About the Jikoni Group

Founded in 2016 in Marylebone, Jikoni is a purpose-led restaurant and community-focused business founded on the belief that the purpose of a restaurant is to restore. We create warmth, generosity, and kindness through hospitality that transforms how people feel, drawing on multicultural culinary traditions and the wisdom of the maternal kitchen. Our approach, “Cooking Without Borders,” celebrates diversity by sharing flavours, stories, and techniques from Asia, the Far East, India, the Middle East, and East Africa, bringing the nourishing, selfless essence of home-cooked meals to every guest.

Since our founding, Jikoni has grown steadily and has now opened a new all-day café and restaurant project with the new V&A East Museum in Stratford's Olympic Park. We are poised to expand to another vibrant new restaurant in Bloomsbury late 2026. These expansions will serve as the foundation for the Jikoni Group.

Why Join Us?

• At our flagship site in Marylebone, Jikoni, we “cook without borders”. Our food is a joyful celebration of maternal cooking, immigrant cuisine and pluralism. This includes a celebration of the rich culinary heritage of South Asia, the Far East, the Middle East, East Africa and Britain. As we grow, our core principles remain the same.

• We are a restorative business committed to our team, our guests, our planet and wider community. As the UK's first independent Carbon Neutral certified restaurant, and with an exclusive partnership with a biodynamic farm, our commitment to social and environmental sustainability is at the heart of everything we do.

• Jikoni has consistently been recognised among the UK’s best restaurants, appearing in the top 7 restaurants in London on the Nordic 360 Eat Guide (2024), Timeout’s Top 100 London Restaurants (2023), SquareMeal’s Top 100 Restaurants (2022), Harden’s Best 100 UK Restaurants (2019), and the National Restaurant Awards (2017). Jikoni is also currently featured in Condé Nast Traveller’s Best Restaurants in London and Timeout's London's Best Cafés.

• Our coffee programme at Jikoni brings together a personally developed house espresso, roasted by Workshop Coffee, alongside a rotating selection of single-origin espresso and filter coffees. Alongside this, we serve a thoughtfully selected and carefully brewed range of teas from Lalani & Co, chosen to complement our food, drinks and hospitality.

What we're looking for

We are looking for someone who is excited by the opportunity to be part of a new opening and to grow with us over time.

• Emotional Skillset: You embody the qualities that define great hospitality: Kindness, Optimism, Self-Awareness, Curiosity, Integrity, and Empathy.
• Experience: Experience as a barista is preferable
• Values Alignment: You share our family values of Multiculturalism & Pluralism, Integrity, Hospitality & Seva (Selfless Service), Excellence, and Entrepreneurialism.
• Leadership & Ambition: A desire and drive to build and shape new channels of the business, contribute to a positive and supportive culture and build a career with us.
• Culinary Curiosity: A deep curiosity for our style of maternal cooking and immigrant cuisine and global flavours

Key responsibilities

• Make high-quality coffee, tea, and serve other drinks (alcoholic beverages included) according to Jikoni standards and recipes.
• Greet customers warmly, take orders accurately, and ensure a positive experience.
• Keep the coffee bar, equipment, and seating areas clean and organized; follow all food safety and hygiene standards.
• Use espresso machines, grinders, and other barista tools safely and efficiently.
• Monitor and restock supplies, ingredients, and packaging as needed.
• Accurately take payments, operate the point-of-sale system, and balance cash at the end of the shift.
• Assist with opening and closing duties, inventory checks, and other café operations as required

What we offer

• Career Progression: Opportunities for growth in a dynamic and progressive company and working directly with senior management and directors to grow your leadership, business and hospitality skills while contributing to business with a positive purpose.
• Unique Training: Go beyond the kitchen with visits and hands-on training with our biodynamic farm partner and specialist producers.
• Competitive Package and Team Benefits: Delicious and wholesome team meals, a 51% team discount at our restaurants upon passing probation, 28 days holiday, a company pension scheme and private health insurance plans for all team members.

Everyone Is Welcome

At Jikoni, one of our core values is Pluralism, the idea that celebrating both our similarities and differences make our community richer and stronger. We warmly encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences. If this role speaks to you but you don’t meet every requirement, we would still love to hear from you. Please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments or accommodations we can make during the hiring process.