Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Early on in the podcast (2019) I had Maxwell on to tell the story of Narrative and then 3 more times since then to discuss deeper topics related to running a great shop, dealing with challenges, and tools to success. I have known him for over a decade and believe he channels the kind of character and values the entire industry should aspire to. Recently Maxwell made the decision to sell his ground breaking cafe, Narrative Coffee, to one of his long time baristas (Alex Sciarrotta...Himself an awesome leader and example) and move across the country to embark on a journey into the next chapter of his coffee career helping people open and run great coffee shops with Threadbare Coffee Consulting. In this discussion of Maxwell's final chapter with Narrative we talk about what led to this decision, values that guide him, what he is most proud of after 7 years of Narrative Coffee, his thoughts on what is key for cafe owners today to focus on, and what have is doing now as a coach with Threadbare. I am honored to have been able to feature Maxwell's story on this show and hope you are inspired by this and the other conversations we have had the pleasure of having with Maxwell. Links: @maxwellthreadbare www.threadbarecoffeeconsulting.com www.narrativecoffee.com Related episodes: 011 : Founder Friday w/ Maxwell Mooney, Narrative Coffee : hospitality / building relationships / coffee quality 038 : Founder Friday / Narrative Coffee Part 2 w/ Maxwell Mooney : His experience after opening his first brick and mortar COVID-19 Focus w/ Maxwell Mooney, Narrative Coffee, Everette, WA 351 : Pro Tips for Using Spreadsheets w/ Maxwell Mooney, Narrative Coffee Visit our awesome Sponsors! GROUND BREAKING BREWING MADE SIMPLE! www.groundcontrol.coffee THE BEST PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES ON THE PLANET! www.Pacificfoodservice.com Reach out to KTTS! chris@keystotheshop.com

What would you think if you went to a sit down restaurant an hour before close where, after seating you, they brought your food out in doggie bags "because we are closing soon and we don't want to have to do dishes". My guess is that it would seem pretty strange and even antithetical to the experience you were expecting. Hospitality is about serving people something that fulfills the promise our marketing makes to them. More than that it is about having a disposition of creativity, innovation, and focus on serving others above serving ourselves. Unless, of course, if it is inconvenient or means more dishes right? Today on Shift Break we are not just talking about the common situation of for here order being made to-go to save work for staff whose job is allegedly to serve people, but what this practice tells us about the state of service in the average cafe and how we can correct it. Related episodes: Hard work is hard Laziness & the Most Important Decision Are You Open? Things the Owner Can't do for You The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

While culture is a needed focus, today it has become the hottest buzz word that can mean almost anything. What is most useful these days as we rightly focus on culture is a lens through which to view it that brings clarity and helps guide us to take action in ways that serve our staff and ultimately the business. Way back in the KTTS archives we had an interview with Stan Slap, author of one of my most recommended books, "Under the Hood : Fire up and Fine-tune your Employee Culture" This book and Stan's perspectives are critical to understanding where we stand and how to work together to achieve great things. Stan is the founder and CEO of SLAP company and has spent the last 3 decades specializing in achieving fierce support from manager, employee and customer cultures. They believe within each of these groups there is one problem that has the biggest impact on the enterprise and one solution that is most valuable, coveted and elusive. The SLAP company has cracked the code on these problems and their solutions are highest rated in many of the world's highest rated companies. They are currently working in 44 countries countries and ahave achieved amazing results in employee culture at companies like Oracle, CNN, Timewarner, Google, Starbucks, eBay, Viacom, and Microsoft among many others. In this episode you will learn about: 4 of the "7 Deadly Sins of Cultural Engagement" How culture is formed and what it cares about Best practices for engaging and guiding a culture How do we fail our employees? Secrets to scaling culture How to create "cultural legends" Why you cannot coax a culture into giving you what you want Tactics for true communication How do customers factor into your employee culture? Links: www.slapcompany.com Key Holder Coaching Group is launching in September! 🔑 Key Holder Coaching Groups will be hosted by myself and consist of a curated group of 5 coffee shop owners. ​ ​🔑 We will meet together 2x per month for 2 hours over a 6 month period. ​ ​🔑 This structured group will allow each member to have multiple hot seat opportunities to present specific issues to the group and gain insight, feedback and direction to help them develop themselves, their people, and their business. ​ ​🔑 In addition we will be consistently updated on each others progress and have opportunity to speak into each others lives. ​ ​🔑 Key Holder Coaching members will have access to each other via the Signal app as well. ​ ​I am very excited to begin what I believe will be the first of many groups! CLICK HERE to fill out the application to join the group Visit our awesome Sponsors! GROUND BREAKING BREWING MADE SIMPLE! www.groundcontrol.coffee THE BEST PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES ON THE PLANET! www.Pacificfoodservice.com 30 years of resourcing you with the best products and education! www.coffeefest.com Use Code: "KEYS" for 50% General Admission

Having an engaged staff that are motivated and inspired to not just get through the shift, but to truly invest into the cafe and help improve things is a dream shared by many owners. This culture where each individual team member takes ownership and finds creative ways to refine the operations, quality, and hospitality does not have to be just a dream! Today we are going to be discussing what it takes to foster a culture of continuous improvement. What the looks like, doesn't look like, and some behaviors to both reward and watch out for along the way. We discuss: Leading by example Praise and recognition Clear communication When is improvement not needed What is the goal? Values and actions Related episodes: 080 : Changing things in the Cafe : A workflow for Refinement 414: Secret Ingredients for a Successful Coffee Shop 336: A Cafe Leadership Masterclass w/ Selina Viguera of Blue Bottle Coffee Key Holder Coaching Group is launching in September! 🔑 Key Holder Coaching Groups will be hosted by myself and consist of a curated group of 5 coffee shop owners. ​ ​🔑 We will meet together 2x per month for 2 hours over a 6 month period. ​ ​🔑 This structured group will allow each member to have multiple hot seat opportunities to present specific issues to the group and gain insight, feedback and direction to help them develop themselves, their people, and their business. ​ ​🔑 In addition we will be consistently updated on each others progress and have opportunity to speak into each others lives. ​ ​🔑 Key Holder Coaching members will have access to each other via the Signal app as well. ​ ​I am very excited to begin what I believe will be the first of many groups! CLICK HERE to fill out the application to join the group Visit our awesome Sponsors! GROUND BREAKING BREWING MADE SIMPLE! www.groundcontrol.coffee THE BEST PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES ON THE PLANET! www.Pacificfoodservice.com 30 years of resourcing you with the best products and education! www.coffeefest.com Use Code: "KEYS" for 50% General Admission

So many things vie for our attention in the day-to-day work of the coffee shop. In the midst of the fires we need to put out, questions that need answers, and ideas everyone has (both good and bad) we have a general idea of what we are aiming for but sometimes lack specific actions that we can take to see the goal achieved. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how we can create urgency of action to achieve the vision and goal of the business by practicing concrete thinking. This helps clarify the chaos, and guides us to push things forward vs the procrastination that tends to result from overwhelm. Related episodes: Priorities and Deep Thankfulness Prioritizing your Work Imperfect Action and Finding Time Specific Expectations and Due Dates The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

Managers hold the key to the success of the shop. They are tasked with taking all the people, place, and processes and making them work well together day to day. When a manager is correctly supported by the owner then they are able to do a great job and your whole business benefits. Without proper support, operations, morale, and the manager themself can easily fall apart. Today we will be discussing some ways to bring on, bringup, and support a manager in the coffee shop that allows for learning and growth for both you and the manager you lead. Related Episodes: 378: 5 Areas to Develop in Managers 221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin 261 : The Basics of Managing Managers Key Holder Coaching Group is launching in September! 🔑 Key Holder Coaching Groups will be hosted by myself and consist of a curated group of 5 coffee shop owners. ​ ​🔑 We will meet together 2x per month for 2 hours over a 6 month period. ​ ​🔑 This structured group will allow each member to have multiple hot seat opportunities to present specific issues to the group and gain insight, feedback and direction to help them develop themselves, their people, and their business. ​ ​🔑 In addition we will be consistently updated on each others progress and have opportunity to speak into each others lives. ​ ​🔑 Key Holder Coaching members will have access to each other via the Signal app as well. ​ ​I am very excited to begin what I believe will be the first of many groups! CLICK HERE to fill out the application to join the group Visit our awesome Sponsors! GROUND BREAKING BREWING MADE SIMPLE! www.groundcontrol.coffee THE BEST PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES ON THE PLANET! www.Pacificfoodservice.com 30 years of resourcing you with the best products and education! www.coffeefest.com Use Code: "KEYS" for 50% General Admission

It is easy to get discouraged in running a cafe. There are a million things to do and the temptation to despair becomes worst when we hold an idealized version of ourselves and our work in our heads everyday. What are we working for and what are we working towards? Today on Shift Break we will talk about two values and how to employ them in your work in the coffee shop so you can grow in a holistic and sustainable way, honestly and faithfully Related episodes: Authenticity and Performance Emotions, Self-Sabotage, and Telling Ourselves the Truth Vanity Metrics Priorities and Deep Thankfulness The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

When it comes to our training and resourcing of staff we often have a desire for people to "get it" and to be detail oriented, but fail to give them much to "get" or to orient them to the details. This results in inconsistency and frustration in both customers and staff as baristas fill in the blanks that management should have all ready filled in. This is where a good guide comes in. Today we will be chatting about developing a guide for the two most important areas in the cafe that need consistent excellence; the menu and hospitality We Cover: Why we tend toward generality The reason menu and hospitality are most critical Embracing detail for quality internalization What to include and why Using and referencing your created tools Related episodes: 057 : SOP's FTW! Success through Standard Operating Procedures 098 : Loving the Closing Shift : Problems, solutions, and philosophy on work 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff Key Holder Coaching Group is launching in September! 🔑 Key Holder Coaching Groups will be hosted by myself and consist of a curated group of 5 coffee shop owners. ​ ​🔑 We will meet together 2x per month for 2 hours over a 6 month period. ​ ​🔑 This structured group will allow each member to have multiple hot seat opportunities to present specific issues to the group and gain insight, feedback and direction to help them develop themselves, their people, and their business. ​ ​🔑 In addition we will be consistently updated on each others progress and have opportunity to speak into each others lives. ​ ​🔑 Key Holder Coaching members will have access to each other via the Signal app as well. ​ ​I am very excited to begin what I believe will be the first of many groups! CLICK HERE to fill out the application to join the group Visit our awesome Sponsors! GROUND BREAKING BREWING MADE SIMPLE! www.groundcontrol.coffee THE BEST PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES ON THE PLANET! www.Pacificfoodservice.com 30 years of resourcing you with the best products and education! www.coffeefest.com Use Code: "KEYS" for 50% General Admission

I am so excited to present this Founder Friday with two people who are doing amazing things in coffee! I met them in the first year of their business in 2018 as clients and they have done a great job of growing their business with excellence and care. Today we get to talk with Danny and Michelle Quiroz of Reserva Coffee Roasters in McAllen, TX! Danny Quiroz is also Managing Partner at Reserva Coffee Roasters. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. In his role as the in-house Roast Master, Danny is responsible for overseeing sourcing, roasting, and fulfillment operations. He is deeply committed to perfecting his roasts, ensuring that both guests and staff receive the highest quality product possible. Danny takes great pride in his journey as a roaster, starting from humble beginnings roasting small batches and now utilizing the Mill City MCR-30 roaster. Michelle Quiroz, a Managing Partner at Reserva Coffee Roasters in McAllen, Texas, holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in engineering management from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Michelle is responsible for overseeing café operations and driving strategic growth for the organization. She places great importance on team-building and creating a welcoming environment for both staff and guests. Michelle's primary focus is establishing standardized café operations across all Reserva locations, having successfully launched three cafes in the past two years. In recognition of their work, they were named the Lower Rio Grande Valley's Small Business Persons of the Year in 2020. We discuss: The journey to begin roasting Developing the concept and skills Going from roasting to a retail shop Feedback and evolving operations and offerings Scaling and weighing opportunities Hiring and management How past skills and work impact operations today Links: www.reservacoffee.com IG @reservacoffee Listen to these episodes next! 256 : Founder Friday w/ Varat Vichit-Vadakan of Roots Coffee Roaster in Bangkok, Thailand 158 : A Management Masterclass w/ Jon Felix Lund, VP of Operations for Coava Coffee Roasters / Portland, OR 145: Founder Friday w/ Red Rooster Coffee Roasters co-founder, Haden Polseno-Hensley 359 : Founder Friday! w/ Nigel Price of Drip Coffee Makers NYC Visit our awesome Sponsors! GROUND BREAKING BREWING MADE SIMPLE! www.groundcontrol.coffee THE BEST PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES ON THE PLANET! www.Pacificfoodservice.com Reach out to KTTS! chris@keystotheshop.com

Everyday we make decisions about both small and large things in the coffee shop. Often those decisions are made in a reactive way that is more born from a sense of urgency and FOMO than intentionality and right fit. Today on Shift Break we will talk about 3 questions to ask when you are faced with any decision and how the habit of asking and answering them will transform your business. Related episodes: Making a Decision Pipeline Slowing down your Response Time 184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.