Coffeehouse & Operations Manager

Full-time | $50,000/year | Housatonic, Massachusetts Evangeline Coffee & Books is a neighborhood coffeehouse and bookstore opening at 137 Front Street in Housatonic. We’ll serve very good coffee, stock books we genuinely enjoy recommending, bring in pastries from local bakers, host events, and keep a few tables open for people who want to stay awhile. We’re building a place where regulars are known by name and where hospitality comes from paying attention to people. That idea shapes how we want to work together, too. We’re looking for a Coffeehouse & Operations Manager to lead the shop day to day. The role The Coffeehouse & Operations Manager will be the primary day-to-day leader of Evangeline. You’ll work closely with the owner to turn the standards and personality of the shop into something that happens consistently, even when she isn’t there. This is a hands-on floor role. On any given day, you might open the shop and dial in the espresso, coach a newer barista through a busy morning, help someone find a book for their mother, receive a pastry delivery, rearrange a display, solve a customer problem, or get the room ready for an evening event. You’ll be responsible for keeping the shop running smoothly, including: Leading the floor and supporting staff throughout the day Opening and closing the shop Maintaining coffee quality, beverage standards, and bar workflow Coordinating staff schedules and shift coverage Training and coaching Barista & Booksellers Ordering and managing baked goods Receiving deliveries, restocking, and supporting inventory management Handling POS reconciliation and day-to-day cash procedures Keeping the shop clean, safe, stocked, and welcoming Supporting book and gift merchandising, displays, and special orders Helping prepare for readings, gatherings, children’s programming, and other events Noticing what isn’t working and helping us build better systems as we grow The business plan intentionally puts this role at the center of daily operations so that Evangeline can provide consistent service without depending on the owner being present for every shift. How we think about hospitality At Evangeline, hospitality is largely about memory. It’s remembering someone’s drink. Recognizing the person who comes in every Saturday with their child. Following up on a book you ordered for someone. Noticing when someone looks lost before they have to ask for help. Knowing when somebody wants a conversation and when they would rather be left alone. We’ll have systems that help us remember things, but the most important part of the job is paying attention. We also expect people here to use judgment. If something small would make a customer’s or coworker’s day significantly better, you shouldn’t need to find the owner first. Who we’re looking for You might come from coffee, restaurants, bookstores, retail, hotels, or another hospitality environment. Experience leading people and running a busy customer-facing operation matters more to us than having followed one particular career path. You should be someone who is dependable and organized, comfortable making decisions, good at keeping a room moving without making it feel frantic, and attentive to the people around you. You should enjoy working with a small team and be willing to do the ordinary work of running a shop alongside everyone else. Coffee experience is strongly preferred, particularly experience with espresso and specialty coffee. We’d also love someone who likes books and enjoys talking about them, although we don’t expect you to arrive having read everything on the shelves. The business has no full kitchen, so we aren’t looking for a restaurant general manager. We’re looking for a strong hospitality leader who can run a small, busy coffeehouse and retail floor with warmth and confidence. Schedule, compensation & benefits This is a full-time posit…

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