The most expensive mistake a coffee shop can make is hiring the wrong person: or losing the right one. With Chicago's wage floor at $16.60/hr and the "fully loaded" cost of a single barista turnover now exceeding $4,000, reactive hiring is a luxury no owner can afford. Far too often, owners find themselves in dire need, leading to erratic hiring and thoughtless onboarding just to get a body behind the bar. This workshop is designed to help you break that cycle. We’ll bridge the gap between the initial interview and long-term staff loyalty, ensuring you hire for retention rather than just to fill a shift.

Practical Takeaways

• The Strategic Interview: What to look for to identify the "right" people who will actually "get it".
• Onboarding for Longevity: Moving past rushed introductions to a successful system that prevents early burnout.
• Culture as a Retention Tool: A deep dive into the level of service and communication that keeps your "dream team" motivated and engaged.
• The Retention Shield: Actionable tools to move from reactive "emergency" hiring toward a structured, resilient plan that turns staff loyalty into a primary profit driver.

Attendees will leave with actionable tools to move away from reactive hiring and toward a structured plan to build a resilient, high-performing team that sticks around.

*This workshop has an additional registration fee. Please add it to your badge prior to the event (and receive early bird pricing) or stop by the registration counters onsite.