Café & Shop Coordinator – Friendship Central

A founding operational role. Help us build something genuinely new.

This is no ordinary café role.

In November 2026, GFS Perth will open Friendship Central: a purpose-built social hub in West Swan where friendship, good food, local enterprise and care for creation come together. At its heart will be the 40-seat Friendly Fig Café and our Makers & Traders shop, bringing locally made products, a permaculture program and around 140 years of GFS Perth history together in one welcoming place.

We are looking for an accomplished barista and hands-on hospitality professional who wants to help create Friendship Central, not simply step into it once everything has been decided. You will join us at least one month before opening and work closely with the CEO to shape the menu, establish practical systems, prepare the café and shop floor, and help create the welcoming rhythm of this new venture.

If you want a job where the finished product will still have your fingerprints on it, this may be the role for you.

The opportunity at a glance

- Full-time, 38 hours per week

- Salary: $80,000 plus superannuation

- Restaurant Industry Award 2020 (MA000119), Level 5 – Food and Beverage Supervisor

- Annualised salary under clause 20 of the Award

- Location: Friendship Central, 4380 West Swan Road, West Swan

- Reports to: Chief Executive Officer, GFS Perth

- Start date: at least one full month before our indicative opening in the first week of November 2026

A hands-on leadership role

This is not a desk-based or purely supervisory position. You will lead by doing: making excellent coffee, serving customers, running the café counter and keeping the Makers & Traders shop beautifully presented and ready for business.

You will work alongside a team made up primarily of volunteers, with casual or part-time staff rostered as the operation grows. Your leadership will be practical and relational. You will train, coach, encourage and model good practice while carrying genuine responsibility for the daily operation of both the café and shop.

Formal people management will remain with the CEO, but you will provide clear on-shift direction. You will not be rostered alone for an entire shift; the CEO or another trained team member will provide relief cover, including for meal breaks.

Before we open

Your first month will give you the unusual opportunity to help shape Friendship Central before a single customer walks through the door. Working with the CEO and office team, you will contribute to:

- developing and testing the initial menu

- setting up café and shop-floor workflows and the shared point-of-sale arrangements

- supporting initial stock ordering and supplier relationships

- preparing volunteer induction, training and rostering foundations

- ensuring the café and shop are safe, welcoming and ready for opening day

Once the doors open

Café and customer experience

You will:

- open and close the café, including equipment and counter set-up and shutdown

- prepare and serve high-quality coffee, other drinks and food

- run an efficient, warm and welcoming counter-service flow





- maintain excellent food safety, cleanliness, allergen management and stock-rotation standards

- monitor stock and coordinate ordering with the office team

- continue developing the menu with the CEO in response to customer feedback, seasonal availability and what works in practice

Makers & Traders shop

You will:

- ensure displays, pricing and stock presentation are customer-ready each day

- serve shop customers and process café and retail sales through the shared EFTPOS/POS system

- be the first point of contact for everyday stock, display and sales queries from makers and traders

- refer agreements, commission calculations, payment runs and other administration to the office

- help the shop feel connected to the wider life and purpose of Friendship Central

Safety, systems and accountability

You will:

- manage accurate cash handling and end-of-day reconciliation across both revenue streams

- maintain current risk-management practices for café and food-production operations, including equipment safety, manual handling, allergens and incident reporting

- act as one of GFS Perth’s designated Food Safety Supervisors

- deliver and document appropriate food-safety training for volunteers and casual staff

- respond as a first aider when required and promptly report safety, compliance or systems concerns

Volunteers and on-shift coordination

You will:

- train and coach volunteers and casual staff in barista skills, beverage standards and customer service

- provide calm, clear on-shift guidance and informal coaching

- contribute to roster planning as volunteer numbers and availability become clearer

- model GFS Perth’s values through warmth, reliability, respect and everyday attention to people

- refer performance, conduct or welfare concerns to the CEO

A role that will grow with the place

We want to be honest about the nature of a founding role: not every detail is fixed. Indicative trading hours are 8.30am to 4.30 or 5.00pm, but opening days in the first year will depend on staffing and volunteer availability. Over time, we expect to move towards seven-day trading because this will matter to the long-term sustainability of Friendship Central. Exact working days, hours and rostering arrangements will be settled with the successful candidate, and availability across an evolving roster will be important.

Regular evening work is not anticipated during the first 18 months, although occasional evening events may become part of Friendship Central later.

We need someone who will be energised, rather than unsettled, by this early stage: practical, adaptable and willing to help build the roster, systems and rhythm of the place rather than expecting them to arrive fully formed.

What you must bring

Before commencing, you will need:





- current Food Safety Supervisor certification (SITSS00069 or current equivalent)

- a current First Aid Certificate

- current practical knowledge of café and food-production risk management, including equipment safety, manual handling, allergen management and incident reporting

- demonstrated barista competency, evidenced through SITHFAB025 (Prepare and serve espresso coffee) or substantial equivalent experience

We are open to discussing support for the right candidate to obtain or renew the required Food Safety Supervisor or First Aid certification before starting. Barista competency is essential and will be assessed practically during the interview process.

What we are looking for

You may be the person we are looking for if you:

- have substantial, hands-on hospitality experience and can confidently run a counter-service café, not simply oversee one

- are an accomplished barista who can produce consistently excellent coffee from day one and train or coach others

- combine sound operational judgement with a warm, personable approach

- are comfortable using EFTPOS/POS systems and completing daily cash and sales reconciliation

- have worked with volunteers, or understand that leading volunteers calls for encouragement, clarity, patience and respect

- are comfortable with some ambiguity and enjoy turning ideas into workable systems

- want to contribute ideas to menus, customer experience and shop presentation

- understand that good hospitality is about more than efficient service; it is also about helping people feel seen, welcomed and connected

About GFS Perth and Friendship Central

GFS Perth is a values-led not-for-profit organisation with a long history and a bold future. Our vision is to catalyse a friendship revolution while caring for creation. Friendship Central will bring that vision to life as a social hub where friendships and a greener tomorrow meet.

The site will bring together the Friendly Fig Café, the Makers & Traders shop, permaculture growing and learning, programs and opportunities for people to participate, contribute and connect. It is a model with few direct comparisons in Western Australia, and its culture will be shaped not only by what we offer, but by how people are welcomed when they arrive.

That is why this role matters. We are not simply looking for someone to operate a coffee machine and balance a till. We are looking for a skilled hospitality professional who can help us build a place with both operational strength and genuine heart.

How to apply

Please submit your CV and a covering letter outlining:

- your hospitality career, including roles held, time spent in each and the scope of your responsibilities

- your barista experience, including training, length of qualified experience and any experience coaching other baristas

- your experience coordinating staff or volunteers

- the status of your Food Safety Supervisor and First Aid certifications

- why helping to build Friendship Central appeals to you

If you want to put your fingerprints on something genuinely new and purposeful, we would love to hear from you.

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