Job Opportunities API

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.