Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

In this enlightening discussion, Jenny Barber, a survivor of childhood exploitation and co-founder of Talitha Coffee Roasters, and Jake Jiron, the company’s wholesale director, share their mission to combat human trafficking through coffee. They reveal how Talitha Coffee creates job opportunities for survivors, blending social impact with business success. Barber’s personal journey fuels the initiative, while Jiron emphasizes the importance of a supportive workplace culture. Together, they highlight how every cup of coffee not only tastes good but also supports a crucial cause.

Ah the age old debate. Should you hire someone who is experienced working in coffee? On onhand they have skills that may be helpful and on the other they might have bad habits you need to address. Or should you hire someone without experience? Their first exposure to coffee will be at your shop and you get to train them up on your standards from the start. At the same time they ma take longer to train and could experience bore inertia getting used to the work a coffee shop requires Today on Shift Break we will be talking all about how to decide between potential employees with varied experience backgrounds so you have the best chance of hiring the right person for the role. Related episodes: SHIFT BREAK: Minding Our Business SHIFT BREAK: Hiring based on Staff Preference vs Business Needs SHIFT BREAK: Wrong Fit For the Role, or Wrong Fit For Your Business? Raising Your Hiring Standard INTERESTED IN CONSULTING AND COACHING? If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email chris@keystothshop.com of book a free call now: https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/ The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

When you think about the things that make the biggest difference in culture, hospitality experience, staff morale and the profitability of your coffee shop, you would be forgiven for being overwhelmed. There are so many moving parts in food and beverage operations it's hard to know what lever to pull to make a difference. Well the good news is that, according to today's guest, when you apply focus and systems to the most critical 30% of those areas that make up you cafe, you will transform the business and go from striving, to thriving! I am very pleased to welcome to the show, Preston Lee of The 30% Rule! With over 20 years in the business and being a part of 25 restaurant openings, Preston is on a mission to help independent restaurant owners gain the knowledge and best practices on how to best train, lead, and nurture their staff to build a robust culture. Ultimately leading to the highest level of consistency and customer retention. Today we talk with Preston all about how some hard lessons learned early on in his carrier shaped him and what he does now to help hospitality businesses with their culture, sales, training, and quality. This is a really motivating talk that I hope focuses you on the right areas to make the biggest difference in your coffee shop. In this conversation we layout the plan for: The Importance of Training and Development Systems and Structure in Hospitality Setting Expectations and Accountability The Importance of Systems for Job Security Focusing on the 30% That Matters Expectations for Turning Around Operations Training as the Key to Change Links: Instagram: @the30rule Instagram: @the_30_rule www.the30percentrule.com Related episodes: 330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop 430 : Embracing "Unreasonable Hospitality" w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference 453 : The Craft of Operations 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, and brick needs! www.arto.com Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick .... and tell them Chris sent you!

In recent weeks Starbucks has announced it will no longer charge for plant-base alternative milks. This comes after efforts from activists claiming discrimination. Starbucks aside, the conversation about up-charging for alt milk has been going on for a while now with people who feel strongly on either side of the topic. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about whether or not you should be charging for alternative plant based milk options, how to approach this from a practical business perspective, why it's not a great idea to be so obsessed with what major retailers do, and how not to be bullied or guilted into conforming but rather make sound decisions. Related episodes: 184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge 223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll 136 : Nourishing the Barista's Soul: A conversation w/ Deb Kaminski of Pacific Natural Foods 485: Your Shop vs The Industry - How to Free Yourself From Dependency INTERESTED IN CONSULTING AND COACHING? If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email chris@keystothshop.com of book a free call now: https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/ The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

The way customers and staff experience our cafes is based many experiences and moments taken together to form what they know as our culture or brand. Each experience can be broken down into many different parts that happen within even one visit and the smart operator knows that unless there is a plan set up ahead of time for how we want those moments to go, then we will provide less than stellar service. The customer loses out on experiencing our best, and we lose out on keeping good customers and good staff. Today we are going to be talking about a few critical workflows I believe every coffee bar needs to have detailed nd trained on in order to serve people very well every day. Take this episode as an assignment and go create these for your shop as soon as you can! Include the staff and launch these as guiding processes so your coffee shop will thrive. In this conversation we layout the plan for: Menu Workflows Change workflows Customer Experience workflows Related episodes: 399: Encore Episode! How to Change Things in the Cafe 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop 291 : What to do if Your Baristas Wont Listen to You 191 : Retraining your Staff on new Standards 424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides 421: Encore Episode: Simple, Powerful, Hospitality w/ Philip Paul Turner 058 : Holiday Hospitality Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, and brick needs! www.arto.com Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick .... and tell them Chris sent you!

Training your staff is easily one of the most important things to get right if you want to set them up for success and make sure your customers are getting a great experience every time. Every place has their own way of doing training and most of it is cobbled together from different sources in a desperate bid for a positive outcome. The result if all to often a staff that is under prepared, frustrated leadership, and guest experiences inconsistent standards. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the absolute best way that every coffee bar should be training their staff in order to bring provide excellence day in, and day out. I know that seems like a big statement. All coffee shops? Yes, I truly believe and have seen time and again, that if you apply this approach in your shop you will see a real and substantial improvement in morale, consistency, and quality Related episodes: 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff 296: Holistic Barista Training w/ David Castillo of Go Get Em Tiger , Los Angeles 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces 191 : Retraining your Staff on new Standards 178 : Training Masterclass w/ Emma Haines of London School of Coffee and Caffeina Consulting 130 : Anne Nylander | Training Principles for Specialty Coffee Professionals SHIFT BREAK: Detail Oriented Staff Starts With You You Need to Prioritize In-House Training! If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email chris@keystothshop.com of book a free call now: https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/ The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

Innovation and an obsession with what is "new" has long been a primary force capturing the imagination of coffee pros and entrepreneurs. Trouble is that the novel and new, while it may be good at grabbing or capturing attention, is not great at keeping and sustaining us, or our businesses for that matter. In fact, innovation and constantly looking for something have the opposite effect than what it seems to promise. Enter the idea of maintenance over innovation and everyday excellence. I recently came across a post from today's guest on linkedIn detailing his thoughts on this and I knew immediately we needed to bring him back on the show to talk this out! I am thrilled to welcome back to the show Maxwell Colonna- Dashwood! This will be a very conversation that will illuminate the path that I believe all of us need to be walking in the coffee shop space. As always, Maxwell's keen insights serve as a guide and a resource to better shops and better coffee. In this conversation we discuss: Innovation vs. Maintenance in Coffee The Importance of Hospitality in Coffee Shops Understanding the Value of Consistency Important Shifts in Innovation Perspectives The Role of Personal Identity in Coffee Innovation Why we need to focus on the fundamentals in coffee shops Navigating Staff Dynamics + Customer Experience Balancing Innovation and Consistency in Coffee Shops Customer Engagement in Hospitality Long-Term Vision in Coffee Shop Operations Links: www.maxwelldashwood.com @mcolonnadashwood Related episodes: 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces SHIFT BREAK: Defining Excellence and Success SHIFT BREAK: Pull Out The Fridge 480: Focus on What Your Customers Love Three Questions for Better Cafe Decisions SHIFT BREAK: Don't Focus on Coffee Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, and brick needs! www.arto.com Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick .... and tell them Chris sent you!

Parviz Dadashov, Founder and CEO of United Coffee Beans in Azerbaijan, shares his inspiring journey from a summer job to leading the specialty coffee movement in his country. He discusses how United Coffee Beans fostered a strong coffee community, merging coffee culture with Azerbaijan's rich tea traditions. Parviz highlights the role of the United Coffee Academy in enhancing local barista skills and coffee appreciation. This engaging conversation also delves into innovative brewing techniques and the importance of creating a welcoming atmosphere for coffee enthusiasts.

Coffee is great! Keeping it consistently great in the shop is a challenge and there are many tactics and tools to apply in learning more about coffee and applying what we learn in the shop. But what happens when we allow our pursuit of more coffee knowledge become a distraction from focusing on needed areas of improvement and maintenance in the cafe? Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how our focus on coffee, while needed to a degree, can become an escape from confronting, focusing on, and growing in other very important areas of the business and the relationship with people we manage in the shop. Stay tuned for a new episode next week with returning guest Maxwell Dashwood talking about the need for maintenance of excellence in contrast to our pursuit of innovation and novelty. Related episodes: SHIFT BREAK : Trends You Can Ignore 502: Creating Meaningful Coffee Experiences 469: Unremarkable Hospitality and Cafe Terroir SHIFT BREAK: Reassessing Growth 390 : 7 Ways to be Consciously Competitive 275 : The Changing Landscape of Cafe Spaces w/ Dr. Jennifer Ferreira 421: Encore Episode: Simple, Powerful, Hospitality w/ Philip Paul Turner If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email chris@keystothshop.com of book a free call now: https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/ The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

The coffee industry, specifically the coffee shop, has been changing. Trends and fads come and go, but movements are born from a collective need to evolve and mature toward a better way of operating professionally. It is not the trends that you need to worry about not getting in line with, but the movements. Today we will be covering five areas that have been changing in the coffee shop sector that I believe every owner and operator needs to embrace. These areas cover a virtually all corners of your business from the coffee itself, to the people making it, and how you lead and grow as a leader. In this conversation we discuss: Embracing the Five Movements in Coffee Prioritizing Hospitality in Coffee Shops Building Social Identity and Online Presence Creating Accessible Coffee Products Focusing on Customer Success Reforming Leadership in the Coffee Industry Related episodes: 502: Creating Meaningful Coffee Experiences 430 : Embracing "Unreasonable Hospitality" w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference Building an Accessible Coffee Menu w/ Joe Marrocco 6 Truths About Power 069: Hosting Consumer Coffee Classes Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, and brick needs! www.arto.com Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick .... and tell them Chris sent you!