HopCat expansions in other markets means finance, IT, management jobs in West Michigan, beyond

With the expansion of the HopCat bar brand into East Lansing, Detroit, and now Indianapolis with HopCat -- Broad Ripple opening in August at 6280 N. College Ave., the need to add support employees in the Grand Rapids home office and beyond creates a variety of job opportunities.

BarFly Ventures, which owns HopCat, Grand Rapids Brewing Company, McFadden's, and Stella's Lounge, seeks to hire a financial analyst, an IT manager, and from 20 to 25 front house managers over the next six months. The financial analyst will work out of Grand Rapids, the IT position will be based in Grand Rapids with an expectation that there will be some travel involved, and management trainees must be available to work in any of the markets where there is a need.

"We're striving to find people that have experience, who would enjoy working in an atmosphere like we have at BarFly -- very fun, fast paced," says Marketing Director Chris Knape. "We offer benefits that go above and beyond what others in the industry offer, and there's the chance to grow with the company, because we're growing quickly."

The financial analyst should have restaurant experience, know food costs, human resources costs, and be able to set up accounts for expanding into new markets. Knape says the push to open the planned HopCats in Detroit and Indianapolis will happen within eight months, plus there's another location on the drawing board for 2015, and other locations beyond that.

The IT manager will work to install and integrate sophisticated point of sale systems, primarily Aloha, with inventory control, brew house systems, purchasing, and the composting/trash system.

Management trainees should have bar and restaurant experience, and should be able and willing to relocate to the market where they are needed, says BarFly's Head Ringmaster, Garry Boyd.

"Some of our best ideas come from out of the blue from an employee suggestion," Boyd says. "Our trash program was suggested by employees who watched us throw away glass bottle after glass bottle and they challenged us to do better."

BarFly Ventures says the program, implemented three years ago in all of its bars and restaurants, has reduced by 90 percent the amount of waste it sends to landfills.

Hiring in Indianapolis for 100 wait and bar staff for HopCat -- Broad Ripple, has also begun.

To apply for any position, please send a cover letter, résumé, the position name, and three job references to [email protected].

Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of BarFly Ventures
http://www.hopcatel.com/