Lead Tea Master / Barista, and Head of Experience

Lead TeaTender / Tea Barista / POTENT: Mushroom Tea House, Chiang Mai We are hiring Bar Lead to run the POTENT: Mushroom Tea House. This is a hands-on role for someone who loves tea, knows how to run a room, and cares deeply about taste, presentation, and quality. You will set the tone of the guest experience, keep quality consistent day after day, develop new drinks alongside the founders, and bring the rest of the team up with you. Who this role is for This suits an organised person with real care and attention to taste, presentation, and quality. Just as important, it suits a genuine team player. You will work openly and closely with the founders and the team, not as a lone operator making decisions in isolation. You are reliable and consistent, you put the tea house and its guests ahead of personal distractions, and you can prioritise the work that helps the shop grow. Experience running or working front of house in a cafe, bar, or restaurant is important, and a background as a bartender, with the discipline of following a spec exactly and holding a busy service together, is a real advantage. What you will do Mushroom tea, service and education Be an ambassador for the POTENT: brand and its values in everything you make and say. Brew and serve a focused menu of teas and mushroom-infused drinks for takeaway, dine-in, and ceremonies, where fungi are the hero and not a side note. Host guests at the bar and in the space, explaining functional mushrooms, effects, and rituals in simple, grounded language, and never overclaiming. Lead small tastings and mini-ceremonies that introduce people to mushroom tea in a relaxed, informal way, and guide guests through tastings and the buying process so that functional mushrooms feel accessible and trustworthy. Keep the atmosphere inclusive and non-judgemental for all cultures, genders, and beliefs, and help guests slow down rather than rush. Sell POTENT: mushroom products from the tea house store, and help create and organise community events with the founders. Recipes, R&D and documentation Prepare every drink to the same high standard, following each recipe precisely, every time, so that any guest receives the same quality whoever is on shift. Present each drink with genuine care, checking it against our visual and taste standard before it leaves the bar. Learn how to brew new teas, and keep deepening your craft in both tea and fungi. Create and test new recipes, pairings, and seasonal offerings with the founders, while meticulously honouring the existing recipes and standards. Creativity sits on top of consistency, not in place of it. Explore different tea traditions as vehicles for fungi, protecting both flavour and function. Keep clear, careful, written records of every recipe, brew parameter, adjustment, and piece of guest feedback, so the work can be repeated, refined, and scaled. Nothing important should live only in your head. Operations, cleanliness and quality Own the day-to-day running of the tea bar: opening and closing, preparation and mise en place, stock rotation, and basic maintenance. Keep the tea house clean and ready at all times, before guests arrive and throughout service. Cleanliness and presentation of the space are part of the role, not an afterthought. Prioritise well through the day, keeping the needs of the tea house and its guests ahead of everything else, and anticipating busy periods rather than simply reacting to them. Manage inventory and ordering for tea, mushrooms, and light bites from partner bakers. Set and uphold standards for hygiene, food safety, workflow, and presentation. Track simple metrics, such as best-selling drinks, waste, daily numbers, subscriber conversions, and B2B leads, and share what you learn with the founders. Who you are You have a real interest in tea and the curiosity to keep learning about it and about functional mushrooms. You can easily communicate with customer in Thai or English You have experience running a cafe, bar, or restaurant, and a bartender background is welcome. You can recreate drinks precisely and consistently, and you take pride in following a recipe exactly. You are a careful record keeper who documents recipes and developments clearly. You enjoy research and the creativity of building new recipes, while respecting the standards already set. You can teach drinks and service to others clearly, and you are happy to keep learning yourself. You are friendly and honest, and you communicate warmly and easily with customers. You take feedback well and treat it as part of getting better. You are reliable, consistent, and present, you prioritise the work that matters, and you thrive as part of a team rather than working alone. POTENT: values You will be expected to embody and protect POTENT:'s values in the tea house. In practice, this looks like: Respect for nature. Recognising the relationships between us and the environment, and the impact we have. Honesty and transparency. Being clear about what our drinks can and cannot do, with no exaggerated claims and no shortcuts on quality. Curiosity and learning. Actively deepening your craft in both tea and fungi, asking questions, and sharing what you discover. Presence and slowness. Moving with intention, even when busy, and helping guests slow down rather than rush through. Craft and quality. Caring about the details others may not see: water, temperature, storage, cleanliness, vessel, and mood. Inclusivity and non-judgement. Holding space where all cultures, genders, and beliefs feel safe and respected. High trust. Protecting a culture where punctuality, honesty, clear communication, and putting the team and the tea house first are non-negotiable. The details Location: POTENT: Mushroom Tea House, Chiang Mai. On site. Type: Full time. Salary: [THB ____, based on experience]. Start: As soon as the right person is found. To apply Send a short note about yourself and your experience, along with a CV, to [email or application link]. Tell us about a drink or a tea you love and why. Note for the hiring team: this role handles the till and cash. Under Thai law cash handling should sit with a Thai national, so this position is best advertised for Thai nationals. Remove this note before posting.