Cafe Team Expert

Role overview

Join Barnes & Noble’s café team in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where the bookstore serves as a community hub for readers and guests. In this position, you act as a key leader within the café, helping build team knowledge and creating a warm, inviting experience for customers. The role focuses on using sales, trend, waste, and inventory information to improve performance and profitability, while partnering with the Store Manager to shape and adjust café plans that support business goals.

What the role involves

• Lead by example with steady attendance, punctuality, flexibility, and a reliable presence on the floor.
• Support scheduling needs when possible, including early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and most holidays.
• Set a positive tone through proactive, energetic work habits and a customer-first attitude.
• Encourage and support the full store team with fairness, respect, kindness, and helpfulness.
• Use strong communication and active listening to help carry out company priorities.
• Allocate resources and barista support effectively so shifts stay on track.
• Train, coach, and model strong barista practices for drinks, food presentation, displays, register flow, and service speed.
• Support the bookfloor team when needed and appropriate.
• Help maintain loss prevention standards, identify theft risk, and de-escalate difficult situations.
• Manage ordering, inventory, monthly inventory reporting, and waste logs accurately and on time.
• Use café performance information to recommend actions that improve sales, reduce waste, and strengthen profitability.
• Work with the Store Manager on ongoing reviews of sales results, training, and improvement opportunities.
• Follow café safety, hygiene, sanitation, and company policy standards at all times.
• Expect physical work including long periods of standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking.
• Be available to support other stores within the cluster when business needs require it.

What success looks like

You are expected to grow into deeper café expertise over time, strengthening your ability to guide others, make strong product recommendations, and contribute more broadly to the store’s bookselling and café performance.

Benefits

Benefits depend on scheduled weekly hours. Team members working fewer than 20 hours per week receive Employee Discount, EAP, and Sick Pay. Those scheduled for 20 to 29.99 hours per week receive Employee Discount, EAP, Sick Pay, Paid Time Off, paid Maternity and Parental Leave, Company Paid Holidays, Transit, and a 401(k) with Company Match. Team members scheduled for 30 or more hours per week receive all of the above plus Comprehensive Health Benefits (Medical, Dental, and Vision), Healthcare and Dependent Care Spending Accounts, Healthcare Spending Account, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Transit, and Tuition Reimbursement. Benefits are provided under the terms of the current plan and may change in the future. Availability may also vary based on location and state regulations.

Schedule and location

This is a full-time, onsite role based in Hilton Head Island, SC, at the Hilton Head store location.

Additional information

The employer notes that all company policies and procedures must be followed. Applicants may be able to work in other stores when needed as part of wider cluster support.