Joeleen Ng didn’t start in hospitality. She began as a preschool teacher, then switched to retail before landing a job managing a café inside a climbing gym in Salt Lake City. Her story reflects a growing trend: third spaces that blend fitness and food are creating new career paths for people without traditional industry experience.

Movement Gyms, a regional chain of climbing facilities, hired Ng to run its café at the Salt Lake City location. The café operates all day, serving climbers, students, and remote workers who use the space as a hub. Unlike standalone cafes, Ng’s role blends food service with community management—balancing coffee orders with social events and gym coordination.

Ng’s hiring highlights how hybrid spaces are changing hiring practices. Climbing gyms, co-working spots, and bookstores with cafes increasingly value soft skills like customer engagement and adaptability over industry certifications. For Ng, her background in education and retail translated directly: “I’m used to managing small groups and creating welcoming environments,” she said. “That’s more important than knowing latte art.”

Why hybrid spaces are hiring outside traditional pipelines

Third spaces—community hubs that aren’t home or work—are evolving. Cafes inside gyms, libraries, and even hardware stores now operate as social anchors, requiring managers who can nurture regulars and handle diverse needs. Movement Gyms’ Salt Lake City location exemplifies this model: the café serves as a meeting spot for climbers before sessions, students studying between classes, and freelancers working remotely.

Ng’s role includes inventory, staff scheduling, and event planning—tasks common in any café but with added complexity. “We host yoga nights, trivia, and coffee tastings,” she said. “It’s not just about selling drinks; it’s about creating a culture.” The gym’s owners prioritized someone who could build relationships over someone with a hospitality degree.

Her lack of formal training wasn’t a barrier. Movement Gyms’ leadership focused on her ability to learn quickly and connect with members. “They wanted someone who could read a room,” Ng said. “That’s something you can’t teach in a barista certification.”

The skills that got her the job

Ng’s transition wasn’t accidental. She applied to Movement Gyms after seeing a posting that emphasized community over experience. The job description highlighted “a passion for fostering connection” as a core requirement. That wording resonated with her background in early childhood education, where relationship-building was central.

During her interview, Ng emphasized her experience managing groups and handling logistics. “I spoke about how I organized parent-teacher events and coordinated supplies for a classroom,” she said. “It’s the same muscle memory—just different settings.” The gym’s owners were convinced.

What happens next for hybrid café managers

Ng’s role is part of a broader shift in how hybrid spaces operate. As third spaces proliferate, more managers like her are entering the industry without traditional backgrounds. The model favors adaptability: cafes inside gyms or bookstores must cater to niche audiences while maintaining profitability.

For aspiring managers, Ng’s story offers a roadmap. She advises focusing on transferable skills—conflict resolution, scheduling, and customer engagement—over industry-specific knowledge. “If you can make someone feel welcome, you can run a café,” she said. “Everything else is learnable.”

Movement Gyms plans to expand this model to other locations, hiring managers with community-focused backgrounds. Ng, meanwhile, has become a mentor for others transitioning into hybrid café management. Her advice: “Start where you have experience. The right space will value it.”

What You Need to Know

  • Source: Eater
  • Published: May 13, 2026 at 14:00 UTC
  • Category: Food
  • Topics: #food · #restaurants · #cuisine · #science · #space · #job-running-cafes

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Curated by GlobalBR News · May 13, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

Joeleen Ng não tinha experiência no ramo de hospitalidade quando conseguiu o cargo de gerente de café em uma academia de escalada, mas sua história prova que oportunidades podem surgir em lugares inesperados. Aos 28 anos, ela transformou sua paixão por comunidades ativas em uma carreira promissora, mostrando que habilidades como organização e engajamento social valem tanto quanto um currículo tradicional.

O caso de Ng ganha relevância no Brasil, onde o mercado de trabalho enfrenta transformações e muitos profissionais buscam readequar suas trajetórias. Em um país com forte cultura de esportes radicais e crescente número de academias especializadas, a demanda por gestores com perfil comunitário e criativo deve aumentar. Para os leitores brasileiros, a história serve como inspiração para explorar setores emergentes, como o de cafés em espaços de lazer ou academias, onde a experiência prévia não é sempre um pré-requisito.

Seu sucesso sugere que, em setores inovadores, a disposição para aprender e se conectar com o público pode ser mais valiosa do que títulos formais.