Find & Apply For Restaurant / Food Service Manager Jobs in East Aurora, New York

Are you a hands-on food service leader who loves creating delicious food, developing a strong team, and contributing to a welcoming, community-focused environment? The East Aurora Cooperative Market is seeking an experienced Deli & Bakery Manager to oversee the day-to-day operations of our deli and bakery departments. Reporting directly to the General Manager, this position provides overall leadership for both departments and works closely with the Kitchen Shift Supervisor and Bakery Lead to ensure high standards of food quality, safety, service, production, and team performance. The ideal candidate is an enthusiastic, collaborative leader who enjoys working alongside their team, developing other leaders, and taking pride in providing high-quality food and exceptional service to our members and shoppers. Key Responsibilities Provide overall leadership and direction for the deli and bakery departments, ensuring consistent standards for food quality, freshness, presentation, service, production, and cleanliness. Work closely with the Kitchen Shift Supervisor and Bakery Lead , providing direction, coaching, support, and accountability to ensure effective day-to-day department operations. Develop and support department leadership, helping the Kitchen Shift Supervisor and Bakery Lead grow their skills and effectively lead staff within their areas of responsibility. Establish clear expectations, priorities, procedures, and performance standards for department staff and leaders. Oversee hiring, training, scheduling, coaching, and performance management for department employees in coordination with the General Manager and department leadership. Work hands-on alongside staff and department leaders in food preparation, baking, merchandising, service, and other daily operations as needed. Plan and coordinate production to ensure appropriate product availability while minimizing waste. Oversee ordering, inventory, receiving, storage, stock rotation, and product freshness. Develop and maintain menus, recipes, production standards, and procedures, with an emphasis on quality, consistency, efficiency, and customer appeal. Monitor department sales, labor, food costs, margins, and waste, and take appropriate action to meet financial goals. Ensure compliance with all applicable health, food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety requirements. Maintain clean, organized, efficient, and safe work areas throughout the deli and bakery. Respond to customer questions and concerns with professionalism and care, including questions related to ingredients, allergens, dietary preferences, and special requests. Work with the General Manager and management team to establish department goals, improve efficiency, and identify opportunities for growth. Collaborate with the Marketing Coordinator to develop and promote seasonal offerings, prepared foods, bakery products, and other initiatives that reflect the co-op's values. Collaborate with other department managers to support storewide operations, shared goals, and an excellent customer experience. Support clear communication between department leadership, staff, and the management team. Stay informed about food trends, customer preferences, and developments in natural, organic, and specialty foods. Foster a culture of cooperation, accountability, continuous improvement, and exceptional customer service. Desired Qualifications Proven experience supervising or managing a deli, bakery, restaurant, catering operation, grocery prepared foods department, or similar food service operation. Strong knowledge of food preparation, production planning, food safety, sanitation, and kitchen operations. Experience leading and developing other employees, preferably including team leads, shift supervisors, or other department-level leaders. Experience with inventory management, ordering, product sourcing, cost control, pricing, and margin management. Professional cooking, baking, culinary, or food-service experience; a culinary degree or certification is a plus. Familiarity with natural, organic, specialty, and locally sourced foods and a range of dietary preferences. Experience with hiring, training, scheduling, coaching, and performance management is strongly preferred. Ability to balance hands-on production and service with administrative, financial, and leadership responsibilities. Skills & Requirements Outgoing, friendly, and helpful personality with a genuine commitment to customer service. Strong leadership, coaching, delegation, training, and team-building skills. Ability to develop trust and effective working relationships with department leaders and staff. Excellent communication, organization, attention to detail, and follow-through. Ability to set priorities, delegate effectively, and remain calm and solution-oriented in a busy environment. Ability to work collaboratively with staff, management, vendors, and other departments. Positive and adaptable approach to problem-solving, change, and continuous improvement. Ability to lead by example and contribute hands-on to daily department operations. Reliable attendance and schedule flexibility, including evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed. Commitment to the mission, values, and cooperative principles of the East Aurora Cooperative Market. About the Role This is a hands-on management position with overall responsibility for deli and bakery operations. The Deli & Bakery Manager reports directly to the General Manager and works closely with the Kitchen Shift Supervisor and Bakery Lead to provide effective day-to-day leadership. The successful candidate will be comfortable both leading through others and working alongside the team. They will help create a strong leadership structure within the departments while maintaining accountability for operational standards, financial performance, food quality, customer service, and alignment with the co-op's mission. If you are an experienced food-service leader who enjoys developing people, creating great food, and building something meaningful in your community, we'd love to meet you! you!

Job Type:

Full-time Pay:

$21.00 - $25.00 per hour

Benefits:

Employee discount Flexible schedule Health insurance Paid time off Paid training Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person