We are hiring tour guides for our operations in both Milwaukee and Chicago to provide historical commentary and point out architectural highlights while leading food tours.
Organization Profile
At Milwaukee Food & City Tours, our passion is firmly rooted in food and Milwaukee. For the past 14 years, we’ve been offering delicious walking and bus tours exploring neighborhoods originally settled by Italian, Irish, Polish and German immigrants. Our recent acquisition of an equally tenured company, Chicago Food Planet, allows us to continue this tradition in the Chicago market as well. On all of our tours, our guides will provide historical commentary and point out architectural highlights and cultural hotspots while either sampling flavors from restaurants along the way or giving tips on photography composition.
Job Overview
We are in search of people who are high-energy, self-motivated, funny and passionate. Do you love Milwaukee or Chicago and love talking about it? How about the idea of having 16 sets of eyeballs on you for 2 – 3 hours straight? Do people think you’ve had three cups of coffee already, when you haven’t even had your first sip of the day? If you answered YES to these questions and have a passion for food, then we want to talk with you about joining the our teams. We’ll provide the training to help you become knowledgeable about the foods we’re famous for in either city, the people who bring it to life, and show you how to give a fun & engaging food and cultural tour. Please note that we are hiring tour guides for each city (guides would not be expected to travel between the two cities).
Job Responsibilities
– Lead tours in a timely, witty and engaging fashion.
– Communicate and interact well to foster and nurture personal relationships with all guests and restaurant partners alike
– Provide accurate directions and restaurant recommendations for tour attendees
– Actively seek out information and interesting food facts to share with guests, as well as your fellow Tour Guides
– Calm under pressure, not easily flustered, quick on your feet
– Assist with daily operations including signing guests in for each tour, calling ahead to restaurants with food orders, trouble-shooting ticket concerns, and notifying team of any pertinent changes or information in a timely fashion
– Complete post-tour duties such as submitting receipts and providing a post-tour summary to staff
Job Qualifications/Requirements
– Our ideal Food Tour candidate will have a theater and/or cooking background (sous chef, etc.). Previous experience in the restaurant scene is a plus!
– Public relations professionals/reporters with food and dining experience are encourage to apply.
– Must have a very high-energy level – you are performing your job!
– Cannot be a food snob. You must be able to appreciate everything from Noodles to Sanford’s and everything in between.
– Ability to communicate and connect quickly with customers so that they feel they are part of something special.
– Has a natural sense of humor, ability to improvise, and make people feel at ease immediately.
– Enjoy working in a flexible environment with little to no direct supervision.
– Strong knowledge of the city’s dining scene, tourist attractions, and how to navigate the city by foot, bus and car.
– Must have an ability to memorize lengthy script while also being able to adapt said script to the needs of each tour
– Must be able to be on your feet and walking constantly for 2 – 3 hours straight in various weather elements (sun, heat, cold, rain, snow)
– Previous tour guide experience is preferred, but by no means required
– Must have a cell phone to call in food orders, an ability to print attendee lists before tours, and a watch to stay on time.
– All Tour Guides will be required to enter a confidentiality/non-compete agreement prior to employment.
Compensation
We pay a competitive hourly wage, plus tour guides may earn tips from tour guests as well.
How To Apply
Please visit us online at www.milwaukeefoodtours.com or www.chicagofoodplanet.com to learn more about our tours. Preference will be given to applicants who have greater flexibility to take on extra shifts on short notice and/or during the weekday lunch tour timeframe, as well as those who can lead more than one tour a week. Please know that this is a seasonal position (May 15 – November 15) with a possibility of staying on year-round to conduct limited tours in our off-season. To apply, please send a letter of interest and qualifications to Theresa Nemetz, owner/operator, at theresa@milwaukeefoodtours.com or theresa@chicagofoodplanet.com
