Café Attendant

Long Story Books
717 Edgewood Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307

Long Story Books is an independent bookstore and café in Inman Park built around books, coffee, hospitality, and the joy of bringing people together. We believe a bookstore should be a place people want to spend time in: welcoming, thoughtful, and connected to its community. We’re looking for café attendants to join our very first team.

Café Attendants are responsible for coffee and food preparation, café service, customer service, store operations, and supporting events. The bookstore and café are two parts of the same experience, and our team works across both to create a cohesive, well-run space for our guests.

We also believe in consistent pay across the bookstore and café. Long Story Books is a tip-free workplace, so our team does not rely on tips to determine their earnings. Every team member earns a consistent hourly wage, whether they are working in the bookstore, café, or supporting an event.

We’re looking for someone who knows and loves coffee and books, takes pride in their work, cares about hospitality, and wants to be part of building something from the beginning.

Responsibilities

Café & Guest Experience

  • Welcome guests and provide knowledgeable, attentive service.

  • Prepare and serve coffee, tea, beer, wine, and other café offerings.

  • Take orders and process café and book transactions accurately through the point-of-sale system.

  • Maintain knowledge of the café menu, beer and wine offerings, and seasonal specials.

  • Help guests navigate the bookstore and café.

  • Build relationships with regular customers and contribute to the store's community.

Store & Café Operations

  • Prepare espresso and brewed coffee to Long Story Books standards.

  • Maintain consistency in coffee products' quality, recipes, and presentation.

  • Follow recipes and food preparation procedures accurately.

  • Maintain clean, organized, and sanitary food preparation and service areas.

  • Receive, store, rotate, and restock café inventory.

  • Monitor product levels and communicate ordering or inventory needs.

  • Complete daily café opening, closing, and cleaning procedures.

  • Work in tandem with booksellers to keep service moving smoothly across the store.

  • Assist bookstore team in maintaining all guest areas.

  • Assist with book sales and other bookstore transactions.

  • Maintain a working knowledge of store policies, promotions, events, and programming.

  • Communicate operational, inventory, equipment, and maintenance issues.

  • Complete opening and closing procedures.

Events & Programming

  • Support author events, book clubs, storytimes, and other programming.

  • Assist in preparing café service for events, including beverages, food, and supplies.

  • Assist with guest arrival and event check-in as needed.

  • Work with booksellers and the events team to keep event service moving smoothly.

  • Help reset the café and store following events.

General Expectations

  • Take ownership of assigned responsibilities and follow through.

  • Manage time effectively and prioritize tasks based on the needs of the business.

  • Maintain strong attention to detail.

  • Communicate clearly with teammates and managers.

  • Move between café, bookstore, event, and general store responsibilities as needed.

  • Help maintain a clean, organized, and well-run store.

Ideal Candidate Has:

  • Previous barista or specialty coffee experience.

  • Strong knowledge of coffee preparation and espresso.

  • Experience in a craft kitchen, bakery, restaurant, or other food preparation environment preferred.

  • Genuine interest in books and willingness to learn.

  • Strong customer service and communication skills.

  • Organized, dependable, and detail-oriented.

  • Comfortable managing multiple priorities in a busy environment.

  • Able to work independently and as part of a small team.

  • Available to work evenings, weekends, and events.

  • Willing to be hands-on with all aspects of operating a small business.

Benefits

  • Accrued sick and vacation time

  • In-store discounts and access to advance reader copies

  • Paid volunteer time off

  • Professional development opportunities, including bookselling courses and certifications, conferences and events, and more

Hospitality is central to Long Story Books. We want every interaction, transaction, event, and detail of the space to reflect that. We’re building a place where books, coffee, and community come together, and every member of the team plays a part in making that experience work.

Please submit your resume here.