Venue Manager

Take ownership of the day-to-day operation of a much-loved local teahouse, café and retail venue.

The Silva Spoon is a distinctive café, teahouse and retail destination in Cotton Tree, known for warm hospitality, beautiful cakes and baked goods, an extensive loose-leaf tea range, High Tea experiences and a loyal local customer base.

We’re looking for an experienced Venue Manager to take end-to-end ownership of the day-to-day operation of The Silva Spoon. This is not a desk-based management role - you’ll be visible, hands-on and working alongside the team, while also providing the structure, people leadership and hospitality expertise that keeps the whole venue moving forward. You’ll lead through and alongside an existing Front of House Manager and experienced senior kitchen team members, making good use of their strengths while ensuring there is one clear point of operational accountability.

What you’ll own

· Leading the day-to-day operation across front of house, back of house and retail.

· Owning recruitment and onboarding end to end — from staffing need, advertising and shortlisting through interviews, trials, selection, offers, employment documentation and induction — while drawing on the Front of House Manager and other senior team members for input.

· Handling staffing and rostering issue autonomously - including responding calmly and practically when someone calls in sick or trade changes unexpectedly.

· Overseeing the FOH roster and preparing the BOH roster, with responsibility for labour efficiency and appropriate coverage.

· Leading through the existing senior team — including the Front of House Manager, Head Baker and experienced Cook — with clear responsibilities, good delegation and strong follow-through across FOH and BOH.

· Owning food-safety standards, routine compliance and maintenance coordination.

· Building stronger operating systems and documentation — bringing recipes, procedures, cleaning schedules, checklists, training materials and other key records into a practical, consistent structure the team actually uses.

· Monitoring sales, labour, stock, wastage and purchasing and taking practical action where performance can improve.

· Working with the team to develop ideas for new food and drinks, seasonal activity and events, then bringing well-considered recommendations to the Directors for approval.

· Planning ahead for school holidays, seasonal trade, events and operational improvements rather than simply reacting to what happens each day.

· Providing a concise weekly update to the Owners and escalating material issues when they genuinely need owner involvement.

A genuinely hands-on role

We are a hands-on small business, so this role combines management responsibility with practical venue work. You will be expected to work on the floor during service, support the team and step into operational gaps where appropriate. At the same time, we need someone who can keep sight of the bigger picture and make sure the management work gets done — people, rosters, compliance, planning and performance.

Who we’re looking for

We’re specifically looking for someone who has already held responsibility at Venue Manager, Restaurant Manager, Café Manager or an equivalent level. We value the judgement that comes from having run a hospitality venue before.

· You’re an experienced hospitality operator who understands how a good venue should run.

· You’re a strong people leader and communicator who can coach different personalities and improve performance without creating unnecessary drama.

· You’re warm, present and customer-focused, and care about the feel of a venue as much as the mechanics behind it.

· You stay calm when things go wrong, triage effectively and know what needs your attention now versus what can wait.

· You’re comfortable with the practical commercial levers of hospitality — labour, stock, wastage and purchasing — even if you don’t see yourself as a finance specialist.

· You’re organised and proactive and naturally look ahead rather than waiting for issues to become urgent.

· You’re comfortable bringing order to a growing operation — documenting processes, improving record keeping and turning ‘how we usually do it’ into clear, practical systems.

· You’re comfortable working closely with owners who will set the broader direction while trusting you to run the day-to-day operation.

What the role offers

· $75,000–$80,000 per year + superannuation, depending on experience.

· Permanent full-time employment.

· Five-day roster across seven days, with every second weekend rostered on.

· A predominantly daytime hospitality environment.

· Real operational ownership and the opportunity to strengthen how the venue works, including the systems, processes and documentation behind it.

· A role where strong leadership will make an immediate, visible difference to the team and the business.

· Close access to the Owners, with clear authority for day-to-day operating decisions.

About The Silva Spoon

The Silva Spoon is a local café and teahouse in Cotton Tree, Maroochydore, bringing together specialty tea and coffee, house-made cakes and baked goods, High Tea experiences and a curated retail range. We care about creating a place where people can slow down, feel looked after and enjoy a little indulgence.

How to apply

Please send your CV together with a short note telling us about the venue(s) you have managed, the size and type of team you led, and what you enjoy most about running a hospitality business.

Applications: [email protected]

Pay: $75,000.00 – $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Free drinks

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Maroochydore QLD: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Application Question(s):

• If not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, please share your Visa expiry date

Experience:

• Venue / Cafe / Restaurant Manager: 2 years (Required)

Work Authorisation:

• Australia (Required)

Work Location: In person