Prologue is a new independent bookshop coming to South Manchester, complete with a bar, speciality coffee shop and dedicated event space. A new concept for the North, in a huge, dedicated unit, Prologue is going to be the go-to destination for book lovers, coffee drinkers and culture seekers across the region.
We are searching for our founding team to help shape what Prologue becomes and be a key part of its success, with those stepping into our Barista role forming the heart of our café and daytime offering.
If you love great coffee, are a people person, and want to be part of growing something special, we want to hear from you—whether you have years of experience behind the machine or are just starting out.
Key Responsibilities
- Prepare and serve high-quality speciality coffee, teas, and other café drinks to a consistently excellent standard
- Provide warm, welcoming service to every customer, helping create the friendly atmosphere Prologue is known for
- Operate our point-of-sale system, processing orders efficiently and accurately
- Maintain a clean, organised, and well-stocked coffee bar at all times
- Dial in espresso and monitor coffee quality throughout the day
- Assist with preparation and service of simple food offerings where required
- Help maintain an inviting café environment, including clearing tables and supporting the overall shop floor
- Work closely with the bookselling team to ensure a seamless customer experience across the whole space
- Jump in on the bookshop when needed, offering customers support and guidance
- Support with bar service during evening events
- Be part of our team for events, helping with everything from running the bar to serving drinks during busy evenings
- Engage with customers, building relationships and becoming a familiar face within the local community
- Assist with customer communications and general in-store enquiries
- Contribute ideas to improve our café offering and overall customer experience
- Help create a welcoming, vibrant space that encourages customers to stay, relax, and return
- Support the owners and wider team with day-to-day tasks and special projects
Person Description
We hire a little differently. For us, the right person outweighs qualifications and experience every time, so we don't have person descriptions for our roles or minimum experience requirements and the like (not even secretly!).
Instead, we have core traits and behaviours that are a good indicator of being a fit for our team across all roles:
- You love coffee and take pride in providing great service
- You’re also partial to a good book
- You're a great communicator, both written and verbal, who can get on well with people from all walks of life
- You're driven, always wanting to improve and help the business succeed
- You're kind and friendly, with a good sense of humour
- You're a self-starter who can use your own initiative
- But you can also work well with teammates
- You have great attention to detail
- You're flexible and versatile
- You have a creative flair
- You're comfortable taking direction and listening to advice from others
- You're a quick learner
- You're not precious about getting your hands dirty and pitching in to help in any area of the business
- You're professional in your attitude at work
- You work well under pressure
- You're comfortable using technology
There's a lot to the role, but we've deliberately kept the descriptions fairly short and sweet. To summarise further, all we are looking for is someone that fits into our team seamlessly and is willing to get stuck in with whatever our growing business requires—we can help get you up to speed with the rest.
For this role, we are considering both part-time and full-time applications, and there are multiple positions available. Shifts will be available at various times, but with us being an all-day offering weekend and evening work is likely to be required.
Benefits
- 28 days annual leave (pro-rated for part-time team members), including flexible bank holidays meaning you can use those days elsewhere if you would prefer
- 40% off everything in the shop — including books!
- Free hot and soft drinks from our café
- 24/7 employee wellbeing helpline, including counselling and financial advice
- Company pension contributions (for eligible team members)
- Access to early proof copies, exclusive content, and more
- Opportunity to attend industry events
- Team socials
