Wine Bar Manager

Yarn Farm Kingston is a creative community space for fiber artists and a wine bar welcoming to all. It is an arts and crafts shop offering a thoughtfully curated selection of beautiful, high-quality materials products for fiber artists with an emphasis on small batch or locally produced yarn, fiber, fabric and accessories. It is also a wine bar offering delectable wines and local craft beer paired with simple fare such as pre-made sandwiches, soups, cheese and charcuterie boards, and baked goods.

Requirements

The Wine Bar Manager must love a high-energy, creative environment and have a fun, engaging personality that brings customers back again and again. The Wine Bar Manager is responsible for all wine bar service, including: 

  • Verify the customers’ ages

  • Process payment

  • Clean glasses and bar utensils

  • Make suggestions based on customer tastes and preferences for wine / craft beer / hard cider / tea and other non-alcoholic beverages

  • Prepare beverages including mocktails

  • Serve light meals and snack options

  • Record and balance cash receipts and prepare cash deposits

  • Open and maintain tabs throughout their shift

  • Build a rapport with regular customers to create a positive atmosphere

Highly Desired

  • Wine Bar Manager with ability to prepare light fare maintaining a clean and sanitary operation. We will continue to offer our crowd pleasers - our award winning charcuterie board! - and welcome new menu ideas from the Wine Bar Manager.

Individual Responsibilities as a Wine Bar Manager include:

  • demonstrating outstanding customer service and selling skills

  • managing wine bar inventory including regular inventory counts

  • ability to prepare light fare, e.g., soups, hot entrees and baked goods  

  • managing perishable food and ingredients responsibility and within Health Department guidelines

  • organizing and maintaining cleanliness of the food prep area, back bar and bar areas

  • closing the shop for the day including cleaning and tidying of the food prep area, back bar and bar areas

  • wine bar waste management weekly – trash and recycling on Monday evenings for Tues morning pick up (limited waste generation as YFK has a limited menu)

  • providing views on wine bar inventory to restock and new products to offer with consideration of both what has sold well historically and also current trends and in the context of the target Yarn Farm customer and what makes Yarn Farm distinctive from other wine bars in the area

  • discretion, i.e., never, for any reason, discussing yarn shop/wine bar business outside of Yarn Farm Kingston. This includes any financial information, customer information, or any aspect of the enterprise of Yarn Farm Kingston that a customer wouldn’t be privy to. We have zero tolerance for any breach of these boundaries

  • interest, initiative and self-directed idea generation of new revenue opportunities for the wine bar welcome and

  • extensive knitting and/or crochet skills, additional fiber arts a plus but appreciation of fiber arts is enough

The Wine Bar Manager must process payments by totaling purchases; processing cash and credit cards through YFK’s Square platform, currently not connected to a bar code scanner, and managing physical cash responsibly as received (fairly infrequent).

The Wine Bar Manager will maintain a professional attitude with sincerity and enthusiasm reflecting YFK’s commitment to our customer. S/he develops relevant knowledge by staying current with trends through social media and in-person interactions in our local area, and attending staff meetings (scheduled as necessary; paid time) in order to communicate information accurately and confidently to the customer.

The Wine Bar Manager will process purchases of yarn shop products and services (principally classes) from time to time, also through the Square platform. From time to time s/he may greet and engage with yarn shop customers should the yarn shop be short-staffed. However, extensive fiber arts technical knowledge is not required, though a plus. 

Desired Skills 

  • Knowledge of applicable laws and regulations (Yarn Farm will require and pay for the Wine Bar Manager to take a NYS Alcohol Awareness training: course fee and time.)

  • Understanding of unique and complementary flavor pairings

  • Impeccable customer service and social perceptiveness

  • Ability to evaluate customer satisfaction and be responsive

  • Ability to enforce company policies regarding the consumption of alcohol

  • Accountability in maintaining inventory and processing payments

  • Physical ability to stand or walk for long periods of time

  • Ability to prepare light fare, e.g., soups, hot entrees and baked goods

  • Understanding of sales principles and customer service practices

  • Solid communication and interpersonal skills

  • Ability to read, write and effectively communicate with customers, peers and shop management via text, email and occasionally notes

  • Excellent telephone etiquette

  • Ability to multi-task, while being attentive to customers and remaining flexible to the needs of the business

  • Operate computer, manage financial transactions and balancing cash box

  • Ability to work as part of a team and take initiative independent of direct supervision

  • Physical demands: This position involves constant moving, talking, hearing, and standing for most of the shift

  • Excellent customer service focus

  • Enthusiastic, friendly and energetic with a genuine desire to provide outstanding service to every customer

  • Available to work a variety of hours, which may include early mornings, evenings, and weekends; otherwise, mutual agreement on hourly commitment at time of hiring

  • Monitor wine bar social media for trends and share with shop owner and other staff

  • Follow the shop on Instagram and shop website including newsletter; encourage others to do the same

  • Timely communication with shop owner with time-off requests

Desired Schedule

We are open Wed, Thur, Fri, Sat and Sun. The candidate will ideally be available every day that we are open and be available for food prep on before opening hours. The target working hours are 2:30 until close for approx. 30-35 hours. We can try to be flexible in scheduling for the right candidate(s).

Compensation

$18/hr plus tips.

To Apply

Please complete and submit 1) the job application and 2) your resume that highlights your relevant skills and experience.

Send your attachments to hello [at] yarnfarmkingston [dot] com. We will confirm receipt and review all submissions thoughtfully. Following the initial receipt confirmation, we will only contact those applicants who we would like to interview, as Yarn Farm Kingston is a small business with limited resources. Thank you for understanding!

Yarn Farm Kingston is an equal opportunity employer. We offer a welcoming and inclusive environment and do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. All employees and contractors of Yarn Farm Kingston are responsible for maintaining a work culture free from discrimination and harassment by treating others with kindness, empathy and respect.

Updated March 18, 2024