Area Operations Manager – Cafes

About WOODS

WOODS Specialty Cafe & Roastery is an expanding Saudi coffee brand centered on premium coffee, food, and memorable guest experiences across cafe branches, roastery operations, kitchen services, e-commerce, and sales channels.

They are hiring an Area Operations Manager – Cafes to oversee several branches, raise operational standards, protect product quality, strengthen customer experience, and help deliver sales and performance goals. This is a field-based leadership role that calls for a practical operator who can manage people, numbers, daily execution, and standards with urgency and discipline.

Role Overview

The Area Operations Manager – Cafes is accountable for the performance of multiple locations within the assigned area. The role ensures every branch follows WOODS expectations for quality, service, cleanliness, speed, team discipline, and sales results.

This position demands a hands-on leader who regularly visits sites, notices operational gaps, coaches teams, and makes sure corrective actions are completed properly.

Branch Operations Management

• Supervise the day-to-day running of the assigned cafe branches.
• Make sure each branch follows company SOPs, operating standards, policies, and procedures.
• Check branch preparedness, including cleanliness, layout, equipment condition, staffing, stock levels, and overall appearance.
• Carry out frequent field visits and record findings, action items, and improvement plans.
• Confirm that opening, shift handover, and closing routines are completed correctly.
• Handle operational issues promptly and effectively.
• Keep execution disciplined and consistent across all assigned branches.
• Ensure branches are always prepared for internal audits, leadership visits, and customer-facing operations.

Product Quality & Customer Experience

• Maintain consistent standards for coffee, beverages, desserts, and food items across all locations.
• Verify adherence to recipes, preparation methods, product specifications, and quality control processes.
• Support a strong customer experience through fast service, hospitality, cleanliness, and product consistency.
• Track customer complaints, reviews, and feedback, then turn them into clear corrective actions.
• Follow through on repeated quality or service concerns until they are fully resolved.
• Make sure every guest interaction reflects WOODS brand expectations.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead branch managers, supervisors, baristas, cashiers, and operational staff across the assigned area.
• Coach branch leaders on daily execution, people management, service standards, and operational discipline.
• Monitor staff performance, attendance, grooming, behavior, and compliance with company rules.
• Spot training needs and coordinate with the training or operations function.
• Create a culture built on accountability, quality, speed, teamwork, and ongoing improvement.
• Help branch managers address daily challenges and strengthen their leadership skills.
• Ensure manpower planning and branch coverage match business demand.

Sales & Performance Management

• Track branch sales results on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
• Improve key revenue drivers such as transaction count, average transaction value, upselling, and product mix.
• Ensure proper execution of promotions, campaigns, new launches, and in-store sales initiatives.
• Review best-selling and slow-moving items and suggest actions to improve results.
• Work with operations, marketing, kitchen, roastery, and supply chain teams to strengthen branch performance.
• Help improve profitability through better execution, tighter cost control, and waste reduction.

Inventory, Waste & Cost Control

• Monitor the availability of key products, raw materials, packaging, and operational supplies across branches.
• Ensure stock counts, ordering, receiving, storage, and rotation are handled accurately.
• Track waste, spoilage, shortages, and product losses, then take corrective action to reduce them.
• Make sure raw materials are used in line with approved recipes and standards.
• Coordinate with warehouse and supply chain teams to keep products available smoothly.
• Ensure compliance with storage standards, expiry management, FIFO, and food safety requirements.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Prepare regular reports covering sales, operations, quality, complaints, waste, people, and branch readiness.
• Review key performance indicators and identify gaps, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Submit clear corrective action plans whenever performance issues appear.
• Follow up on action plans until measurable improvement is achieved.
• Recommend practical improvements that increase efficiency, reduce mistakes, and enhance the customer experience.
• Share field insights with management based on real branch observations and data analysis.

Key Performance Indicators

• Monthly sales target achievement.
• Improvement in customer satisfaction and branch ratings.
• Lower repeat customer complaints.
• Compliance with product quality and operational standards.
• Faster service speed.
• Reduced waste, spoilage, and stock variance.
• Branch readiness during visits and audits.
• Strong team discipline, attendance, grooming, and performance.
• Better employee retention and stability.
• Effective execution of campaigns, promotions, and new product launches.
• Improved branch profitability and operational efficiency.

Requirements

The preferred candidate should have at least 5 years of experience in cafe, restaurant, hospitality, or F&B operations, along with proven experience managing multiple branches. The role requires strong field leadership, follow-up discipline, and a solid grasp of sales, service, quality, inventory, waste, and people-related KPIs.

Applicants should also bring strong problem-solving, decision-making, and crisis management ability, plus the stamina to work under pressure and travel frequently between branches. Experience with POS systems, operational reports, and performance dashboards is important. Strong communication in both Arabic and English is required. A bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Operations Management, or a related discipline is preferred.

Required Skills

• Multi-branch operations management
• Field supervision
• Team coaching and leadership
• Sales performance analysis
• Customer experience management
• Quality assurance
• Inventory control
• Waste reduction
• Problem solving
• Decision making
• Planning and prioritization
• Attention to detail
• Operational discipline
• Continuous improvement

Ideal Candidate

The right fit is a practical operations leader who understands that excellent cafe performance comes from consistent execution, disciplined teams, clear standards, and daily follow-up. WOODS is seeking someone who goes beyond reports, spends time in the field, spots issues firsthand, resolves gaps, develops branch leaders, and ensures every branch consistently delivers the WOODS experience.

Application Note

Candidates with strong experience managing multiple cafe or F&B branches, leading teams, improving operations, and achieving measurable business results are encouraged to apply.