Independent café and specialty coffee roaster Black Market Coffee in Marrickville has seen first-hand how the staff shortages have affected small businesses.
With baristas being the most highly demanded position and numerous CBD venues offering $40 an hour for a barista, many neighbourhood cafés simply cannot compete.
As one of the few venues less impacted by the staff shortage, Black Market Coffee owner Angus Nicol wants to give back to the hospitality community through its professional barista training, Black Market Training.
From Wednesday December 1, every week Black Market Training will offer a free, two-hour group training session at their Marrickville training hub.
“For many cafés, hiring a barista right now is impossible, so we want to offer our barista training services to their waiters and kitchen staff,” Angus says.
“This is an opportunity for them to upskill, giving more flexibility to owners.”
Angus says that it’s also a chance for any staff who want to enter coffee making but haven’t had the opportunity.
“We want to help the hospitality industry so we can see it flourish because at the end of the day, these are our friends and colleagues,” he adds.
Café owners are encouraged to book a slot for their staff members via the company’s website, where Angus will get in touch to identify the specific needs of each café.
Angus continues that he has been fortunate to keep his staff employed during lockdown, but for many of the cafés he supply’s to across NSW, they have been less fortunate.
“We’ve seen owners working seven days a week, from open to close, for several weeks straight and the stress placed on them is immense. Therefore, it is important for the industry to come together with those in a better situation, supporting venues who are struggling,” Angus adds.
The training will then be tailored based on each attendees needs.
For more information, visit the Black Market Training website.
