Store Manager, Alice Good Coffee
17 days ago
Madison
Job Description IDEAL Culture has been selected by Alice Good Specialty Coffee to lead the search for their store manager. About Alice Good Our vision is to be the best specialty coffee shop in Wisconsin and to offer top-quality products in a multicultural environment where community is built, and where our values are reflected in our relationships with customers, partners, and employees. Our Values: • Kindness: We are committed to building a fairer, kinder, more inclusive, and tolerant world. We understand that achieving this is a slow process, and every action matters, from the simplest day-to-day tasks to the most complex decisions., • Harmonious cooperation: In our interactions as a team, as well as our relationships with our vendors, we believe in the power of a cooperative approach to build lasting wellbeing for our communities. The principle of Ubuntu - "I am because we are" - is central to how we work., • Sustainable sourcing: Sustainability is not a goal, but a pathway that we need to continuously create to make coffee better, for all. As trailblazers, we need to shape and build new pathways for the development of the specialty coffee sector, embracing economic models and sourcing approaches that generate and distribute value equitably, fostering a global coffee community to make specialty coffee a thriving, equitable, and sustainable endeavor for the entire value chain., • Social Justice: Given the historical relationship between coffee, slavery, and colonialism, we believe that all members of the coffee industry have a responsibility to contribute to a more equitable industry. Through our relationships with suppliers, strategic partners, and community members, we aim to build social fabric, focusing on businesses that seek cultural transformation. Alice Good Specialty Coffee is a collaborative work environment where team members support one another and genuinely enjoy serving our diverse community. We are a business that is growing rapidly, with a highly diverse clientele and staff that present a unique opportunity for growth and learning in the Verona area. The Opportunity We are seeking a Store Manager who will become the operational heart of our coffee shop: someone who is energetic, kind, and empathetic; a people person with the right attitude and life experience to enjoy connecting with a wide variety of people and cultures; highly organized and detail-oriented without being rigid; someone who can handle change and uncertainty in stride, with the ability to identify what is most important and prioritize among demands for their attention. If this sounds like you, keep reading. As Store Manager of Alice Good, you will oversee daily operations and lead a small, dedicated team. Your work will be hands-on. On a busy morning, you will lead by example with a positive attitude and good energy to the team, conduct a quick opening meeting to share critical information about product availability and events, relay information between stations, anticipate what tasks will be needed soon, check in with employees to ensure they take timely breaks, and support wherever additional help is needed. Client interaction will be genuinely warm and practical: managing situations when orders are delayed, responding to questions, and making quick check-ins to meet their needs. Success in this role means that a year from now, you will have become the person who makes it all work smoothly: clients are satisfied; employees are cross-training each other; quality procedures are always followed; work hours are scheduled efficiently; cleanliness protocols are consistently maintained; seasonal menus and promotions happen on time. Overall, the coffee shop team is highly functional, and all operations are running well. Your Responsibilities This role requires you to excel at five core responsibilities while managing the full scope of daily operations. Think of these five as your non-negotiables; the areas where your performance will be most closely evaluated: Your Five Core Responsibilities: • Daily operational management (opening/closing, maintaining standards), • Staff scheduling and shift management, • Customer service excellence and experience management, • Employee performance management (feedback, coaching, addressing issues), • Cleanliness and sanitation standards enforcement The five core responsibilities listed above constitute the essential functions of this position. The Full Scope of Your Role: Beyond these five priorities, you will manage all operational aspects of the coffee shop: resolving customer complaints, ensuring food safety compliance, coordinating equipment troubleshooting and repairs, managing crises during service disruptions, creating standard operating procedures, onboarding and training employees, managing inventory, ordering supplies, maintaining quality control for coffee and food preparation, handling daily cash reconciliation, and implementing cost control and waste reduction initiatives. Required Experience and Qualifications To be successful in this role, you must have all of these: • 1+ years of supervisory experience OR demonstrated leadership in customer service settings (e.g., shift lead, trainer, team coordinator), • 3+ years of customer service experience, • Conversational proficiency in Spanish and English, • Coffee knowledge and appreciation (you do not need to be an expert barista, but you should understand coffee and have a commitment to learning), • Conflict resolution and problem-solving skills, • Basic computer skills (email, spreadsheets, scheduling software), • Availability to work early mornings (starting as early as 6-7 am), • Weekend availability (Saturday and Sunday), • Valid driver's license and reliable transportation for supplies and food purchasing, • Flexibility to adjust to changing business needs and schedules Strongly preferred (significant advantage): specialty coffee knowledge, performance management experience, inventory management experience, POS systems experience, and event organizing experience. Physical Requirements This position requires: • Standing and walking for extended periods during shifts, • Lifting and carrying up to 30 pounds regularly (supplies, inventory, equipment), • Occasional lifting up to 50 pounds (deliveries, equipment moves), • Repetitive reaching, bending, and grasping throughout the shift, • Working in varying temperatures (hot espresso machines, cold refrigeration areas), • Manual dexterity for operating espresso equipment, POS systems, and other coffee shop tools Reasonable accommodations may be available for qualified individuals with disabilities. Who You Are and What You Bring We are looking for someone who embodies these qualities: Authentic warmth and hospitality toward customers; strong work ethic and personal integrity; attention to detail and commitment to quality standards; alignment with values of quality over speed; respect for all team members regardless of background; demonstrated ability to create welcoming environments for customers and staff across diverse cultural, linguistic, and social backgrounds; commitment to treating all individuals with dignity and respect regardless of identity or background; adaptability and flexibility; calm under pressure; proactive problem-solver who does not wait to be told what to do; team player willing to roll up your sleeves and work alongside staff; growth mindset; authentically kind with coworkers and customers. Your Commitment: We are looking for a store manager who wants to grow with Alice Good over the long term. As you develop in this role, you will have opportunities to deepen your specialty coffee expertise through advanced training, strengthen your business operations skills, and take on greater operational autonomy as the business grows. Building great systems, developing a team, and becoming part of our community takes time. We hope for someone ready to commit for at least 1.5 years, and potentially, much longer. Training and growth are investments that pay off when people stay. If you are looking for a long-term home where your work makes a difference, we want to talk. Compensation, Schedule, and Structure Salary: $40,000 annually, with merit increase potential after six months based on performance Additional Benefits: • Free meals and drinks during shifts, • Discounted products for personal use, • Gym membership discount, • 2 weeks paid time off, • Paid holidays, • Paid sick leave, • Specialized coffee training opportunities Alice Good will offer health insurance after one successful year on the job (employer-sponsored plan with premiums covered at 50%). Schedule: Full-time, approximately 39 hours per week A tentative weekly schedule could look as follows: • Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:00am to 3:00pm, • Saturday, Sunday: 7:30am to 3:30pm, • 5 additional flexible hours per week, dedicated mostly to administrative work (e.g. scheduling, ensuring good organization of invoices, etc.) and likely to occur by shift extension on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday. Coffee shop operations require high flexibility, especially of leadership. We expect our manager to model that flexibility, being comfortable adjusting to business needs as they emerge. Reporting Structure: You will report to two owners who will provide unified direction. You will meet 2 to 3 times weekly during your first 6 to 12 months. As you demonstrate mastery of the five core responsibilities, you will assume full operational authority while owners focus on strategy, growth, and special initiatives. Deadline: January 28, 2026, 11:59 PM. Application Materials: • Resume, • Responses to Application Screening Questions (instead of a cover letter): Please respond to the following four questions in the screening questions section. Each response should be 200-300 words and include specific examples from your actual experience with concrete details (situations you faced, actions you took, actual outcomes). Generic or hypothetical responses will not be considered competitive. • What specifically draws you to Alice Good? What do you hope to learn or accomplish in this role over the next 1-2 years?, • Describe a specific situation when you had multiple urgent demands during a busy service period (equipment failure, customer complaint, staff issue, inventory shortage, or similar). What did you prioritize and why? What was the outcome?, • Describe a time when you successfully navigated cultural or linguistic differences to create a positive experience for a customer or colleague. What was the situation, and what specific actions did you take?, • Describe your approach to giving feedback when an employee is not meeting performance standards. Provide a specific example of how you have handled this situation, including what you said and how the employee responded. Equal Employment Opportunity Alice Good Specialty Coffee is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. At-Will Employment This position is at-will employment, meaning either party may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, in accordance with applicable law.