Cafe Operator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position Summary

Global Arts Live + The Platform seek a Food & Beverage Manager to manage the launch, operations, and growth of food and beverage services at The Platform, a new performing arts center in Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA.

The F&B Manager's responsibilities include:

• Bar Tempo and Upbeat Bar operations, including event concessions
• Coordination with the contracted cafe operator
• Hospitality services for special events, artist riders, rentals, and other programs
• Staff leadership, customer experience, budgeting, vendor management, and compliance

This dynamic role is both operational and strategic, helping set high quality standards and shape a welcoming guest experience for a major new arts venue.

The schedule includes nights and weekends with some weekday administrative meetings. Average workload is approximately 50 hours a week, varying based on performance programming and other venue activities.

This is a full-time and exempt position reporting to The Platform General Manager. Salary range: $70,000 to $80,000 commensurate with experience. Benefits include health, dental, disability and life insurance; SIMPLE Cafeteria flexible spending account; paid vacation, sick, and personal days; and 10 paid holidays.

See below for more details, expected qualifications, and information about Global Arts Live and The Platform.

Key Responsibilities

Operations and Venue Management

• Launch and oversee daily operations of two new bars

• Serve as liaison to and provide oversight of contracted cafe operator

• Develop policies and procedures to ensure efficient service and outstanding guest experiences
• Coordinate with The Platform's production and front-of-house teams, and building management
• Other duties as assigned

Bar and Concessions Operations

• Manage inventory, staff scheduling, and service standards for Bar Tempo and Upbeat Bar, anticipating activities scheduled in the performance spaces and the first-floor commons
• Collaborate with the cocktail consultant and the head bartender to develop and execute a high-quality beverage and concessions program
• Develop promotions and activations that increase engagement and revenue

Cafe Liaison

• Serve as primary day-to-day liaison for the contracted cafe operator
• Ensure operational and strategic alignment and compliance with agreement between cafe operator and The Platform
• Manage coordination between the cafe, Bar Tempo, Upbeat Bar, and building management

Staff Leadership

• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate bar and concessions staff
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing workplace culture
• Approve and facilitate payroll and employee documentation
• Support recruitment strategies that reflect the diversity of Cambridge communities

Customer Experience

• Create an outstanding, hospitality-forward guest experience
• Respond to guest feedback and resolve service issues professionally
• Collaborate with Audience Services on hospitality and guest satisfaction

Financial and Vendor Management

• Develop and manage F&B budgets with the General Manager
• Monitor labor, inventory and operational expenses
• Meet or exceed bar revenue goals
• Develop strategies for enhancing revenue potential for the bars and the cafe
• Oversee cash handling, POS systems, and reconciliations
• Manage vendor contracts, relationships, purchasing, and inventory
• Prioritize local, sustainable, and mission-aligned vendors where possible

Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all health, safety, and alcohol service regulations
• Maintain required licensing, certifications, and staff training

Hospitality Support

• Coordinate F&B aspects of special events at The Platform including fundraisers, rentals, and community programs
• Facilitate F&B services for in-house meetings and fulfilling artist riders

Qualifications

Required:

• 3–5+ years of experience in food & beverage management, preferably in an event-based environment
• Experience managing bar operations and alcohol service programs
• Strong budgeting, financial management, and cost-control skills
• Experience supervising and developing staff and teams
• Knowledge of POS systems and inventory management tools
• Familiarity with health, safety, and alcohol compliance regulations
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends
• Ability to lift or move 30 pounds and travel between The Platform service locations

Preferred:

• Experience in a performing arts, cultural, or live event venue
• Experience managing outsourced café or vendor partnerships
• Interest in and passion for the performing arts
• Responsible alcohol service certification

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that cis men apply for jobs when they fulfill an average of 60% of the criteria, while others tend only to apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply.

We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. So, whether you're taking the next step in your career path, looking to transition, or returning to work after a gap in employment, we will be glad to have you on our radar.

How to Apply

1. Please apply through https://globalartslive.applicantpro.com/jobs/ and submit a resume and cover letter.
2. You are encouraged to apply as soon as possible since interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis.
3. No postal mail, no phone calls, please.

Reflecting the artists we present and the audiences we serve, Global Arts Live is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from candidates demonstrating diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. Global Arts Live is committed to creating a work environment that values respect, integrity, diversity, and inclusion.

About Global Arts Live

For over 30 years, Global Arts Live has brought exceptional global music and dance to stages across Greater Boston. Our mission is to transcend borders, cultivate community, and enrich lives. We invest in longstanding relationships with artists, support them with commissions, develop audiences for their work, and create connections to under-represented immigrant populations and communities in our region. Since inception, Global Arts Live has presented more than 800 artists from 70+ countries in over 1,500 performances attended by more than 1 million people. With an artistic vision focused on cultural diversity, many of our artists express and exemplify universal themes of identity, immigration, heritage, and inclusion.

About The Platform In Fall 2026, Global Arts Live will launch The Platform, a new performing arts center, in partnership with real estate developer BioMed Realty. Located in Kendall Square in Cambridge, MA, The Platform is part of the 585 Kendall Street building, which will also function as the new R&D headquarters for global pharmaceutical company Takeda.

The Platform features the 400+seat state-of-the-art Takeda Theater at The Platform, the Tempo Stage at The Platform with flexible seating for 125 anchoring the first-floor commons, two bars, a café, and a rehearsal studio. The Platform is dedicated to supporting artists and nonprofits, work that expands our perspectives, and providing a hub for culture, connection, and conversation.