Navy Pier hosting job fair Tuesday as businesses hope for return to normal this summer
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Hundreds of jobs are up for grabs tomorrow. You'd be working at a crown jewel of Chicago summer: Navy Pier.
After rough times during the pandemic, Navy Pier is ready to let the fun times roll again.
Fun, fireworks, and food. They're what make any visit to Navy Pier a good one.
Chief administrative and equity officer Arnaldo "Arnie" Rivera is promising that and more looking ahead to summer.
"We're excited about the possibilities of 2022," he said.
But first, we need to take a look back to 2020, when the pandemic forced the pier to shut down for months.
Last spring, it finally re-opened, but only with about 70% attendance compared to pre-COVID times.
Rivera said the biggest challenge this summer will be trying to operate at 100% capacity "knowing that we're still recovering like everybody else."
Another challenge: hiring; both for Navy Pier itself, and its many businesses.
To fill the hundreds of positions up for grabs, Navy Pier is hosting a job fair on Tuesday, for both full time work and seasonal jobs.
In addition to jobs working for Navy Pier itself, businesses that are hiring this year include:
- America's Dog
- Aramark
- City Experiences
- Completely Nuts
- Fifth Third Bank
- Garrett Popcorn
- Giordano's
- Harry Caray's Tavern
- Kilwin's
- Making History
- McDonald's
- Margaritaville
- Navy Pier Store
- Offshore Rooftop
- Oh Yes Chicago
- Potbelly
- Tea Pot Brew Bakery
- The Municipal Store
- Tiny Tavern
- Virtual Rush: Chicago
"There's no better place to work than the pier, especially during the summer," Rivera said.
Kilwin's is looking to add to its staff to serve ice cream and sweets to the high season crowd; around 20 to 25 positions altogether.
"Part time, full time; we have cook positions, chocolatier positions. So quite a few openings," Kilwin's general manager Ira Fortner said.
Kilwin's opened at Navy Pier last May during the pandemic, and Fortner said they still had a sweet summer.
They're expecting 2022 to be even bigger, so he's looking for more employees to pull it off.
"We're ramping up," he said. "I'm looking forward to a full busy season."
Is it hard to find the right people?
"A lot of people didn't work during COVID. A lot of people didn't want to come back. A lot of people found a different career. What's beneficial in our business is that we have a lot of first-time students, first-time first job. It's a great place to learn and experience what a job's all about; what hard work is about," Fortner said.
The job fair at Navy Pier runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Grand Ballroom. If you plan to attend, make sure to bring several copies of a printed resume, and be prepared to interview on the spot.
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