There’s so much to great customer service - it’s about warmth, energy, and creating moments people remember. That’s exactly what Madeleine brings to her role as supervisor in the Street Café at the Everyman. Known for her ever-present smile and approachable nature, she keeps things running smoothly in the café while making every visitor feel welcome.
But Madeleine’s talents don’t stop behind the counter. Alongside her work in hospitality, she’s also an actor and model - we caught up with her to talk about her daily tasks, what she loves about her role, and how she delivers service with a smile - every day.
What does a typical day look like for you as a café supervisor?
The cafe may only be open 11-3, but we’re in from 9am preparing all the food and doing all the food safety checks. Then we have four hours of service which is essentially chit-chatting with customers while making their food & drink, before a vigorous cleaning and closing procedure with admin-y bits chucked on the end. It’s nice and consistent, unless we have a catering event, conference or the like, which we get pretty regularly!
How did you get into the role?
I was a manager at Caffe Nero who spent all my free time at the theatre before being here, so when I saw the job advertised, I felt like it was calling for me! I was hired alongside Sean; Catering Manager Elise was so helpful and welcoming from the get-go.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I get to meet every kind of person that comes into our lovely building & help make a nice bit of their day! I truly think it’s the best role in the company!
How do you motivate your team?
My ethos has always been that we’re all in it together, in a positive space. Not to sound like Mary Poppins, but in every job that must be done there is an element of fun – I want work to be a happy part of all our lives.
How does working in a theatre café differ from working in a regular café?
In general, theatre goers are happier people: it’s a friendlier, chiller & cooler environment. I have horror stories from regular cafes – I only have to use those tactics during busy matinees now – haha!
What strategies are in place to help reduce food waste?
We have to be very in tune with events in the building and around the area to try to predict how busy we might be – it’s a careful game of preparation & also trying to upsell things that are about to go out with some Derren Brown skills.
What’s the most popular item on the menu?
The world would stop if we didn’t have baked potatoes.
Any funny moments happened during your shifts?
James still brings up me stirring the sugar into a man’s coffee for him most days. Either that or watching Elise playing it cool in front of Stacey Dooley when she came in for lunch before seeing the panto!