Assistant Cafe and Retail Manager - Ferry Building

Job Title Assistant Cafe and Retail Manager - Ferry Building Hours Full-time (40 hours/week, flexible schedule preferred) Department Retail Team (Ferry Building Location) Report To Ferry Building GM Location Ferry Building Cafe, on-site Wage Starts at $28.50/hour + tips About Us Dandelion Chocolate is a bean‑to‑bar chocolate maker in San Francisco. We make chocolate from only two ingredients, cocoa beans and cane sugar, and travel to origin as often as we can to build good, trusting relationships with the producers who grow and ferment our beans. We’re seeking an experienced Assistant Cafe and Retail Manager to support our team and the guest experience at our Ferry Building Cafe where we tell our story and share our passion for chocolate. About the Role There is no typical day at our store, and we’re looking for leaders who are excited to help create a world‑class experience for everyone from the chocolate novice to the industry expert (and who are savvy enough to know the difference). Collaborating with the team is as important as leading one. Your day might start with troubleshooting the starting cash levels for the drawer, making sure everyone has the tools to prepare chocolate samples before the weekend, or preparing an onboarding packet and scheduling training for a new team member. As the day progresses, you’ll need to recognize issues and know how to escalate them, such as noticing that we’re unexpectedly low on milk, a pastry sign is out of date, or the retail shelves are not looking their best. You respond by running to the market to buy milk, taking a picture of the out‑of‑date sign to send to the Creative team, and giving a quick tutorial to the team on merchandising. Above all, you are a support system for the team and are always willing to jump in and lend a hand. Working alongside the General Manager and your team, you’ll create unique, thoughtful experiences for our guests as well as foster a caring, stable, and supportive environment for the team. About You Our ideal candidate is a mature, team‑oriented assistant manager who is equally enthusiastic about supporting the team and the guest experience. You have the experience to know that no plan ever goes perfectly — team members call out sick, products are out of stock, and machines break — and you always have a Plan B in your back pocket. Your style of leadership balances both type‑A rigor with empathetic soft skills and collaborative communication. You’ve previously built long‑standing systems like checklists, guidelines, and documentation that help the team operate at its best, even when the line is out the door. In addition to leadership skills, you have the soft skills to understand a team member’s long‑term motivation and to help them map a career path in coffee and chocolate. You will be measured on your ability to support your team in providing world‑class hospitality and guest experiences, the tenure of your team members, how well you keep the shop’s daily operations humming, your team’s trust & respect, your leadership values, and your ability to continuously improve our guest experiences. Responsibilities Maintain smooth daily operations: provide tools for team members to continuously improve, ensure supplies and tools are available, keep the space neat and organized, audit checklists, provide daily plans, prepare weekly deposits, assist with payroll, double‑check inventory, merchandising, and scheduling, and uphold food and safety standards for health and safety compliance. Lead: Proactively contribute ideas to optimize our space, work with the team to continually improve guest experiences, and streamline team operations. Understand resources, delegate tasks, and work closely with the General Manager to ensure the highest levels of hospitality and minimize surprises. Balance leading guests with preparing drinks and handling escalated guest issues while ensuring orders are placed on time. Hospitality: Maintain a high level of hospitality and serve as a role model for the team. Continually look for ways to improve the guest experience, delight visitors and team members, create systems that could be rolled out to new locations, and create staffing plans that optimize efficiency and hospitality. Goals and Results: Learn to use tools such as When I Work, Square, and SKULabs to track sales, equipment, and purchases so we can see our year‑to‑year progress and set goals for the year ahead. Other tasks as necessary. Requirements Flexible Schedule – Full‑time role; availability to work daytime, evening, and weekend shifts as needed. Leadership Experience – At least one year of prior assistant management or leadership experience in a food, retail, or hospitality industry where world‑class guest service is essential. Technical & Computer Aptitude – Computer skills to develop checklists and training materials, maintain email filters for Inbox 0, and check social media for recent reviews. Mechanical Know‑How – Ability to troubleshoot minor issues with machines (ice machine, chocolate‑warmer) and interface with service professionals to minimize downtime. Excellent Communication Skills – Strong verbal and written ability to handle guest issues, respond to emails, lead training programs, and build trust across departments. Benefits All team members receive medical, vision, and dental benefits as well as the option to enroll in our 401(k) program. All employees receive paid vacation time, holiday pay, and paid sick time. Additional perks include commuter benefits, FSAs, local gym discounts, chocolate tasting opportunities, the chance to travel to origin and our Japan locations, and a range of opportunities to grow and develop within the company. #J-18808-Ljbffr Dandelion Chocolate