RocketCup Coffee Company Cafe Manager/Team Lead - Golisano Institute Buffalo Buffalo, NY · Full time Company website

Apply for Cafe Manager/Team Lead - Golisano Institute Buffalo

Our Mission: Revitalize communities around the world! We craft incredible coffee that supports your efforts to make our world a better place environmentally, emotionally, and economically.

ROCKETCUP COFFEE

Café Manager — Golisano Institute, Buffalo, NY

Location

125 Washington Street, Buffalo, NY 14203 (inside the Golisano Institute for Business)

Job Type

Full-time

Pay

$19.00 – $22.00 per hour, based on experience. This is a non-tipped position.

Reports To

Operations / Ownership, RocketCup Coffee

Lead the Team Behind a Brand-New Café

RocketCup Coffee is opening its newest location inside the Golisano Institute for Business in downtown Buffalo. This is a hub for students, entrepreneurs, and the surrounding community, built inside the former Buffalo News building on Washington Street. We're looking for a founding Café Manager to set the tone for that space from day one.

Do you take pride in a well-run shift, the kind where the espresso machine hums, the line moves, and everyone behind the counter knows exactly what to do? Do you enjoy coaching people up, not just managing a schedule? Do you believe a genuine “how's your day going?” and a real smile can change how someone's morning goes?

If that sounds like you, you might belong at RocketCup.

Here, coffee is more than a drink; it's how we bring people together, energize the Golisano Institute community, and create a moment of genuine hospitality for everyone who walks through the door. As Café Manager, you're the one who makes sure that happens, shift after shift.

What You'll Do

Duties for this role include, but are not limited to:

• Lead from the front by actively working the bar and kitchen alongside baristas, setting the pace and standard for excellence during every shift
• Foster a culture of collaboration where no task is too small, jumping in to wash dishes, clear tables, or prep ingredients whenever the team needs support
• Conduct side-by-side coaching and real-time training, demonstrating perfect espresso technique and food presentation through direct participation in daily service
• Oversee opening and closing procedures with a "roll up your sleeves" approach, ensuring the café is guest-ready by working with the team to maintain a pristine environment
• Coordinate and personally assist in the execution and delivery of catering orders, modeling the high level of hospitality expected for our Golisano Institute partners
• Manage administrative duties—like scheduling and inventory—efficiently to maximize your time spent on the floor supporting the team and engaging with guests
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, and food-handling regulations
• Resolve guest issues and escalations with the same hospitality RocketCup is known for
• Support hiring and onboarding as the team grows
• Resolve guest issues and escalations with the same hospitality RocketCup is known for
• Support hiring and onboarding as the team grows

What We're Looking For

• Must be at least 18 years old
• 1+ years of experience in a café, restaurant, or retail leadership/supervisory role
• Valid driver's license and clean driving record, required for overseeing and running catering deliveries
• Food safety certification (e.g., ServSafe) preferred, or willingness to obtain one within 90 days
• Comfortable lifting up to 40 lbs and standing/moving for a full shift
• Strong communication and people-leadership skills
• Comfortable with POS systems, inventory tracking, and basic scheduling tools
• Ability to stay calm and organized during a fast-paced rush
• Scheduling flexibility, including some mornings, weekends, and campus event hours
• Scheduling flexibility, including some nights, weekends, and campus event hours
• Hours of the cafe will be approximately 7am - 6pm Monday - Friday. These are subject to change.

Pay & Benefits

Hourly Rate: $19.00 – $22.00 per hour, based on experience and qualifications. This wage reflects our good-faith range for this role at the time of posting. This is a non-tipped position, your full hourly wage is guaranteed; no tip credit is applied.

• Paid, hands-on training on espresso, brewing, food prep, and café operations
• Leadership growth opportunities as RocketCup expands across Western New York
• A front-row seat to opening a brand-new space at the Golisano Institute
• A team that treats coffee as a way to build community, not just a paycheck

Equal Opportunity & Legal Notices

RocketCup Coffee (Revitalize Coffee Company LLC) is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital or familial status, military or veteran status, predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, or any other status protected by federal, New York State, or local law.

This posting complies with New York Labor Law § 194-b (Pay Transparency Law): the wage range above is RocketCup's good-faith estimate of what this role pays at the time of posting, and this is not a tipped position under New York wage and hour law.

Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants and employees with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the New York State Human Rights Law; contact us to request one.

The duties described above are representative, not exhaustive — RocketCup may assign related tasks as business needs evolve.

How to Apply

Apply through our posting on Gusto, or reach out directly to the RocketCup Coffee hiring team. We can't wait to build the Golisano Institute café with you.