Mobile Cafe Director

ABOUT COFFEE FELLOWS

Coffee Fellows is Houston's premier European specialty coffee brand, operating four brick-and-mortar cafe locations across the city since 2023. We are proud to operate Houston's first and only all-electric mobile cafe fleet — seven zero-emission vans that bring our signature espresso experience directly to Houston's events, festivals, farmers markets, corporate campuses, and communities.

Our brand pillars are daily operational commitments: 100% Arabica specialty espresso, free plant-based milk alternatives as standard, recyclable serviceware, ethically sourced beans, and zero-emission operations. We are growing fast and building a team that shares our values and our standards.

ROLE SUMMARY

The Mobile Cafe Director is one of the most important hires Coffee Fellows will make. This person is the operational heartbeat of our all-electric mobile cafe fleet — responsible for everything from the moment the van rolls out of the lot to the moment it returns. You are part barista, part business owner, part brand ambassador, and part fleet manager.

This is not a clock-in, clock-out role. We are looking for someone who takes genuine ownership — who loses sleep over an under-booked week, who takes pride in a perfectly pulled shot at 7 AM in a parking lot, and who understands that every customer interaction is a direct reflection of the Coffee Fellows brand. If that description excites you, this role was built for you.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Fleet Operations & Logistics

• Manage daily scheduling, deployment, and safe operation of the all-electric mobile cafe fleet across Greater Houston
• Maintain a clean driving record; operate vans in full compliance with Houston Health Department and Texas state temporary food vendor requirements
• Oversee daily van preparation: cleaning, stocking, equipment checks, and EV charging — every van deployment-ready at all times
• Coordinate with coffee suppliers, commissary, and logistics partners for seamless inventory replenishment
• Identify and resolve equipment issues promptly — zero-downtime standard on event days
• Ensure all mobile cafe permits, health certifications, and event vendor paperwork are current and correctly filed

Sales, Bookings & Event Management

• Secure a minimum of 5 paid weekly event activations: festivals, farmers markets, corporate campuses, private and community events
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of recurring event partnerships across Houston: Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Katy, Pearland, Tomball, and Richmond
• Proactively prospect and pitch new venues, event organizers, property managers, and corporate HR teams
• Manage all vendor applications, fee payments, and event logistics from submission through day-of execution
• Track booking performance weekly and present pipeline and actual data to the CEO
• Capitalize on seasonal opportunities including FIFA World Cup 2026, Houston Art Car Parade, farmers market circuits, and NFL/MLB game days

Barista Excellence & Service Standards

• Operate as a working, hands-on barista — pull consistently excellent espresso shots at high volume in a compact mobile environment
• Maintain Coffee Fellows' premium service standards at every deployment, regardless of event size
• Train, supervise, and mentor all mobile cafe barista staff across every van and shift
• Develop and implement service protocols that deliver a consistent, memorable customer experience
• Collect and act on customer feedback — continuously raise the bar on drink quality, speed, and hospitality

Staffing & People Management

• Hire, schedule, train, and manage all mobile cafe barista and support staff
• Build rosters covering minimum 5 event deployments per week with appropriate staffing for each event type
• Conduct regular performance reviews and provide direct, constructive coaching
• Foster a team culture of ownership, service excellence, and brand pride
• Manage staffing costs as a P&L line item — optimize labor efficiency without sacrificing service quality

P&L Ownership & Financial Management

• Own the mobile cafe P&L end-to-end: revenue, COGS, labor, supplies, event fees, and net margin
• Report weekly and monthly financial performance directly to the CEO
• Manage all mobile cafe purchasing and vendor relationships to control COGS while maintaining quality
• Develop and execute revenue-driving strategies: premium events, corporate partnerships, private bookings, and high-margin activations
• Monitor and reduce waste, over-ordering, and inefficiencies — run a lean, profitable mobile operation
• Provide accurate revenue forecasts and event P&L projections for each deployment

Brand Building & Community Presence

• Serve as the living face of Coffee Fellows in the community — every event is a brand-building opportunity
• Represent Coffee Fellows' all-electric sustainability story at every touchpoint naturally and confidently
• Build genuine relationships with event organizers, market managers, and community leaders that generate repeat bookings and referrals
• Collaborate with the marketing team on social media content from mobile cafe deployments
• Identify sponsorship, co-branding, and partnership opportunities to elevate Coffee Fellows' Houston profile

REQUIREMENTS

Non-Negotiable

• Clean, verifiable driving record — MVR check required prior to offer (must be insurable to drive company vehicles)
• Proven barista experience with demonstrated ability to operate in high-volume cafe environments — specialty coffee knowledge essential
• Minimum 2 years of management or supervisory experience in food & beverage, hospitality, or a related field
• Demonstrated track record of hitting revenue or sales targets in a prior role
• Fluency with basic P&L concepts: revenue, COGS, gross margin, and labor cost percentage
• Exceptional attention to detail — from drink quality to permit paperwork to fleet cleanliness
• Houston-area residency or immediate relocation ability
• Physical ability to operate in an outdoor, mobile environment: standing for extended periods, loading supplies, driving between venues

Strongly Preferred

• Experience managing a food truck, mobile food operation, pop-up, or multi-location food & beverage business
• Established relationships with Houston-area event organizers, farmers market managers, or corporate event planners
• SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) certification or equivalent formal barista training
• Texas Food Handler Certification and/or Food Manager Certification (ServSafe) — required within 30 days of start if not already held
• Experience with scheduling software, POS systems, and basic spreadsheet-level financial reporting
• Spanish language proficiency — a strong asset for community engagement across Greater Houston
• Passion for sustainability, electric vehicles, and the specialty coffee industry

WHAT WE OFFER

• $55,000 base salary — paid biweekly — above Houston market average for mobile cafe management roles
• Performance bonus up to $35,000/yr tied directly to sales, margin, and bookings you control
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 2 weeks (10 days) paid time off annually
• Ownership of an entire line of business — your decisions directly shape Coffee Fellows' growth
• You represent Houston's first all-electric mobile cafe fleet — a sustainability story that opens doors
• Creative freedom — we hire for outcomes, not micromanagement
• Clear growth path: as the mobile fleet scales, so does this role — natural path to VP-level

BONUS STRUCTURE — HOW YOU EARN UP TO $35,000

Bonus targets are set jointly between the Mobile Cafe Director and CEO each quarter.

• Weekly Event Bookings (5 events/week) → Up to $8,000/yr — paid quarterly
• Mobile Cafe Revenue — hit monthly gross sales target → Up to $12,000/yr — paid monthly
• Profit Margin Performance — P&L at or above 30% EBITDA → Up to $7,000/yr — paid semi-annually
• Brand & Customer Experience — NPS score + repeat booking rate → Up to $3,000/yr — paid annually

All bonuses are subject to company financial performance and are detailed in the offer letter.

HOW TO APPLY

We review applications on a rolling basis and will move quickly for the right candidate.

Please send your resume and a brief cover note (no more than one page) answering this question:

"Which Houston events or venues would you target first for bookings, and why?"

This tells us more about you than any resume line item.