Various Bar/Cafe Positions

Description

About Lovestruck Books & Cafe

Lovestruck Books & Cafe is a vibrant community hub in the heart of Harvard Square where the love of literature meets the art of hospitality. As a romance-focused independent bookstore, we are a space grounded in inclusivity, joy, and connection.

Starting this August/September, we are entering an exciting new chapter: bringing our bar and cafe operations fully in-house under the Lovestruck brand! This transition allows us to fully integrate our beverage and light culinary programs with our bookstore, creating a seamless, elevated experience for every guest.

Our beverage program is cozy, curated, and intentionally intimate. We operate under a cordials license—serving high-quality specialty coffee, fine wines, craft beers, and cordial-based cocktails. We are building a passionate launch team to help us run this unique neighborhood third-space.

Role Snapshots

Because our cafe and bar are fully integrated, everyone on our team will work with both coffee and alcohol. Regardless of whether you come from a coffee or a bar background, you'll be fully cross-trained on both sides of the counter.

We are hiring candidates into specific primary tracks based on their background and strengths, while actively seeking candidates with the experience and drive to step into Shift Lead & leadership positions to help us build and lead our team.

When applying, please indicate which track (or tracks) best fit your background:

• The Specialty Coffee Track (Barista-Focus): Best for professionals with 1–2 years of experience in specialty coffee, dialing in espresso, pouring latte art, and running high-quality daytime beverage service.
• The Wine, Beer, & Cordial Track (Server/Bartender-Focus): Best for professionals with 1–2 years of experience in wine service, craft beer hospitality, or cordial beverage service.
• The Leadership Track (Shift Lead / Supervisor): For experienced hospitality pros (2+ years of team management or lead experience) who want to run floor shifts, manage inventory, train staff, act as supervisors, and maintain high operational and safety standards when the General Manager is off-site.
  
  

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver Beverage Excellence: Execute high-level specialty coffee service (espresso builds, latte art) and curate beautiful wine, craft beer, and creative cocktail service according to precise recipes and quality standards.
• Champion the Brand Experience: Act as a brand ambassador, ensuring the bar experience is a seamless extension of the bookstore’s culture.
• Support Events: Actively participate in the lifecycle of store events, including physical setup and breakdown (moving furniture/displays), guest check-in, providing on-site assistance to ensure events run smoothly, and more.
• Assist with Culinary Prep: Prepare house-made syrups, infusions, specialty garnishes, and maintain the kitchen/bar lines to support our sandwich, pastry, and small-plate menu.
• Maintain Operational Accountability: Take pride in keeping the Front of House (FOH) and Back of House (BOH) spaces immaculately clean, counting inventory, and logging waste.
• Ensure Safety & Compliance: Strictly enforce legal drinking age requirements, monitor guest behavior for responsible alcohol service, maintain food safety standards, and obtain/maintain TIPS certification (company-sponsored).
  
  

What You’ll Bring

• Experience: 1–2 years of experience in a craft beverage, wine/beer, or high-volume specialty coffee environment. For the Leadership Track, 2+ years of supervisory or team-lead experience in food and beverage is required.
• Adaptability & Team Spirit: A positive, flexible attitude with a "no task too small" mentality. You are excited to learn coffee if you're a wine server, or learn cordial mixology if you're a barista, and help keep the shared space beautiful.
• Technical Comfort: Experience with Toast POS, Resy, or similar restaurant management tools is a plus.
• Certifications: Ability to obtain and maintain TIPS certification (we cover the cost). ServSafe certification is a plus.
• Physical Stamina: Ability to stand for long periods of time, work in both indoor and outdoor environments, and lift up to 50 lbs (e.g., milk crates, supply cases) regularly.
• Hours: Includes a mix of weekdays, weekends, nights, holidays, and special events.
  
  

Compensation, Schedule, & Benefits

Base Pay Rates:

• Baristas & Bartenders (Full-Time or Part-Time): $16.00 – $18.00 per hour + pooled tips
• Shift Leads / Supervisors (Full-Time): $19.00 – $30.00 per hour (commensurate with experience)
  
  

Benefits & Perks For All Employees

• Generous Store Discounts: 30% off all full-priced books and gift merchandise.
• Shift Refreshments: Generous discount on food and coffee drinks from our cafe menu.
• Literary Perks: Access to free Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of upcoming books and a front-row seat to a vibrant community of authors and readers.
• Professional Development Opportunities
  
  

Additional Benefits for Full-Time Employees (30+ hours/week):

• Comprehensive Health: Medical, dental, and vision insurance with company contributions.
• Disability Insurance: Long-term disability coverage fully paid by the company.
• Paid Time Off: Paid Time Off (PTO), sick leave, and paid holidays.
• Travel Support: A transportation reimbursement of $50.00 per month for garage parking or MBTA passes.