Cafe Chef & Manager

Position Title: Cafe Chef and Manager

Big Impact but with Predictable Hours!

Reports to:  Sr. Manager Guest Services and Retail

Classification

Type: full-time, non-exempt position

Schedule:  Approximately 40 hours a week with occasional weekends, events, and holidays.

Minimum starting hourly rate OR Salary: $42,000-$48,000

Scott Family Amazeum Overview

The Scott Family Amazeum is a hands-on, interactive museum in Northwest Arkansas and recognized as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. We create a fun environment where risk taking, imagining, problem solving, discovery, collaboration, and exploration bring children and adults together to learn and grow.

Core Purpose: The Amazeum exists to spark and nurture the curious and creative spirit in all of us.

Through experiences with the Amazeum, individuals and the community are engaged in building relationships and developing identities as creative, curious, and innovative shapers for the region. Learning at the Amazeum is an active, playful exploration that inspires curiosity. It is rooted in inquiry-based discovery and involves an element of risk. Hands-on learning opportunities allow guests to exercise critical thinking in the context of play.

The Amazeum facility includes approximately 50,000 square feet of indoor space and one acre of outdoor exhibition and activity space. The museum is located at the intersection of Museum Way and J Street in Bentonville, AR.

Position Summary

The Café Chef and Manager (CCM) is a foundational leadership role responsible for launching and operating the Amazeum Café a family-focused, quick-service café designed to serve playful, high-quality meals, coffee, and snacks to museum guests.This role offers the opportunity to help shape a new café experience from the beginning. The Café Manager will develop kitchen workflows, establish operational procedures, build a team, and design a menu of delightful, quick-service bites that appeal to families and kids. The café will operate primarily during museum operating hours, offering a stable and predictable schedule.

This is a highly hands-on leadership role. The CCM will lead food preparation during busy times while also designing the systems that make the kitchen run efficiently. The café will utilize refrigeration and freezer storage, a combi oven, and an automated espresso system to create consistent, high-quality offerings with an efficient team. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a startup-style environment, enjoys creating systems, and brings both culinary creativity and operational discipline to a growing food program.

Essential Functions 

Café Startup & Kitchen Development

• Help launch the Amazeum Café by establishing operational systems, kitchen workflows, and service standards

• Develop and document standard operating procedures including opening/closing checklists, prep workflows, sanitation protocols, and equipment maintenance

•  Organize kitchen layout, refrigeration, freezer storage, and dry storage to support efficient operations

• Ensure compliance with all food safety and sanitation requirements in accordance with Arkansas health regulations

Culinary Creativity & Menu Development

• Develop and test a menu of playful, family-friendly quick-service offerings

• Create recipes and prep systems that allow for efficient service with a small team

• Design offerings that appeal to both children and adults while maintaining quality and speed

• Lead food preparation and ensure consistency of menu items during service

• Manage the café’s coffee and beverage offerings using the automated espresso system

• Train staff on beverage preparation and café service standards

Operations & Inventory Management

• Manage food ordering, vendor relationships, and inventory levels

• Implement inventory rotation practices (FIFO) and minimize waste

• Monitor food cost and purchasing to support efficient café operations

• Oversee Toast and other café ordering platforms, including item setup, updates, and day-to-day functionality

Leadership & Team Development

• Recruit, onboard, and train café staff in kitchen procedures, food safety, and guest service

• Recruit, onboard, and train staff working the counter on Toast, order entry, payment processing, and guest-facing service workflows

• Create a positive, energetic team culture that reflects the Amazeum’s playful spirit

•  Lead by example by working alongside staff during service and busy museum days

Guest Experience

• Create a welcoming café environment that complements the Amazeum experience for families

• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe kitchen and service space

• Collaborate cross-departmentally to support overall guest satisfaction

• Foster a positive team dynamic that encourages collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement

• Support food and beverage preparation for museum programs, special events, and rentals as needed, including occasional evenings or extended hours outside of standard museum operating times.

General Duties

The responsibilities listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. The Amazeum reserves the right to revise or change position duties and responsibilities as necessary to accommodate changing organizational needs.

Minimum Requirements: 

• 1+ year of hands-on food preparation experience in a commercial kitchen or café environment

• Culinary degree with 6+ months of supervisory experience OR  2+ years of experience in kitchen operations leadership or café management.

• Knowledge of food safety and sanitation practices in a commercial kitchen.

• Demonstrated ability to build systems, workflows, and procedures in a food service environment

• Strong organizational and leadership skills

• Ability to work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment. 

• Ability to lead shifts and support hands-on preparation during service.

• Food Manager Certification or ability to obtain certification within 30 days

• ServSafe certification, or ability to obtain within 30 days of hire

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office or Google Suite

All applicants must be able to:

●       Provide the necessary documentation to prove that you are a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or a foreign national with authorization to work in the United States

●       Complete and pass a background check 

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, up to 8 hours or more during cafe service and event programming

• Ability to regularly lift, carry, and move up to 40 pounds (food products, cafe supplies, and equipment)

• Ability to push or pull carts and equipment used in food and beverage operations

• Ability to work both indoors and outdoors when supporting café operations or museum events.

• Ability to work in a lively, active environment with moderate to high noise levels typical of a children’s museum

• Ability to bend, reach, kneel, and move safely within a commercial kitchen environment and event setups and support.

• Ability to use kitchen tools and equipment safely, including food preparation tools and café equipment.

• Ability to move between kitchen, café, storage, and other museum spaces, including travel across buildings as needed.

Preferred Skills: 

• Associate Degree in Culinary Arts or related field

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, Culinary Arts, or related field

• Experience in a museum, cultural institution, nonprofit, or educational environment

• Experience supervising and developing staff, volunteers, or temporary event teams

• Experience with Ibex ovens or similar high-speed commercial cooking equipment

• Coffee service or barista experience

• Bilingual proficiency (English/Spanish preferred)

Application: https://www.amazeum.org/about/careers/