Operations Manager

Introduction

This is a newly scoped role. The Operations Manager runs the café as a business and is responsible for

the condition of the whole site. Reports directly to the owner.

The café is integrated into The Drop but trades as its own commercial unit: it generates its own walk-in

traffic, serves tunnel guests, supplies catering, and forms part of combined flight-and-food packages. Its

profitability is this role's primary measure of success. Alongside that, the venue as a whole — floors,

bathrooms, guest areas, parking, back of house — must look and feel maintained every day the doors are

open.

We are hiring an operator, not a supervisor. The difference: a supervisor keeps the shift running and reports problems upward; an operator owns the numbers, finds the problem first, and arrives with the fix costed.

This person must run the café as if the money were their own.

Duties & Responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Café operations

• Opening and closing strictly to procedure, without exceptions.

• Consistent quality of food and drink against agreed standards, with written SOPs and a timing standard

• for every dish.

• Every menu item available during trading hours — a missing ingredient is a breach of standard, not an

• excuse.

• Daily control of stock, expiry dates, waste and shrinkage. Expired product on the premises is not

• acceptable.

• Supplier management: ordering on time, checking deliveries, negotiating pricing.

• POS, cash-up procedure and stock control — set up, owned and kept accurate.

2. Site condition and facilities

• A written cleaning standard and schedule covering the whole venue, with a checklist verified daily — not

• delegated and forgotten.

• Guest-facing areas presentable at all times during trading, including peak weekends.

• Consumables and site purchasing: stock levels held, nothing runs out.

• Minor repairs handled directly; larger work scoped, quoted and supervised through to completion.

• Outsourced security and service contractors managed day to day against agreed standards.

• Health, safety and sanitation compliance for the café and the site's public areas.

3. Team

• Hiring, training and developing the café team to a consistent standard.

• Shift scheduling, performance and discipline; cleaners and on-site contractors held to the same standard.

• Building a culture of ownership, speed and hospitality.

• Immediate escalation to the owner of incidents, risks or deviations — no surprises.

4. Revenue channels

• Delivery platforms (Uber Eats, Mr D Food): live, accurate menus and photography, promotions, a steady

• weekly order flow.

• Catering and corporate orders developed as a distinct revenue channel.

• Google Business profile kept current — photographs, hours, reviews answered.

• At least one social post per week, produced with the venue's marketing support.

• Combined "flight + café" packages developed with the venue team.

5. Money and reporting

• Accountable for the café P&L and its profitability targets.

• Weekly report to the owner every Friday: revenue, cost of sales, labour, net margin.

• Source documents maintained and handed to the company accountant on time, without exception.

• Monthly report by the 5th: results, analysis, and the plan for the month ahead.

• Shortfalls and losses caused by negligence are recoverable.

Desired Experience & Qualification

MUST-HAVE REQUIREMENTS

• Each of these is verified at interview and through references.

• 3+ years running a café, restaurant or F&B unit with genuine P&L responsibility — not shift supervision.

• Personally accountable for food cost and menu costing: can explain what a plate costs and how they

• moved that number.

• Has hired, trained, scheduled and dismissed staff.

• Hands-on with POS, cash-up discipline and stock control.

• Has managed cleaning, maintenance and outside contractors on a site — or can show equivalent

• ownership of physical standards.

• Provable results with specifics: "it was X, it became Y in Z months, through these actions" — backed by

• references.

• Available on weekends, school holidays and public holidays. These are the venue's peak trading days.

• Valid driver's licence and own transport.

STRONG ADVANTAGE

• Experience in a leisure, entertainment or high-footfall venue where food is one unit among several.

• Delivery platform experience: Uber Eats, Mr D Food — menu setup, ratings, promotions.

• Catering, group and corporate order experience.

• Health and safety or sanitation certification, and experience passing inspections.

Package & Remuneration

R25 000 Base salary + KPI bonus