Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

There is no neutral. Only forward or backward. Your coffee shop is not a static thing that will simply take care of itself. The people, space, product, and culture all need to be given care and attention to prevent breaking down over time. The best way to do this is to always be fine-tuning the cafe. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why fine-tuning, optimization, and efficiencies matter in the shop and how you can approach the process in a way that is effective and fulfills your business's larger mission and goals. Listen to these related Shift Break episodes next: Fix the Small Stuff! : Management, Morale, Coffee Bar Culture The Impact of Absence SHIFT BREAK: Making Minimum Viable Changes 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help you thrive in coffee? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! 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 craft of coffee and cafes is as much a personal pursuit as it is a service to others. Providing a remarkable coffee experience to guests through coffee is what initially inspired Frank La to begin a career in coffee. Since then his dedication to exploring service, mentorship, business operations, and coffee itself has been guided by the Japanese philosophy of "Kodawari" or, the relentless pursuit of perfection. Before launching Be Bright Coffee, Frank La developed his skills and became a coffee professional in LA in 2010. La has held jobs at notable coffee companies acros the city including Cafe Dulce, Lamill Coffee, and Copa Vida. Now with Be Bright Coffee, Frank has overseen the growth of his business with e-commerce, wholesale, cafe and events. His skills as a coffee professional has earned him a 6th place finish at the 2023 USBC, and most recently taking the title as the USBC in 2024. In today's episode we will explore the genesis and development of Frank's coffee journey through barista work, illegal pop up coffee shops, competition, a 9 year break from the competitive barista world, operations management, and crafting a championship winning routine. Perfection can sound too exclusive or high minded at first, but I believe the way Frank explains things and demonstrates through his own practice of the discipline shows us that it can be pursued with humility and empathy that brings about a wonderful result. Links: https://bebrightcoffee.com/ @bebrightcoffee @flaless Related episodes: RoR # 21 : Data, Community, and the Art of Roasting w/ U.S. Roasters Champion Andrew Coe of Elevator Coffee 410 : A Conversation w/ 2023 U.S. Barista Champion, Isaiah Sheese of Archetype Coffee 036 : A conversation with WBC '14 champion, Hidenori Izaki 191 : Retraining your Staff on new Standards 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces Want to run an amazing coffee shop? Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your coffee shop operations, quality, and people. Custom consulting for your unique business. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! 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

Creating a fine dining level experience in a coffee shop is no easy task. I requires discipline, focus, and a view of coffee that assumes that it is not just a beverage but that it is truly a culinary art. This is the disposition and mission of of today's Founder Friday guest, John Piquet of Caffe d'bolla in Salt Lake City, UT. For nearly two decades, John Piquet has crafted his expertise as a coffee professional, roaster and siphon brewing specialist. As owner and operator, caffe d'bolla has won 7X Best of State, 3X Best of the Beehive, Zagat's Top 50 coffee shops in the United States. Les Roka captures John's role in a December 2022 feature article at Gastronomicslc.com. "John Piquet's journey as Salt Lake City's first artisan roaster and siphon coffee bar continues, always fine-tuning the matrix for producing an exceptional cup of coffee." John's expertise has been recognized internationally by both peers and culinary professionals and has been featured in The New York Times, Salt Lake Tribune, as well as Fox13, KSL, KUTV's Taste Utah, ChefsFeed, Sunset Magazine, Miles Away Travel Blog, and the aptly named, "100 Things to Do in Salt Lake City Before You Die." In our conversation we discuss how John came into the world of coffee service, cafe operation, and roasting. We also explore his philosophy and discipline in focus as a one-man operator striving for the sublime in espresso, siphon coffee, and roasting. I find John's consistent pursuits in coffee inspiring and it is obvious those who have experienced Caffe d'bolla agree. Enjoy! Links: https://shop.caffedbolla.com/ https://www.instagram.com/caffedbolla/ Related Episodes: 401 : Founder Friday! w/ Jack Benchakul of Endorffiene in Los Angeles 293 : Thoughts on Defining Professionalism 274 : Crafting Specialty Drinks in your Shop w/ Matt Foster" 430 : Embracing "Unreasonable Hospitality" w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference 447: Understanding the Business of Coffee w/ Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood Want to run an amazing coffee shop? Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your coffee shop operations, quality, and people. Custom consulting for your unique business. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! 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

Being detail oriented is one of those traits we look for in baristas as proof that they are the right for our coffee shop. What we don't think about very much is that a good bit of what a barista gives to a business is based on what has been invested into them. In other words, you get out what you put in. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why this desired behavior and disposition of staff is largely up to you and how you go about orienting them to the details that matter. Listen to these related Shift Break episodes next: You Need to Prioritize In-House Training! Are YOU Using Your Manual? Leaner Teams, Better Results Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help you thrive in coffee? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! 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

There is no time where it is more critical to make a good impression than when you have a full and busy cafe. One of the main ways our coffee shops get filled is when groups meet at the shop. When groups of people come in to order, they bring with them a certain level of distraction and chaos that can easily slow things down and frustrate the staff and the customer. In today's episode we are bringing back a classic KTTS episode from year one that addresses what originally was a listener question regarding the tension and confusion around groups in the cafe. Originally aired in 2017, this episode is packed with practical takeaways and guidance on how you can make order out of chaos and maybe even look forward to those groups calling your shop home! Related episodes: 271 : Why the Cash Register Controls Everything 122 : How to be a Cash Register Hero : 6 Essential Skills 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces 058 : Holiday Hospitality 254 : Holiday Hospitality Part 2 Want to run an amazing coffee shop? Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your coffee shop operations, quality, and people. Custom consulting for your unique business. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! 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

Now that you are a manager that means you have the ability to do all the things you know will make the cafe a better place right? Well, no necessarily. A least not right away. Manager frequently will end up very disappointed and dejected when they feel they cannot make the difference they so desperately want to make. The answer is not to give up, but to prioritize with patience. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why you do not need to do all the good ideas you have in your mind in order to be a good manager, and how you can approach your work to be both effective and happy. Listen to these related episodes next: Prioritizing your Work Feedback Culture : Making feedback a part of what you do not just something you sometimes do It's OK to Have Reasonable Tolerances Insecurity in Management Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help you thrive in coffee? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! 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

If there is one thing most people agree upon, it is that they hate meetings. Have you ever considered why that is? Usually we hate meetings because they seem like a waste of time that only brings more confusion rather clarity. Poorly conducted or conceived meetings have led many of us to either give up entirely or to simply doggedly continue with ineffective meetings in spite of knowing they are not helping. There is a better way. Today we will be talking about the main meetings you should be having regularly, how to conduct them, why, and what we can and should expect as a result when they are made a part of our coffee shops foundation of communication and staff care. We discuss: Why we hate meetings The reason we don't follow through One one ones Team meetings Performance reviews and tracking Manager meetings Related articles: 426: Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement 415: The Best Lessons On How to Listen w/ Listening Expert, Oscar Trimboli 373 : The Owner's Role: 5 Behaviors for Effectiveness The One-on-One : How one meeting can dramatically impact your coffee shop's culture and morale. Avoid These Cafe Meeting Mistakes Want to run an amazing coffee shop? Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your coffee shop operations, quality, and people. Custom consulting for your unique business. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! 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

Many people want their customers to be loyal to their shop without providing much incentive for that loyalty. In fact we often will all but demand loyalty by virtue of our status rather than based on what we deliver. Customers all over the world will bend to this insinuated expectation we have against their better interest for only so long before they leave. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why loyalty may actually be a behavior that prevents us from improving and truly earning a customers patronage through consistently delivering value and learning from the times when we do not. Listen to these related episodes next: 390 : 7 Ways to be Consciously Competitive 433: Winning Staff and Customer Loyalty "Local" does not Equal Quality Owners need community too! Want to be a part of a dynamic group of fellow coffee shop owners all working together for each other's success? Apply for Key Holder Coaching Group today! Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help you thrive in coffee? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! 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

Hospitality, patience, and giving grace to others and yourself are lessons we can learn from many areas of life. The coffee shop presents a unique opportunity for us to exercise those character traits as we serve customers along side our fellow staff members in the often pressured and fast paced day-to-day cafe work. There will many mistakes made, but in those mistakes lies opportunity for growth and re-affirming a people first focus. Today's guest, David Foster, wraps all this up in an awesome new children's book called "Jett Goes to Work With Dad"! David Foster is a co-owner at Kiln Coffee in Grand Junction, Colorado. He is passionate about promoting intentional hospitality and his love for the coffee industry. He is also the author of this new book that teaches lessons that young and old can all learn from. In our conversation we talk a lot about hospitality in all its iterations in the cafe business, how David got into coffee, why he wrote the book, and his insight into how we can serve others well through coffee. Links: https://www.kilncoffeebar.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jettgoes/ Related episodes: 323 : Reflecting on 5 Years of Keys to the Shop w/ my Wife Lynnsy Deferio 328 : Relationships and Resiliency w/ Xavier Alexander of Metric Coffee 367 : Designing Your Coffee Shop for Community w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman 331 : The 7 Deadly Sins of my Career KTTS LINKS: Apply for the next Key Holder Coaching Group! Want to run an amazing coffee shop? Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your coffee shop operations, quality, and people. Custom consulting for your unique business. Schedule a free discovery call now! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to our amazing sponsors! 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

Marketing can be good, and bad. At it's best it exposes you to resources that help you mindfully build your business. At its worst it takes advantage of your insecurity and fear of not know how to build that business and turns your dream into nightmare of chasing the "next" and the "new" just to try to succeed. Today on Shift break we will be talking about a healthy way to interact with the ever expanding universe of options, data, sales people, and stats so that you can be decisive and be confident that your decision was a well considered one. Listen to these related episodes next: SHIFT BREAK: Make Customer Feedback a Priority Menu Simplicity as Hospitality The Myth of Hands Off / Automated Leadership Imperfect Action and Finding Time Icing on the Cake: Competitions vs. the Shop Owners need community too! Want to be a part of a dynamic group of fellow coffee shop owners all working together for each other's success? Apply for Key Holder Coaching Group today! Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help you thrive in coffee? Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation! https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Thank you to out sponsors! Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com