening, closing, cleaning, and cash-handling procedures.
• Hold team members accountable to standards while creating a positive work environment.
• Troubleshoot operational issues and make practical improvements.
• Communicate regularly with ownership regarding performance, staffing, customer feedback, and business needs.
• Help identify opportunities to grow sales, improve efficiency, and strengthen the café brand.

Company Introduction

MRT Lawn and Garden Center has been family owned and operated in Venice, FL since 2003. With locations in South Venice (Englewood Rd), North Venice (US 41 Bypass N), and Port Charlotte (El Jobean Rd), MRT is growing and searching for our next team member. Want to grow alongside Floridas largest and most tropical independently owned garden centers? Apply to join the MRT family today!