Storyteller (Seasonal) - Eataly Chicago

Eataly North America; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 21,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Eataly North America in Chicago seeks a Storyteller who loves Italian food and culture to guide guests through the stories behind our products and suggest pairings. This role fuses hospitality with education, turning tastings into delightful shopping experiences at our tasting stations.

The Storyteller will educate guests on regional Italian specialties, share product origins, and collaborate with the Dry Market team to enhance overall guest satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Excellent customer service with a warm, engaging communication style.
• Knowledge of Italian ingredients, regions, traditions, and producers is a plus.
• Ability to explain products clearly and offer personal recommendations.
• Hospitality mindset with focus on creating memorable guest experiences.
• Experience in a high-volume retail setting preferred.

Responsibilities

• Host tasting sessions at dedicated tasting stations for customers.
• Oversee daily setup, execution, and breakdown of tasting stations.
• Manage inventory for tasting supplies and samples, minimizing waste.
• Work toward daily/weekly sales targets by turning samples into purchases.
• Educate customers on product use and pairings, sharing serving ideas.
• Share narratives about product origins, DOP/IGP status, and artisanal producers.
• Highlight regional Italian specialties across cheeses, meats, pasta, oils, and sweets.
• Create memorable experiences that transport guests to Italy.
• Handle additional duties such as stocking and supporting other departments as needed.

Skills

Warm communication

Customer service

Italian ingredients knowledge

Explain products clearly

Hospitality mindset

Job description

Eataly is a place where you can EAT, SHOP and LEARN about high-quality, authentic Italian cuisine. Each Eataly location contains an array of restaurants, cafés, to-go eateries, fresh counters (think fresh Italian cheese and meat, and fresh pasta made in front of you!) a grocery market with more than 10,000 products, and a cooking school. Eataly was founded in Italy in 2007 and has since expanded to more than 35 locations (and counting!) across the world. Eat Better, Live Better!

Job Description

A Storyteller assists guests with making educated and confident shopping decisions through sharing the stories of the people and places behind Eataly’s products as well as advising on food and beverage pairings. This role is about much more than offering samples—it is about sharing a love for Italian food and the stories behind the products. A Storyteller connects with customers, introduces them to authentic Italian specialties, and helps them discover the people, regions, traditions, and craftsmanship that make each product special.

This is a hospitality and education position designed for a charismatic communicator who loves Italian food, history, and culture. A Storyteller reports to the Dry Market Manager.

• Hosts scheduled tasting sessions at our dedicated tasting stations for customers
• Oversees the daily setup, execution, and breakdown of tasting stations, ensuring pristine presentation, visual appeal, and strict adherence to food safety standards
• Manage inventory for tasting supplies and sampling products, minimizing waste while maximizing the impact of guest interactions
• Works towards daily and weekly sales targets by converting product samples into completed retail purchases and brand loyalty
• Assists customers by sharing product knowledge, educating them on how our products are traditionally used and suggests pairings, recipes, and serving ideas
• Brings products to life by sharing captivating narratives regarding their geographical origins (DOP/IGP status), historical significance, and the traditional methods used by our artisanal producers in Italy
• Shares our passion for regional Italian specialties, from artisanal cheeses and cured meats to pasta, sauces, olive oils, sweets, and other authentic products
• Creates memorable experiences that turn a tasting into a journey through Italy
• May be required to perform additional duties, including but not limited to general cleaning, stocking and organizing merchandise, and providing operational support to other departments as needed to meet business needs.

Qualifications

• Warm, outgoing, and engaging communication style with a heavy focus on customer service
• Hands-on experience and knowledge of Italian ingredients, regions, traditions, and producers is an asset
• Confidence in explaining products and sharing personal recommendations.
• Hospitality-minded, with a strong understanding of creating memorable customer experiences.
• Previous experience in a high-volume retail setting preferred

Job Requirements

• Availability to work onsite with a flexible schedule often including evenings, weekends and holidays
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds
• Ability to exert well-paced mobility for up to 8 hours, including standing, walking, bending and squatting

Additional Information

Eataly is an equal employment opportunity employer. It is the Company’s policy to not unlawfully discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability or any other characteristic made unlawful to consider by applicable federal, state, or local laws.Eataly also prohibits harassment of applicants and employees based on any of these protected categories.It is also Eataly’s policy to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws regarding consideration of unemployment status, salary history, credit/bankruptcy history and criminal background/conviction history in making hiring decisions. If contacted for an employment opportunity, please advise Human Resources if you require accommodation.