Cafe Lead I - ProShop
About this role
Job DetailsJob Location: ProShop - NEW YORK, NY 10011Position Type: Full TimeSalary Range: $20.00 - $22.00 HourlyJoe Coffee is looking for experienced and curious coffee enthusiasts to join our ProShop team in NYC. Our ProShop is a hub for coffee lovers—a space where quality, craft, and hospitality intersect, and where every cup is an opportunity to educate, inspire, and connect with fellow coffee aficionados.
The Cafe Lead is a coffee quality and coaching-focused leadership role that supports the General Manager in maintaining Joe Coffee’s standards for beverage quality, hospitality, and cafe operations. The ideal candidate is motivated, attentive, and passionate about coffee—someone who enjoys asking questions, experimenting with techniques, and sharing their knowledge with guests. Strong candidates are reliable, friendly, fast-paced, and thrive in a collaborative, team-focused environment.
This role is centered on the execution, assessment, and control of product quality while supporting the growth and development of teammates through coaching and example. Cafe Leads are highly skilled baristas with an interest in cafe operations who help maintain a culture of coffee craft, consistency, and hospitality on the floor.
While the Cafe Lead contributes to operational excellence, this role is not responsible for people management, scheduling, or administrative oversight. Instead, the Cafe Lead acts as a support partner to the General Manager, helping execute key operational tasks—including cash handling, inventory processes, and ordering—while ensuring standards are upheld and that the team has the tools and coaching needed to succeed.
Cafe Leads also serve in a unique role as both an ally and advocate within the cafe environment. Because they work closely alongside teammates on the floor, Cafe Leads often hear feedback, concerns, and questions from the team first. In this role they help elevate meaningful insights to management while also helping clarify company practices and expectations when teammates have questions or uncertainty. Through this balance, Cafe Leads help maintain trust, transparency, and alignment between the team and leadership.
This role is part of a three-tier leadership development pathway, which can offer preparation for a job or career in cafe management: Cafe Lead I > Cafe Lead II > Senior Cafe Lead
Quality Control
Ensure brewed coffee is always served fresh and meets Joe Coffee QC standards
Dial in all brewed coffee and espresso beverages
Maintain tasting logs for drip coffee and espresso
Maintain beverage recipes and grind guides
Ensure staff follows quality control standards, technique expectations, and beverage SOPs across all menu offerings
Coffee Education
Ensure staff understands and can communicate with customers about the coffee and espresso we serve
Provide staff with information about new coffees and menu updates
Conduct in-store tastings for new coffees and seasonal offerings
Support new menu rollouts and reinforce beverage SOPs
Coaching & Skill Development
Support and continually coach staff on
Bar flow and efficiency
Cleanliness and station organization
Hospitality and drink presentation
Latte art and drink consistency
Operations Support: Team Leadership
Act as a role model for Joe hospitality and professionalism
Support day-to-day store execution during shifts
Keep the General Manager informed of inventory observations, operational issues, or changes occurring in the cafe
Assist with onboarding logistics and support with coaching new hires
Provide ongoing coaching and feedback to teammates after initial training
Maintain a robust coffee environment through well-stocked retail displays and thoughtful customer engagement
Hold teammates accountable to standards using supportive and conversational coaching
Make recommendations to management regarding operations, staffing, and performance
Ensure immediate communication to management regarding regulatory visits (e.g., DOH)
Support inspection readiness and compliance with DOH, Operations, Coffee, and Marketing standards
Operational Support: Deposits, Inventory & Ordering
Support the execution of daily cash handling and deposit preparation, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and adherence to company procedures
Assist the General Manager in completing and verifying cash deposits, including identifying and escalating discrepancies
Participate in and help execute inventory counts, ensuring accuracy, organization, and adherence to counting procedures
Assist with placing and receiving inventory orders helping to maintain appropriate stock levels and prevent shortages or over-ordering
Verify order accuracy upon delivery and communicate any issues or discrepancies to management
Maintain clean, organized, and labeled storage areas to support accurate inventory tracking
Proactively communicate inventory needs, trends, or concerns to the General Manager
Leadership Pathway & Development
The Cafe Lead role is part of a structured development pathway designed to grow operational and coffee leadership within Joe Coffee cafes.
Each level includes additional training modules and expanded responsibilities
QualificationsMinimum Qualifications
Be passionate and knowledgeable about speciality coffee
Strong barista with excellent espresso/drink making skills
Adhere to recipes and presentations for food and beverage items
Great customer service (Hospitality focused)
Be able to lead and educate café staff
Able to multi-task; experienced and comfortable with working busy shifts
Detailed-oriented and passionate about product quality
Tidy and self-disciplined
Food Protection License
Company at a glance
Joe Coffee Company was founded in 2003 as a single specialty coffee shop in Manhattan's West Village. Our vision was to brew the highest quality coffees and serve them with unsurpassed hospitality. Today we have over 20 locations, roast our own coffee at our own Long Island City roastery, and are proud to have a wide range of licensing and wholesale relationships.
Over the years, a set of cultural values have emerged that define who we are and dictate how we operate:
CURIOSITY: We are eager learners. Whether it's our customers, our coffee, or our coworkers, we keenly explore and engage with the world.
CRAFT: We obsess over every detail and put intention behind everything we do. We place the highest value on training and education.
COMMITMENT: We wake up early, hustle hard, rinse and repeat. It's not easy, but the passion shows in every we cup we serve.
COMMUNITY: We embrace the diverse and vibrant nature of our communities. We encourage and invest in the neighborhoods in and around each Joe cafe.
Tired of cold applications?
Sign up with Clera and we'll reach out the moment a role actually fits you — no more spraying applications into the void.
Know someone who'd be great for this?