Assistant Manager - Bakery & Café Classic Bakery | Gaithersburg, MD $23-$25 per hour | Full-Time | Advancement Opportunity Classic Bakery is looking for a strong Assistant Manager to join our Gaithersburg headquarters and develop into a long-term member of our management team. This is a hands-on customer service and operations position designed for someone with previous leadership, supervisory, retail, restaurant, café, bakery, or hospitality experience who is ready to take the next step in their career. You will begin by learning our storefront operation from the ground up—working directly with customers, coordinating orders, learning our products and systems, and working alongside the team you will eventually help lead. As you demonstrate your ability, you will progressively take on responsibility for staff leadership, training, front-of-house operations, special orders, events, customer experience, operational standards, and day-to-day organization. For the right candidate, our goal is advancement within approximately 3-6 months into our Front of House & Retail Operations Manager position. Classic Bakery is actively owner-operated. You will work directly with ownership rather than being expected to independently run the entire business. The goal of this position is to develop someone ownership can rely on to oversee the day-to-day storefront operation, maintain standards, lead the front-of-house team, and help us continually improve how we operate. What You'll Do Initially, your responsibilities will include: Provide excellent customer service in person and by phone Assist customers with cakes, pastries, desserts, and bakery products Accurately enter and coordinate customer orders Assist with custom cakes, special orders, and larger event orders Help manage order pickup and communication between customers and production Maintain storefront organization, cleanliness, and presentation Support opening and closing procedures Work alongside front-of-house employees during daily operations Learn our point-of-sale, online ordering, customer management, scheduling, and operational systems Become highly knowledgeable about our products, services, and company standards As You Grow Into the Role As you demonstrate leadership and operational ability, you will begin taking on additional responsibilities such as: Leading front-of-house shifts Coordinating and supervising staff Training and onboarding new employees Maintaining customer service and presentation standards Helping ensure procedures are followed consistently Handling routine customer concerns and problem-solving Coordinating custom orders, large orders, and special events Helping improve workflow and operational efficiency Assisting with staff scheduling and organization Identifying operational issues and recommending solutions Helping implement new systems and procedures Assisting with local marketing efforts and promotions Reporting directly to ownership on daily operations and opportunities for improvement Career Path This position is specifically designed to grow into a Front of House & Retail Operations Manager role. Because our Gaithersburg bakery serves as our headquarters, the position may eventually include helping ownership maintain consistent front-of-house standards across our other Classic Bakery locations. Over time, responsibilities may expand to include: Helping establish companywide front-of-house standards Coordinating with managers at our other storefronts Helping ensure consistent service and operational standards across locations Assisting with employee training standards Helping roll out new procedures, promotions, and systems Participating in marketing and customer experience initiatives Providing feedback on operational decisions Working directly with ownership on improvements to the business Each Classic Bakery location has its own management structure. This role is not expected to independently manage every location. Instead, the goal is to help ownership create consistency, accountability, and strong execution across our storefront operations. Technology & Systems Classic Bakery uses technology throughout our business to manage customers, employees, orders, communication, and operations. You do not need to be a technology expert, but you should be comfortable learning new software and interested in finding more efficient ways to work. You will eventually work with systems related to: Point-of-sale Online ordering Customer relationship management Employee scheduling and timekeeping Custom and special orders Customer communication Digital workflows and forms Operational reporting Performance tracking We especially value someone who can recognize when a process could work better and help us improve it. Who We're Looking For This role may be a great fit for someone currently working as an: Assistant Manager Shift Lead Retail Supervisor Café Supervisor Restaurant Supervisor Bakery Supervisor Customer Service Lead Hospitality Team Lead The ideal candidate is: Friendly and confident with customers Organized and detail-oriented Reliable and accountable Comfortable leading other employees A strong communicator Professional when handling customer concerns Comfortable learning technology Able to multitask in a busy environment Interested in improving systems and processes Comfortable working alongside the team Willing to take ownership and responsibility Interested in building a long-term career Previous bakery experience is helpful, but not required. Experience in customer service, hospitality, retail, restaurant, café, or other service-focused environments is highly valued. Previous leadership, supervisory, or assistant management experience is preferred.

Compensation Starting pay:

$23-$25 per hour Starting compensation will depend on experience. This position includes a defined opportunity to progress into management based on performance, leadership ability, operational competency, and business needs. Upon Promotion For candidates who successfully progress into the Front of House & Retail Operations Manager position, target compensation is approximately: $55,000 annual base salary plus Up to $7,500 in annual performance-based bonuses Potential total annual compensation: approximately $62,500 Performance bonuses may be based on areas such as: Customer service standards Employee training and development Order accuracy Front-of-house organization Store standards Labor management Operational efficiency Execution of company initiatives Marketing and promotional efforts Achievement of agreed-upon performance goals Benefits Benefits may include: Paid vacation/PTO 401(k) Employee discounts Performance-based management bonuses Professional development Long-term advancement opportunities Additional employee benefits based on eligibility and company plan requirements Why Classic Bakery? We are not simply trying to fill a schedule. We are looking for someone who wants to grow into a meaningful role within our company. We are also not looking for someone to walk in and independently run the entire business. We are looking for the person in between. Someone who enjoys being involved in the day-to-day operation. Someone who can help a customer, train an employee, catch an order issue before it becomes a problem, keep the storefront organized, assist with an upcoming promotion, and sit down with ownership to discuss how something could work better. Someone who wants increased responsibility as they earn it. And ultimately, someone who wants to build a career helping us operate and grow Classic Bakery. To Apply Please submit your resume through Indeed. We would also like to hear briefly about why you are interested in moving into management and what you believe makes someone an effective leader.

Pay:

$22.00 - $25.00 per hour

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Employee discount Flexible schedule Health insurance Paid time off Paid training Vision insurance Application Question(s): How many years of experience do you have in a customer-facing retail, restaurant, café, bakery, or hospitality environment? Have you previously supervised, trained, or led other employees? Are you available to work full-time, including Saturdays and occasional Sundays as needed?

Work Location:

In person