The Leopard, an exciting new fully licenced Italian/Euro deli café and meeting place in Leura NSW. Providing a curated range of rustic Italian inspired deli favourites, pastas, salads, fresh breads and retail ready to cook meals. Graciously serving the Blue Mountains Community in a comfortable yet convivial environment.

The role requires gracious hospitality and guest service skills. Positive and effective communication skills to ensure orchestration of the venue team in providing exceptional food and beverage products in a clean, sanitary and well-presented atmosphere from floor to ceiling. Supporting all internal training programs and providing ongoing training and mentoring. Ensuring that all service, food and beverage recipe standards are maintained daily. The ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, often for long hours. 

Positional Brief:

• The main responsibility is to provide exceptional warm hospitality service to the guests of the Leopard.  
• Pleasant and natural hospitality skills and excellent communication is key in this role as you will be engaging with the local and international guests daily.
• Key duties include providing spirited and respectful direction for all operational staff. Orchestrating, managing and supporting staff in daily service (bar, barista, service and kitchen brigade) to ensure seamless and graceful hospitality to all guests of the Leopard.
• Supporting FOH team in taking guests orders, preparation and service of a variety of hot and cold food /beverage items, including simple assembly, light cooking/reheating and packaging of retail/takeaway items. 
• Assisting and supporting the service team in ensuring the cleanliness, organisation and presentation of all Front of House areas deli cases, service area, all restaurant public areas, light crockery/cutlery/glassware washing duties.
• Positively reinforcing all recipe, presentation and service standards.  Inspecting the freshness of ingredients, cold & hot production, restocking, portioning/dating food, food rotation and maintaining a clean and sanitary workstation. 
• Effectively managing guest complaints. 
• Ability to manage and negotiate internal staff issues to their level of empowerment. 
• Financial reporting, scheduling and daily payroll. 

Work environment:

• The team at the Leopard will endeavour to provide a pleasant, respectful and fun environment. However, a restaurant environment will be hectic and noisy, working in tight spaces with others. 
• Our guests can be challenging, so your natural caring hospitality skills must always be on display. We support a respectful environment. 
• The work is physically demanding, requiring long periods of standing (up to 3 hours at a time, bending, and lifting items up to 15 kilos. 
• Service workers often work full-time, with shifts that may include early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays. 

Core responsibilities 

Team and Guest Management 

• Supervise, train, and mentor cafe staff.
• Create staff rosters and manage schedules according to business needs.
• Ensure all staff follow company policies and service standards.
• Handle guest inquiries and complaints promptly and professionally.
• Coach, mentor and model exceptional guest service to the entire team. 

Operations and administration

• Oversee daily cafe operations, including opening and closing procedures. 
• Ensure the cafe is clean, organized, and adheres to health and safety regulations. 
• Monitor and manage inventory, including ordering new stock. 
• Assist with food preparation and ensure food quality and safety standards are met. 
• Handle cash, process sales, and assist with financial reporting, such as tracking revenue and costs. 

• Ensures that all equipment is operational by following all operating instructions; troubleshooting faults, communicating immediately any mechanical faults and repair calls, providing preventive maintenance.

Compliance and reporting

• Ensure compliance with all food safety and workplace health and safety regulations. 
• Report any issues or performance concerns to the senior management. 
• Work with management to meet budget and profit goals. 

Necessary qualifications

Education and training

• Certificate IV in Hospitality would be highly regarded
• Practical culinary and food preparation skills would be highly regarded.
• Hospitality Guest Service: A certificate or prior experience would highly regarded.
• Certifications: NSW Safe Food handler certification required. 
• Familiarity with hospitable telephone skills, office and point of sale software.

Skills and traits

• Service and light Cooking: Basic knowledge of assembly (service), light cooking equipment operation, and recipe comprehension. Able to communicate menu items, ingredients, allergens and explaining differences in overall product range (produce, smallgoods, deli items).
• Attention to detail: The ability to accurately follow established recipes and ensure consistency in dish preparation and presentation.
• Physical stamina: The capacity to endure long hours on one's feet and perform physically demanding tasks in a high-stress environment.
• Teamwork: The ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues to manage orders during busy periods. 
• Time management: The skill to manage multiple tasks and prioritize work efficiently to meet service demands. 
• Continuous Improvement: Improves quality results by studying, evaluating, and re-designing processes; implementing changes; maintaining and improving the appearance of the store and coffee bar.
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading food and retail trade, and food service publications; maintaining personal networks.
• Enhances the Leopards reputation by accepting ownership for role, accomplishing new and different requests, exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments

Essential Hiring Criteria

• English: must be able to read, write and converse in English competently.
• Mathematical Skills: competent skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
• Pleasant disposition and ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to follow directions and the ability to ask questions to clarify.
• Respectful always
• Understand basic problem-solving and conflict resolution skills to their positional empowerment

TO APPLY

Please mention the role you are applying for in the subject line of the email. 
A short letter should address your skills and experience in a similar role.  
Please also include your CV as an attachment.  

Send your application letter and CV to melissa@theleoparddeli.com.au