Experienced Barista – Specialty Coffee Shop in River Forest

Company Description

We're not looking for someone who can just make coffee. We're looking for someone who cares about making it right.

Black Fodder Coffee is a specialty coffee company in River Forest, IL. We run a café, cater private events across Chicagoland, and teach espresso and pour-over classes. We're family-owned, obsessively quality-driven, and building something we're genuinely proud of.

We source from award-winning roasters — with plans to roast in-house soon. We dial in every morning. We pour latte art on every drink — not because the customer asked, but because that's the standard. If that sounds like your kind of place, keep reading.

Job Description

What you'd actually do

• Pull espresso, steam milk, and pour latte art all day — on a Slayer Steam, not a super-automatic
• Brew pourovers on a Kalita Wave, V60, and Aeropress with precision and care
• Work café shifts in our River Forest shop and/or catering events across Chicagoland
• Make every person who walks in feel genuinely welcome — not scripted, not forced
• Talk to guests about coffee like you genuinely find it interesting (because you do)
• Keep the bar and café spotless — clean as you go, always
• Handle equipment like it's yours

Qualifications

What we're looking for

• At least 1 year behind an espresso machine at a specialty shop (not a chain — you know the difference)
• Strong latte art — send us a few photos or link your Instagram
• You actually know what extraction, dose, and yield mean, and you care about getting them right
• Experience with hand brew methods (Kalita Wave, V60, Aeropress) is a plus
• You have a real work ethic — you see what needs doing and you do it, without being asked
• You're driven to get better — you ask for feedback, study your craft, and hold yourself to a standard most people wouldn't bother with
• Keeping things clean isn't a task for you — it's just how you operate
• Rock-solid reliability — you show up on time, every time. If something comes up, you communicate early, not last minute
• You operate with integrity — honesty and doing the right thing aren't negotiable
• You can lift 50 lbs (kegs, milk deliveries, event gear)
• Fluent in English
• Food prep experience or troubleshooting skills are a bonus, not a requirement

Additional Information

What it's like here

• Beautifully designed café with a Slayer Steam and full hand brew setup
• Unlimited espresso, filter, and tea on shift + one premium drink per shift
• 40% off food and coffee beans
• Real training — we invest in your growth as a coffee professional, not just your ability to follow a recipe
• Flexible scheduling — some people work café only, some do events only, some do both
• A small, tight team that genuinely gives a damn
• Family-owned, founder-operated — no corporate layers, no nonsense
• Walking distance from CTA (Blue and Green lines)

If you read this and thought "finally, a coffee job that sounds like it's actually about coffee" — apply. We'd love to meet you.