Jeremy Norris' cafe and espresso bar empire continues to grow.
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On Thursday he continued putting the finishing touches to the newly-fitted out Jimmy Barnet Espresso Bar, located within The Exchange Clock Tower in Macquarie Street in Dubbo, but one key element was missing.
The businessman is on the hunt for "talented baristas" to join his latest venture, which is planned to operate seven days a week.
The Dubbo business will join the Byng Street Cafe and Local Store, Cafe Bloom at the Bloomfield Medical Centre, the Coffee Cart at Orange Hospital and two stores recently open in Lucknow and the new DPIE offices in Prince Street. He has sold a Bathurst store, The Brilliant Street Cafe.
"We started advertising for staff probably two months ago, and obviously it's a trying time with COVID and what's been happening," he said.
"So staffing has been an issue.
"We're hoping we can find some talented baristas to come and join the team, and we're looking for probably two or three full-time positions, and a couple of casuals.
"We're hoping to open Jimmy's in the next couple of weeks, and it's going to be a seven-day-a-week operation from 7am to 4pm, so I don't want to open until I've got all those positions filled."
Mr Norris, who owns a number of cafes in Orange, encouraged people with passion to apply.
"People with hospitality [skills], people who like being happy, smiley, customer-service focused," he said.
We can train people, that's no problem at all, but we do really need a couple of key gun coffee makers to lead the charge.
- Espresso bar owner Jeremy Norris
"We can train people, that's no problem at all, but we do really need a couple of key gun coffee makers to lead the charge."
The businessman said expanding to Dubbo had always been in the back of his mind.
Then about 18 months ago Mr Norris learnt of The Exchange Clock Tower and owner Jillian Kilby's restoration of the heritage property from a mutual friend.
"We made a little trip over and met Jillian and saw what they were doing, very much in the construction phase at that time, half-way through the reno," he said.
"We had a bit of a tour, went and sat up near the bells at the top of the clock tower and had a bit of a chat.
"I just saw what I thought was a wonderful opportunity to bring what I believe is a great coffee, Allpress, which we've been using for nine years, to Dubbo...
"I always kind of knew we'd find a space, and it just took us a while to find one - but I think the space found us."
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I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
