Café & Retail Team Lead

Harvest in the Gardens (HITG) — Nassau, Bahamas

Where Every Guest Interaction Creates a Lasting Impression

Harvest in the Gardens (HITG) is a multi-concept destination where hospitality, exceptional food and non-alcoholic beverages, retail, entertainment, and community come together to create memorable guest experiences.

Whether serving a handcrafted coffee, preparing a fresh meal, or helping a guest discover the perfect retail item, every interaction is an opportunity to make someone feel welcomed, valued, and eager to return.

We’re seeking a Café & Retail Team Lead who leads by example, supports the day-to-day success of our café and retail operations, and helps team members consistently deliver genuine Harvest hospitality.

This is a hands-on leadership opportunity for someone who enjoys working alongside their team, coaching others, solving problems, and taking ownership of the operational and financial performance of the business.

About the Role

The Café & Retail Team Lead provides day-to-day leadership across café and retail operations while supporting exceptional guest service, efficient workflows, product quality, merchandising standards, inventory control, sales performance, and operational consistency.

Reporting to the Food Experience Manager, you will coordinate daily activities, support team members throughout each shift, monitor key business metrics, and ensure café and retail operations consistently reflect Harvest’s hospitality, service, and financial standards.

This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role. You will spend the majority of your time working alongside the team while maintaining operational readiness, monitoring performance, and supporting a positive guest experience.

What You’ll Do

Guest Experience

• Deliver warm, genuine hospitality to every guest.

• Lead by example in providing exceptional customer service.

• Respond to and resolve guest concerns professionally and promptly.

• Create an inviting atmosphere that encourages guests to return.

• Ensure every interaction reflects Harvest’s brand, values, and service standards.

• Monitor guest flow and service delivery to reduce unnecessary wait times.

• Identify service bottlenecks and make real-time adjustments during peak periods.

Daily Operations

• Coordinate daily café and retail operations.

• Support opening, shift transition, and closing procedures.

• Maintain operational readiness throughout each shift.

• Ensure workstations remain clean, organized, and properly stocked.

• Monitor product presentation and merchandising standards.

• Ensure appropriate staffing and deployment based on anticipated guest volume.

• Identify operational issues and escalate concerns when necessary.

• Review daily operating results and address performance gaps promptly.

Performance, Sales & Business Management

The Café & Retail Team Lead is accountable for understanding and actively managing the operational performance of the café and retail business.

Key deliverables include:

• Monitor daily and weekly sales performance against established goals, budgets, and forecasts.

• Track transaction counts to understand guest traffic and purchasing patterns.

• Monitor and improve average ticket value through strong service, product knowledge, upselling, and suggestive selling.

• Monitor guest wait times and service times, particularly during peak operating periods.

• Identify opportunities to improve speed of service without compromising product quality or guest experience.

• Review sales trends by day, shift, product category, and service period.

• Communicate weekly performance results, operational challenges, and opportunities to the Food Experience Manager.

• Support achievement of established revenue and profitability targets.

• Identify underperforming products, service periods, or categories and recommend corrective action.

• Help develop and execute initiatives designed to increase sales, improve guest conversion, and strengthen repeat business.

• Ensure team members understand the operational goals and key performance indicators relevant to their work.

Inventory, Shrink & Cost Control

• Maintain accurate café and retail inventory records.

• Monitor inventory levels and coordinate replenishment needs.

• Support scheduled inventory counts and ensure discrepancies are investigated.

• Track and actively manage inventory shrink resulting from waste, damage, spoilage, incorrect transactions, theft, or operational errors.

• Monitor product waste and identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary loss.

• Ensure proper receiving, storage, rotation, and handling of food, beverage, and retail inventory.

• Follow FIFO and other established inventory rotation practices where applicable.

• Monitor stock levels to reduce both product shortages and unnecessary overstocking.

• Maintain proper controls over high-value and high-volume inventory.

• Escalate unusual inventory variances or recurring losses promptly.

• Partner with Finance and the Food Experience Manager to support accurate inventory reporting and cost controls.

Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

• Support management of Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) within established targets.

• Monitor portioning, recipes, product usage, waste, spoilage, and inventory controls that directly impact COGS.

• Ensure products are prepared according to approved recipes and portion standards.

• Identify operational practices contributing to excessive product costs or waste.

• Monitor retail product margins and merchandise performance.

• Support corrective action when food, beverage, or retail costs exceed established expectations.

• Reinforce cost awareness and responsible product handling throughout the team.

• Work closely with the Food Experience Manager, Executive Chef, and Finance to protect margins while maintaining quality.

Team Leadership & Development

• Provide day-to-day leadership and direction to café and retail team members.

• Coach team members during live operations.

• Reinforce service and performance standards through consistent feedback.

• Promote teamwork, accountability, professionalism, and positive communication.

• Support the onboarding and training of new team members.

• Recognize strong performance and encourage continuous development.

• Maintain a calm and supportive leadership presence during busy service periods.

• Coach team members on product knowledge, suggestive selling, speed of service, and transaction accuracy.

• Help team members understand how their individual performance contributes to sales, guest satisfaction, waste reduction, and overall business results.

Food & Beverage Quality

• Ensure food and non-alcoholic beverage items are prepared according to established standards.

• Monitor quality, freshness, presentation, portioning, and consistency.

• Support proper preparation and service of coffee, specialty beverages, and café offerings.

• Maintain cleanliness and organization throughout food and beverage preparation areas.

• Protect food safety and sanitation standards at all times.

• Ensure recipe and portion standards are followed to protect product consistency and cost controls.

Retail Operations

• Maintain attractive, organized merchandise displays.

• Ensure merchandise is properly priced and presented.

• Monitor inventory levels and communicate replenishment needs.

• Support inventory counts and stock organization.

• Maintain retail presentation standards throughout the guest experience.

• Monitor product movement and identify fast-moving and slow-moving merchandise.

• Support merchandising strategies that encourage guest engagement and increase sales.

• Maintain accurate stock levels and assist in controlling retail shrink.

Cash Handling & Operational Stewardship

• Follow established cash-handling and point-of-sale procedures.

• Support accurate guest transactions.

• Assist with daily reconciliation processes as assigned.

• Monitor transaction accuracy, voids, refunds, discounts, and other POS activity.

• Identify and report unusual transaction patterns or discrepancies.

• Protect company assets through responsible operational practices.

• Promptly report cash variances, equipment issues, inventory discrepancies, or other operational concerns.

Food Safety & Compliance

• Maintain compliance with established food safety and sanitation standards.

• Follow company policies and operational procedures.

• Promote a clean, organized, and safe working environment.

• Ensure guest-facing and back-of-house café areas consistently meet Harvest standards.

Key Deliverables & Performance Indicators

Performance in this role will be measured through a combination of guest experience, people, operational, and financial results, including:

• Weekly café and retail sales

• Sales performance versus target or budget

• Average guest ticket

• Transaction counts

• Guest wait times and speed of service

• Inventory accuracy

• Inventory turnover and stock availability

• Shrink percentage and inventory variances

• Waste and spoilage levels

• Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

• Product and merchandise margins

• Cash and POS accuracy

• Guest satisfaction and feedback

• Product quality and consistency

• Team productivity and service execution

• Food safety and sanitation compliance

• Completion of required operational reporting

• Team training and performance development

The Café & Retail Team Lead is expected to understand these results, identify trends, explain significant variances, and work with the Food Experience Manager to implement corrective actions when performance falls outside established targets.

Who You’ll Work With

The Café & Retail Team Lead works closely with:

• Food Experience Manager

• Executive Chef

• Full Service Restaurant Manager

• Venue Services Manager

• Events & Experiences Team

• People & Talent

• Finance

• IT & Systems

The role also provides day-to-day leadership and operational support to team members including:

• Baristas

• Café Attendants

• Retail Associates

• Cashiers

• Food Service Team Members

What We’re Looking For

• High school diploma or equivalent required.

• Two (2) or more years of experience in hospitality, retail, food service, café operations, or a related environment.

• Previous team-lead, shift-lead, or supervisory experience preferred.

• Strong guest service and communication skills.

• Ability to lead by example and maintain high service standards.

• Ability to multitask and remain composed in a fast-paced environment.

• Working knowledge of point-of-sale (POS) systems and cash-handling procedures.

• Basic understanding of sales performance, inventory management, shrink, and cost controls.

• Ability to review operational data and use it to make practical decisions.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Ability to coach, support, and motivate team members.

• Willingness to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in specialty coffee, café, or retail operations.

• Food Handler or Food Safety certification.

• Experience working in a high-volume hospitality environment.

• Experience managing inventory, product costs, waste, and shrink.

• Knowledge of merchandising and inventory practices.

• Experience using POS reporting or other operational reporting systems.

• Experience supporting employee onboarding or training.

• Passion for developing people and delivering exceptional guest experiences.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means:

• Weekly sales targets are actively monitored and supported.

• Average ticket and transaction trends are understood and opportunities for improvement are acted upon.

• Guest wait times remain within established service expectations.

• Inventory is accurate, properly controlled, and available to support operations.

• Shrink, waste, and spoilage are actively monitored and minimized.

• COGS remains within established targets.

• Cash and transaction variances are kept to a minimum.

• Café and retail areas remain clean, organized, attractive, and well stocked.

• Guests consistently receive warm and welcoming service.

• Team members demonstrate confidence, professionalism, accountability, and teamwork.

• Food, beverages, and retail products are consistently prepared and presented to Harvest standards.

• Operational and financial concerns are identified early and addressed promptly.

• Team members understand how their performance contributes to the success of the operation.

• Safe, compliant, efficient, and financially responsible operations are maintained throughout every shift.

Working Conditions

This position operates in a fast-paced hospitality, café, food service, and retail environment.

The role requires regular interaction with guests and team members and may involve extended periods of standing, movement throughout café and retail areas, and working during high-volume service periods.

Evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events are a regular part of this role.

Join the Team

If you’re passionate about hospitality, enjoy leading from the front, and understand that exceptional guest experiences and strong business performance go hand in hand, we’d love to hear from you.

Join Harvest in the Gardens and help create a café and retail experience where every cup served, every product shared, and every guest interaction reflects our commitment to excellence, stewardship, and genuine hospitality.