Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Coffee is more than just a drink. It is an expression of cultural values and a vehicle through which we experience many different facets of this rich life. No matter where you are from, it is easy to think only of the our own way of enjoying coffee and then to never really explore how deeply rooted and significant coffee is around the world in cultures different from our own. Well today we are going to balance the scales a bit and broaden our worldview of coffee by talking with the author of a new book all about global coffee culture, Lani Kingston! Lani Kingston is a food consultant, author, and founder of F&B agency, Four Seasons of Food. Her first book, How to Make Coffee: The Science Behind the Bean, was released to international acclaim in 2015 and has since been translated into several languages. Her third book on coffee, Spill The Beans: Global Coffee Culture was released by international publisher gestalten in February 2022. Lani has written extensively about food and drink for varied publications and developed F&B products and brands around the world. Armed with a Masters in Food Studies, a Masters in Education, pastry chef, and barista qualifications, she's spent the last 15 years working the breadth of the industry: she helped set up and ran the European offshoot of MAST Chocolate; led a food-waste-powered cooking school in Australia; set up a coffee company in Singapore; and worked with renowned chef Dan Barber at his prestigious farm-to-table upstate New York restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns. You can follow her adventures in food and coffee on Instagram @lanikingston, read more about her work at lanikingston.com, or get help with your f&b business at fourseasonsoffood.com. In our conversation with Lani we will explore how her experiences in writing, the culinary world, and coffee have influenced and shaped her pursuit of giving readers not just information about coffee, but an understanding of it through exploring its meaning and the story of its expressions globally. We cover: Initial career and experiences in the food industry Discovering coffee through writing Immersion into the culture of coffee Writing t give understanding Exploring global coffee culture Unfurling the true coffee story and inspiring wonder Expanding our view of what good coffee is How culture and history deepens our understanding Allowing your understanding of culture to evolve Favorite recipes from the book Links: www.Fourseasonsoffood.com Lani on Instagram @lanikingston Related episodes: 022 : Founder Friday w/ Colin Harmon of 3fe Coffee, Dublin Ireland & Author of the new book, "What I know About Running Coffee Shops" 349 : Talking About 21st Century Coffee w/ Kenneth Davids 297 : Making Coffee Education Fun w/ Suneal Pabari of Leaderboard Coffee 198 : The Evolution of the Coffee Shop w/ Prof. Jonathan Morris 196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

I am so excited for this month's Founder Friday! Today we are talking with someone who has not only taken a passion and turned it into a thriving business that serves her community and culture with excellence, but has done so in the face of cultural challenges that, as a woman in Saudi Arabia, forced her to be creative in this pursuit. We are talking with the founder of Hjeen Coffee, in Saudi Arabia, Sarah Alakeel! Sarah has been trained in and worked as a manager and founder of tech and e-commerce businesses before she discovered coffee and started her blog www.hjeen.com in 2016. The passion that she developed for coffee mixed with her business savvy came together to created what Hjeen is now, a growing and bustling roastery and wholesale business as well as with two cafes. Sarah has been making waves in coffee for a while now and in our conversation with Sarah we will get to hear her story and how she has grown this business and the lessons she has learned along the path. We cover: First taste of great coffee Beginning in the business of coffee Breaking cultural barriers as a woman Accommodating tradition while introducing new ways Establishing a system to serve a variety of tastes Knowing what trends and tools are right for your customers Enjoying the journey Challenges of ownership Hiring the right employees for your culture Embracing the management roles of ownership Related Episodes: 338: A Conversation w/ Martell Mason of The Sepia Coffee Project, Detroit, Michigan 131 : The Strong Women of Coffee w/ Laura Gonzalez 203 : Empowering Women in Business w/ Katherine Knapke 171 : Founder Friday w/ Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters in India Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

One of the most common complaints I hear from owners and managers is related to staff not following policies of the shop. In many cases it is not just a simple mistake but a habitual ignoring of directives. Obviously this kind of thing spreads to other staff and you wind up with a situation where now the culture is combative and try as you might to give chances and show understanding, nothing seems to change. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about this very common, and very unnecessary problem, and why backing up your policies is a must if you want to have consistency and a healthy culture in shop. Related episodes: 123 : The 10 Essentials of a Barista Manual 330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence When Patience is not a Virtue Passive-Aggressive Management Reach out for one-on-one consulting and coaching! Book a 90 minute consulting Call now! Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

Working in a coffee bar means working in close quarters with your fellow baristas, managers, and owners. In this daily work we will eventually begin to feel the tension and start to wonder about how we can set boundaries for ourselves so we can continue to work and still take care of ourselves. The subject of boundaries may be ruminated on but we often do not have a framework to help us organize our values, collect our thoughts, and actually take the first step in communicating with others. Today I am thrilled to welcome back to the show frequent guest, Tom Henschel, who will guide us through how to accomplish all this and more. Tom Henschel is an expert in workplace communications and executive development. Over the past 25 years, he has helped hundreds of senior leaders achieve The Look & Sound of Leadership.TM His expertise as a communications coach has taken him into executive offices at companies such as Amgen, CitiGroup, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, City of Hope, Dole, HP, Intuit, Mattel, Raytheon, Sony Pictures, Toyota and Warner Bros. In addition to coaching executives, Tom facilitates team events and delivers highly interactive trainings in the areas of effective communications, presentation, and influence skills. Tom's popular podcast, The Look & Sound of Leadership, airing since 2008, is consistently cited as "What's Hot" in the business podcasts on iTunes. Tom is a delightful persona and deeply wise coach and his insight on boundaries here on KTTS will add a ton of value to you and your buisness. We cover: What are boundaries? Why do we not set them? The risk of not setting boundaries Spectrum of boundaries Preparing, thoughtfulness, and communicating Self care and weighing options Getting over upsetting others What is our responsibility Corporate vs personal Incremental thinking First steps to take in setting boundaries Links and Resources: www.essentialcomm.com PDF for setting boundaries Related Episodes: 052 : Solving Coworker Conflict w/ Tom Henschel 104 : How to Deliver Difficult Feedback w/ Tom Henschel 334 : How to Approach Deescalation w/ Melissa Tucker of Mind Over Matters and Pathways to Peace 221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin 165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli 259 : Solving Toxic Customer Service Culture 258 : Prioritizing your Mental Health in the New Year w/ Dr. Lara Pence Shift Break: The Agreement Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

As we all experience increased costs in the coffee shop the cost of our drinks and products will also need to increase. The major worry that many of us have is how customers will respond to this. On today's Shift Break we will talk about how customer experience has replaced coffee quality as the main deciding factor for whether a guest will accept higher cost and how we can facilitate this increase to our experiential value. Related episodes: 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop 356 : 5 Barriers to Progress in Your Coffee Shop Spiders Fix the Small Stuff! : Management, Morale, Coffee Bar Culture 045 : Simple, Powerful Hospitality w/ Philip Turner Reach out for one-on-one consulting and coaching! Book a 90 minute consulting Call now! Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

How you run things in the beginning of your cafe business cannot remain the same as you get busier and grow over the years. Many shops rely on what they have always done when confronting new challenges brought on by growth and the business of success. In the end, if you don't iterate and evolve your approach you will add needless stress, drop the ball, and miss out on the joy a growing business properly managed brings. Today you and I get to talk about some keys to successfully handling the changes a new and growing business goes through so that you can enjoy the ride instead of being taken for one. We cover: Amping up communication Role clarity Pay scale Identity and delegation Caring for staff and managers Pre-emptive problem solving Related episodes and links: Communicate, Duplicate, Repeat : Key habits that make information stick Don't Just Do It! : Delegation, Burnout, facilitating skills development, mistakes coffee shop managers make, teaching and coaching for future return 267 : The Power of Delegation 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team Systems as Care Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

How our coffee gets to us after purchase can sometimes be a confusing thing. These days, with global supply chain issues abounding, the need to understand, track, and finesse all aspects of logistics is at an all time high. One of the main areas to be aware of is LTL freight as well and planning for any issues that may come up as your coffee moves from farm to forklift. This episode of RoR from Roast Magazine is designed to help us wrap our heads around LTL freight and the other issues of shipping that impact our roasteries as we talk with Evan Gilman of Royal Coffee. Evan Gilman is an avid generalist and coffee lover. His 20 years in the coffee industry have taken him from barista, to trainer, to Q Arabica Grader, Q Assistant Instructor, and SCA-Licensed AST. Evan spent time in Southeast Asia getting to know the specialty coffee supply chain, from Sumatra, Bali, Flores, and Sulawesi in Indonesia, to Northern Luzon in the Philippines. His passions range from Balinese gamelan to heavy metal, from photography to communications design, and from baking to brewing. As Creative Director at The Crown: Royal Coffee Lab & Tasting Room, he manages community events and outreach, and curates the Gallery at The Crown. He is also the chief editor of the blog at royalcoffee.com, and curator of the Gallery at The Crown. In our conversation we cover: Ltl freight and your responsibility Managing logistics Tracking your coffee Developing relationships Hospitality ot vendors Contingency planning Managing your time to stay connected working with importers vs importing yourself Rate expectations Claims and planning for problems Subscribe to Roast Magazine! Use code "ROR" to get $5 off Links: www.royalcoffee.com www.roastmagazine.com Related Episodes: RoR #1: A Conversation w/ Anne Cooper of Equilibrium Master Roasters RoR #2: Exploring Quality Control w/ Spencer Turer of Coffee Enterprises RoR #3: Making Contingency Planning a Reality w/ Andi Trindle Mersch of Philz Coffee RoR #4: Practical Thermal Dynamics w/ Candice Madison of Royal Coffee / The Crown Oak RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind" RoR #6: Buying Less and Doing More w/ Ever Meister RoR #7 Illustrative Sample Roasting w/ Mike Ebert of Firedancer Coffee Consultants ROR #8 How Post-Harvest Processing Impacts Flavor w/ Siva Subramanian and Byron Holcomb of Olam Food Ingredients RoR #9 Inside the Roaster's Tool Kit w/ Kat Melheim of Black and White Coffee and The Coffee People Zine RoR #10 : What Your Broker Wishes You Knew w/ Scott Merle of La Minita Coffee RoR #11 : Exploring Scent w/ Sandra Elisa Loofbourow RoR #12 : Inside Coffee Packaging w/ Ever Meister RoR #13 : The NORM ROAST Protocol w/ Dave Baxter RoR #14: How to Roast New Processing Methods w/ Mike Ebert

This week on KTTS was basically "Logistics Week". When we talk about logistics and systems we naturally think about forming rules for how work is done that others can rely on for a predictable outcome. Trouble is, change is always needed to keep systems relevant, and being flexible or even training your team to be flexible is not an easy task. On today's Shift Break we will discuss how to build in flexibility alongside our systems so we can respond to challenges quicker with more grace and not worry about change as a threat but embrace it as a natural part of the process. Related episodes: 361: Managing Roastery Relationships and Logistics w/ Corey Turner of Andytown Coffee Roasters 330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces 267 : The Power of Delegation Sustainability Series #2 : Importing & Roasting Reach out for one-on-one consulting and coaching! Book a 90 minute consulting Call now! Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

From the perspective of the cafe, the world of the roastery seems to be shrouded in mystery. Indeed, as we have said on the show before, roasting is practically its own business with its own ecosystem of relationships and systems. Todays guest is someone who began in the cafe and then dove in to that world and has since been creating intuitive solutions for both systems and the people they serve in the roastery. We are siting down to talk with Corey Turner Corey (They/She) has done it all in 8 years of working in coffee. Barista, trainer, roaster, technician just to name a few. After moving to San Francisco from rural Virginia to pursue an MFA in poetry, Corey began work in coffee and has not stopped since! Currently working for Andytown Coffee Roasters in San Francisco, California as director of coffee production & logistics, Corey works with an amazing team where they help scale the coffee menu, production, and wholesale. In our interview today we cover a lot of different topics related to perspectives of managing relationships, building systems, and keeping on top of the inputs that drive the daily work. This was a lovely conversation and I hope you enjoy! Links: www.andytownsf.com Corey's Instagram @cor_tado Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Related Episodes: 152 : Essential Advice for Starting a Roastery w/ Jen Apodaca RoR #9 Inside the Roaster's Tool Kit w/ Kat Melheim of Black and White Coffee and The Coffee People Zine 156 : Founder Friday w/ Lauren Crabbe, Co-Founder of Andytown Coffee Roasters, San Fransisco COVID-19 Focus w/ Lauren Crabbe of Andytown Coffee Roasters 166 : Founder Friday! (Special Curated Edition) : Four Awesome Perspectives on Caring for Staff from past Founder Friday Episodes 285 : Better Systems, Better Connections w/ Jon Ewald of RoasterTools Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

"I just want to make coffee!" That thought has crossed all our minds at some point in our barista careers. In fact I remember clearly being reprimanded for my hyper-focus on the espresso machine at the expense of pretty much everything else. In reality, there are tasks and areas of the shop that require excellence just as much as the coffee we serve Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how we can foster a mindset of excellence toward the things we hate so the whole cafe is cared for and we get to keep doing what we love. Related episodes: 085 : How we Ruin the Specialty Experience 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop The Impact of Absence The Currency of Urgency Working Clean : Tips for keeping the bar looking and working well while you work Reach out for one-on-one consulting and coaching! Book a 90 minute consulting Call now! Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co