Cafe Manager

Life Time is a comprehensive health and wellness company dedicated to inspiring healthier living through a nationwide network of fitness centers, LifeCafes, and other wellness facilities. Known for its commitment to an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace, Life Time aims to create environments that celebrate individual contributions and foster growth, collaboration, and community. The company uniquely blends fitness with lifestyle amenities, and its LifeCafe locations offer members nutritious, high-quality food options paired with exceptional customer service. Life Time emphasizes a culture of service excellence, personal development, and operational excellence which resonates throughout every LifeCafe site it operates.

The LifeCafe Lead position is a pivotal hands-on leadership role responsible for the overall operations and performance of a LifeCafe location, usually one that operates at a lower monthly revenue volume. This role requires an individual who exemplifies true business ownership, actively managing daily operations and leading the team through real-time execution of tasks while ensuring outstanding member experiences at every touchpoint. The LifeCafe Lead is charged with overseeing every aspect of the cafe operations, from front-of-house to back-of-house activities. This includes managing inventory, scheduling, payroll, and strict adherence to LifeCafe systems and policies to maintain high standards of service and efficiency.

In this role, the LifeCafe Lead models operational excellence by working primarily "in the zone," where they actively demonstrate proper pace, food quality, hospitality standards, and execution, setting a high standard for their team to follow. They play a crucial role in driving financial performance by managing key business drivers such as food and labor costs and tracking performance metrics diligently. By reviewing data and operational statistics, the LifeCafe Lead takes decisive actions to meet or exceed financial goals, ensuring overall profitability of the location.

A core responsibility of the position is team development and leadership. The LifeCafe Lead hires, trains, and continually mentors team members through on-the-floor coaching, creating a positive, collaborative, and motivated work environment. Maintaining a clean, safe, and compliant environment is equally important, and the LifeCafe Lead proactively monitors cleanliness, food safety, and security standards to comply with regulations and Life Time’s high expectations.

This role demands flexibility to work various schedules, including days, nights, weekends, and holidays, ensuring seamless leadership coverage regardless of time. Candidates for this role typically have at least two years of management and leadership experience, especially within food service operations, or equivalent formal education such as a college degree in culinary arts or business. Experience in fast casual or full-service restaurant environments is highly valued.

Life Time fosters a positive culture by offering opportunities for growth, recognizing performance, and supporting team members through comprehensive training and development programs. This positions the LifeCafe Lead not just as a manager, but as a leader and strategy driver critical to the success and growth of the LifeCafe business unit. Those who thrive in this role are passionate about hospitality, skilled in operational management, and motivated by contributing to a team-oriented atmosphere where the member’s experience is paramount.