Question
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Cafe Assistant

2/7/2026

The Café Assistant will greet customers, take orders, and provide excellent service while supporting daily café operations. Responsibilities also include preparing food and beverages, cleaning, and restocking supplies.

Salary

17.13 - 17.75 USD

Working Hours

20 hours/week

Company Size

51-200 employees

Language

English

Visa Sponsorship

No

About The Company
Located on Olympia’s downtown waterfront, the Hands On Children’s Museum is the leading play-based early learning institution in the state. It is also the largest and most visited youth museum in the Pacific Northwest. The museum’s mission is to stimulate curiosity, creativity, and learning through fun, interactive exhibits, and programs. The museum offers a robust free and reduced Access Program that serves over one-third of its visitors. Its programs and exhibits are designed to encourage interaction and inquiry, and inspire a lifelong love of learning.
About the Role

Description

Status:  Part Time – 15 to 20 hours/week, Saturdays & Sundays (some weekdays & holidays as needed.)

Wages: $17.13 - $17.75 hourly, DOQ


About Hands On: 

The Hands On Children’s Museum is located on the picturesque East Bay waterfront in downtown Olympia. We are a nationally known family learning destination and the most visited children’s museum in the Pacific Northwest hosting more than 300,000 visitors each year. Our mission is to stimulate curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills through rich, interactive learning experiences. We believe that all children deserve respect and the opportunity to learn, regardless of their ability to pay, which is why the Museum works hard to serve more than one-third of its annual visitation through the Inspired Learning for All initiative. 


Voted a “Best Place for Kids” for more than a decade, the Museum offers a state-of-the-art LEED Gold facility with 150 indoor exhibits, a half-acre Outdoor Discovery Center, Art Studio, a MakeSpace for tinkering and inventing, café and gift shop, and award-winning education programs including camps, workshops, preschool, parenting classes, field trips, community outreach and family support programs.


Position Overview:

We are a fast-paced café dedicated to serving fresh, delicious food with exceptional customer service. We’re looking for a friendly, reliable Café Assistant to support daily café operations and help create a welcoming environment for our guests. 


Our Playday Café offers salads, sandwiches, grilled paninis and quesadillas, soup, coffee, and other grab and go options in a family-focused environment.  Daily service hours typically 10am to 4pm, with occasional evening events.

Requirements

Responsibilities

  • Greet customers, take orders, and provide excellent service
  • Prep, cook & serve café menu items
  • Prepare coffee, tea, and specialty beverages
  • Clean & sanitize prep spaces and counters
  • Handle cash and operate POS system 
  • Follow all food safety and sanitation procedures
  • Sweep, clean & sanitize guest dining area
  • Restock supplies and ingredients throughout the shift
  • Clean dishes and café equipment to meet state and county health requirements.
  • Assist with opening and closing procedures
  • Assist with monthly inventory
  • Accurately record waste, tips, R&D, and malfunctioning/broken equipment

Qualifications:

  •  Must have weekend availability & be available for local and regional school district breaks, holidays, museum events, and occasional after-hours events
  • Food handler’s card and 1 year of previous café or quick food service experience, including use of a POS system
  • High School Diploma or actively pursuing; Associate degree preferred
  • Understanding of safe food preparation, storage and handling procedures
  • Must be punctual, reliable, positive and team oriented 
  • Preferred candidate will have schedule flexibility
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, with noise and crowds
  • Ability to communicate with Museum visitors, parents/caregivers, community members and Museum colleagues in a courteous and professional manner
  • Physical requirements include stooping, kneeling, bending, standing, squatting/crouching, crawling, pushing/pulling, climbing up and down stairs, and reaching above the shoulders
  • Must be able to stand for long periods of time and lift up to 30 lbs.

Workplace Values: 

Achieving our mission requires great people who actively demonstrate our core values .


 To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and 3 professional references.


Compensation & Benefits: $17.13 - $17.75 hourly, DOQ, medical, dental, and vision, employee wellness program, paid holidays and time off, a 401(k)-retirement plan, and lots of adorable children. Benefits vary by number of regularly scheduled hours worked, length of employment, and employment status. See the benefit details for this position here


For more information, please visit our website at www.hocm.org 


The Hands On Children’s Museum exhibits, education programs, and employment are available to all without discrimination.

Key Skills
Customer ServiceFood PreparationCash HandlingPOS SystemSanitation ProceduresTeamworkCommunicationReliabilityFlexibilityPunctualityCookingCleaningInventory ManagementFood SafetyFast-Paced EnvironmentProblem Solving
Categories
Food & BeverageHospitalityCustomer Service & SupportEducationRetail
Benefits
Health InsuranceDental InsuranceVision InsuranceEmployee Wellness ProgramPaid HolidaysPaid Time Off401k Retirement Plan
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