Cafe Manager

Job Description

Café Manager – Blackhall, Edinburgh

£31,000 per annum • 5 out of 7 days • 40 hours per week

A brand-new café. A blank canvas. An opportunity to build something special from day one.

Simple moments, made special.

Great coffee. Freshly baked pastries. Proper food done well.

Taste Café is about creating the small, everyday moments people genuinely look forward to — a quick coffee that turns into a catch-up, a bite to eat that hits the spot, and a space that feels easy, comfortable, and just right.

This is a new café opening within a busy retail environment — fast-paced, full of energy, and with huge potential. From day one, it’s a place designed to feel local, welcoming, and worth coming back to.

The Role

This is a start-up opportunity within an established business.

As Café Manager, you’ll play a key role in bringing a brand-new site to life — setting standards, building a team, and shaping how the café looks, feels, and operates from the very beginning.

If you’ve managed a café, retail unit, or fast-paced food operation before, this is your chance to truly make it your own.

You’ll lead from the front, set the tone, and turn a brand-new café into a space people love — from the first morning coffee rush to the final close-down of the day.

What You’ll Be Doing

•Leading the day-to-day running of a newly opened café, keeping everything smooth, organised and on point

•Recruiting, training and developing a strong team that delivers great service (and enjoys doing it)

•Setting and maintaining high standards across food, coffee and presentation

•Managing stock, performance and operational processes

•Creating a space that feels warm, relaxed and welcoming from day one

•Embedding consistency — because the little details matter

•Ensuring Health & Safety standards are always met and maintained

About You

If you’ve run a café, retail unit, or fast-paced food environment, you’re well-suited to this role — especially if you enjoy building teams and shaping operations.

You’ll also be:

•A hands-on leader who sets the pace and leads by example

•People-focused — great with both your team and your customers

•Organised, proactive and calm under pressure

•Passionate about good food, great coffee and doing things properly

•Comfortable taking ownership and continuously improving performance

Why This Role?

This isn’t just another café management role.

It’s a chance to open a new site, shape the culture, and create a destination — somewhere customers return to for the coffee, the food, and the atmosphere.

You’ll have real ownership, support from a wider business, and the opportunity to build something that genuinely feels like yours from the ground up.

Internal

Why Join Us?

As part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, you’ll be working within our One Retail sector, delivering food experiences across some of the UK’s busiest and most recognisable environments.

We offer:

•Structured training and development

•Genuine career progression opportunities

•The backing of a business that invests in its people

Joining One Retail means being part of a premium group working alongside well-known brands such as M&S and Costa.

Job Reference: com/2104/43833001/52803889/SU #OneRetail

Compass Group UK & Ireland is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We value diversity and believe it makes us stronger.

One Retail — bringing food, coffee and people together, every day.