Experienced Barista – Specialty Coffee Shop in River Forest

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.

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

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

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.