Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

The barrier of entry for getting a coffee shop open is lower than ever. Many have the idea that if they can get the shop open, then they have succeeded. But the test is not only about whether you can open a shop, or even if you can keep it open, but how do you make something that is truly great and successful? On today's episode we will be talking about a few ingredients that must be present in the mix of a coffee shop from the beginning in order for all the components we assemble in the race to open, to work together and create something truly greater than the sum of its parts. These things are not readily apparent but are necessary nonetheless, and are what separates the average coffee shop from one that is long lasting and impactful. We cover: Culture of caring Service mindset internal and external Its not just a recipe of the assembly…it's the soul Make the intangible tangible Long term success is based on roots and patience Self knowledge and acceptance of risk in refinement Values in action Not getting mired in the details but tending to them / Ability to judge success in mission and big picture Listen to these episodes next: 374: Opening a Coffee Shop: Fantasy vs Reality (w/ bonus commentary)" 283 : 5 Bad Reasons to Open a Coffee Shop 329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff 223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll 239 : 5 Best Practices for the Best Small Business w/ Henry Lopez 141 : The 27 Challenges Managers Face w/ Bruce Tulgan 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 mean, I like variety as much as the next person, but overly complex menus are overwhelming and create confusion for customers who rely on us to curate our offerings that meets their needs in a way that delivers quality over quantity. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about how the pursuit of a simplified menu can be a powerful tool for hospitality and, in the end, creates a more memorable experience that customers are excited to share with others. Related episodes: Building your Coffee Shop's Capacity from Simplicity Leaner Teams, Better Results Some Tips on Signature Drinks Sacrificing Productivity Visit our Sponsors!!! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

In order to train people in coffee and barista skills you have to not only be a student of your subject, but also a student of your students and their unique context. In recent years we have seen an incredible explosion of coffee eduction in producing countries where the landscape of learning is among the most unique given their deep relationship with coffee. Today we will be talking with an educator whose commitment to learning and bringing understanding to this context is making great impact. I am excited to be chatting with Fabiola Solano of sOY barista in Costa Rica! As a certified with the Coffee Diploma and Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) in 2018, Fabiola began her preparation as a barista in 2013. She also has a bachelor's degree in business administration, a degree in marketing, and a specialization in hotel operations management. She is currently studying for the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. She has dedicated herself to content creation since 2015 for her blog Soy Barista, always focusing on updated and relevant data for the Spanish-speaking community We cover: Fabiola's entry into coffee The unique landscape of Costa Rican coffee culture Training and educating on foundational information The importance of certifications and career tracks Best practices for training baristas Exploring all levels of quality Practical results of education on the local industry over time Links: https://www.soybarista.com/en/home @soybaristacr Listen to these episodes next: 294 : At Origin Roasting Revolution w/ Luis Fernando, founder of Amor Perfecto! 348: Founder Friday! w/ Benito Burmudez of Cafe Unido, Panama City, Panama! 335: A Better Business Model for Coffee Farmers w/ Thaleon Tremain of Pachamama Coffee 313 : Coffee Education and Training w/ Michael Phillips of Blue Bottle Coffee 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

Doug Graf, a roaster maintenance expert with over 30 years in the industry, shares invaluable insights on coffee roaster setup and care. He emphasizes the importance of proactive maintenance to prevent major equipment failures and discusses common issues like airflow problems and fire hazards. Doug highlights the need for structured maintenance plans and the benefits of documenting actions taken. Additionally, he inspires new coffee roasters, encouraging them to leverage resources and networking opportunities provided by initiatives like the Roaster's Yield Retreat.

It's Founder Friday! Partnerships in coffee bars can be tricky things. You really have to make sure you have complimentary character traits as well as a unified s12et of values to help guide you through the ups and downs of business in a the cafe and roastery. Today we are talking with a couple of guys who have combined forces and have shown what is possible when these things are in place and you have a passion to serve and advance both people and coffee. We are talking with Kyle Ramage and Lem Butler of Black and White Coffee Roasters! Kyle and Lem are industry legends in their own rights. Each of their carerers has spanned the decades and has been punctuated with competition success. Lem and U.S. Barista Champion in 2016, and Kyle as U.S. Barista Champion in 2017. Along their careers they have been deeply involved in retail, roasting, and have been integral members of the global coffee community through their work and examples. The founding of their cafe and roastery in 2017 was the combination their individual talents to create something new, powerful, and needed in the coffee space. They have been making waves in the industry since them striking a balance between accessible coffees, more extreme coffees, serving their staff and customers, and continuing to invest in competitions and the professional development of competitors. This conversation is a look at their history, the development of Black and White, their own growth as owners, and the how of their approach to running one of the most respected brands in coffee. We discuss: Careers and competition Training and complimentary strengths The founding of Black and White Taking on an existing customers base and staff Self awareness Listening to customers Developing a fresh approach to coffee Investing in their baristas The need to market coffee differently Creating inroads in roasted coffee offerings Where we need to go as an industry Links: www.blackwhiteroasters.com Instagram: @blackwhiteroasters Listen to these episodes next! 396 : Founder Friday: Before + After Edition! w/ Jonathan Pascual of the Newly Opened Opo Coffee. 380 : Founder Friday! w/ Cary and Cindy Arsaga of Arsaga's Coffee Roasters 359 : Founder Friday! w/ Nigel Price of Drip Coffee Makers NYC 273 : Founder Friday w/ Anne Lunnel and Charles Nystrand of Koppi Coffee Roasters, Helsingborg, Sweden 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

There is a shortcut for everything these days. Automation, templates, and other tools would give you the impression that you can automate of be hands off with your leadership and that your aim is to continually seek more ways to remove yourself. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about how this idea, while appropriate in some aspects of the business, is a recipe for disaster in others. Listen to these related episodes next: 028 : Why it's Ok to be the Boss w/ Bruce Tulgan Baristas Are Not Magic Motivating Staff Through Culture You Can't Automate Quality Proactivity in the Owner - Manager Relationship Over Optimization Visit our Sponsors!!! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

Opportunities for specialty coffee still abound in certain areas of the American South. With those opportunities comes challenges of communicating coffee in a way that both meets people where they are, and helps open them up to new experiences that expand their enjoyment. Today we are talking with someone who has not only been communicating to his customers through the coffee he roasts, but also through a podcast designed to be an entertaining AND educational. We are chatting with Kenneth Thomas of Umble Coffee! Kenneth Thomas is host of the very popular Coffee 101 podcast and interviews coffee experts weekly from around the world. He is owner and head roaster at Umble Coffee Co, an online and wholesale coffee company. Kenneth and Umble Coffee have been ranked as one of the top specialty coffee roasters in the United States consistently for the last several years. He is also a physician and chemical engineer - both of which lend expertise to Umble's mission of sourcing and roasting the best coffees from around the world in a way that optimizes for taste quality and health. In my conversation with Kenneth we will cover how his own curiosity sparked his obsession and business, how he crafts customer service through roasting excellent coffee in an approachable way, and the importance of always learning and providing opportunities to learn for himself, his customers, and listeners. We Cover: Discovering coffee and roasting Listening to customer feedback Blue ocean opportunity Meeting people where they are Coffee and health Advice for coffee roasters in coffee desserts The importance of always learning and teaching Don't sit on innovation Links: www.umblecoffee.com Coffee 101 podcast Listen to these related episodes next! 387 : Innovation and Building a Better Coffee Business w/ Miranda Caldwell 184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak 286 : Coffee Roasting Best Practices w/ Scott Rao 333: Bridging the Professional and Home Barista Gap w/ Lance Hedrick of Onyx Coffee Lab 063 : What Your Roaster Wants you to Know w/ Rob Hoos, Author, Modulating the Flavor Profile of Coffee 168 : How to get the Best from your Coffee w/ WBC 2013 Champ, Pete Licata 370: Founder Friday! w/ Tony Dreyfuss of Metropolis Coffee Company, Chicago, Illinois 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

The foundation of the building determines the stability of what is built on it. When it comes to building a coffee shop business your growth cannot out pace the degree to which you invest in the relationships and the culture at the heart of it. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about the need to increase engagement, resourcing, communication, and meaningful connection as you get business and the business develops in size and scope. This is a very important topic and one that I hope you take to heart and put into practice. Listen to these related episodes next: 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team 074 : The Life Changing Power of Good Authority w/ Jonathan Raymond 067 : 6 Truths About Power : The Responsible Approach to Power Dynamics in the Cafe 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aire Expectations for Growth Reasonable Expectations Visit our Sponsors!!! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.

Tenacity, humility, and curiosity. Whether you are working as a barista, competing, opening your own shop and roastery, these are character traits that are essential for success. Today we are talking with someone whose long career in coffee has been characterized by these values. We are chatting with the new U.S. Barista Champion, Isaiah Sheese! Isaiah Sheese is the Owner of Archetype Coffee located in Omaha, Nebraska. He has been working in the coffee industry for almost 20 years in various roles from barista, to QC cupper, green buyer, janitor, and now owner. He has competed in the US Barista Championships for 9 years, judged for 2 years, and placed top 6 in 8 of the 9 qualifiers. He finished 5th in 2020 and is now the 2023 US Barista Champion. In my conversation with Isaiah we get to talk about his beginnings in coffee, the early experiences of competition, starting and running Archetype, and the pursuit of hospitality while also pushing coffee forward. We Cover: Entering the coffee industry Discovering barista competitions Challenges of taking the next step in career What moments changed the game in competition Pursuit of excellence How judging changed things Starting a business and meeting customers where they are The importance of community trust for cafe success Tenacity in competition and the evolution of Archetype His winning routine and how they approached it differently Links: www.drinkarchetype.com FOLLOW! @ARCHETYPEROASTERS Isaiah Sheese on Instagram @isaiahsheese Listen to these related episodes next! 394 : Happy Coffee People w/ Wendelien van Bunnik 390 : 7 Ways to be Consciously Competitive 320 Founder Friday! w/ Francesco Sanapo of Ditta Artigianale, Florence, Italy 045 : Simple, Powerful Hospitality w/ Philip Turner 343 : Founder Friday! "Curated Edition" | Hospitality + Meeting People Where They Are 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 not so much the fear of change that keeps us from moving forward in the areas we know are necessary. It is the fear of what will happen when we implement the change. The fall out, we imagine, is too much to handle and so we stay where we are. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about why you need to embrace the fallout related to needed change and how doing so in a people-first way will, in spite of the inconveniences, lead to a better outcome. Listen to these related episodes next: 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence 191 : Retraining your Staff on new Standards 080 : Changing things in the Cafe : A workflow for Refinement 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap Visit our Sponsors!!! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co.