Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

BOGO! 10% off! Get any item of equal or lesser value free!  We love to offer promotions and discounts in the coffee retail space. When numbers are down we go for deals, offers, and discounts... maybe a little too often. Combine this with the fact that most of the time these offers are executed sloppily and create more confusion than excitement and you turn that BOGO into an OHNO. (sorry, not sorry...

What an interesting and inspirational episode this was!  Frankie Volkema, at just 14 years old, is the world's youngest Q Grader and the founder of Joven Coffee , an organization that sources, roasts, and promotes coffee from young farmers around the world! We are also joined by her father Tim Volkema, who is the CEO of Schuil coffee, Michigan's first specialty coffee roaster. Schuil also owners t...

"I wish they would just get it!" Does this sound familiar? Whether you have said this out loud or just ruminate on this and similar ideas, the frustration is very real. In today's episode we will explore this thought that pits a quick learner against a slower one and why letting this attuned go unchecked may be holding your business back.  Interested it consulting? Reach out! - Chris@keystotheshop...

Now ore than ever coffee shops should be building stable and resilient teams to give them the best chance at success in an unstable market.  Unfortunately there are many needless problems and practices that plague cafes and are catalysts for unnecessary turnover.  Today we are going to cover what I believe are the top 10 reasons why we lose employees and what we should be doing to fix these proble...

The truth can hurt. In our minds, when we thing about "keeping it real" we are usually about to engage in some form of uncomfortable, confrontational interaction. In today's episode we will be exploring this idea and how an alternative way of approaching it will actually help us really keeping it real.    Related episodes to explore:  The Affirmation Vacuum Stop Lying   Elevated batch brew and so...

I am excited to re-share this oldie with you. Mainly because it has a ton of very useful insights that I think we all need to ponder these days. Life  (aka 2020) won't let up and the 7 things I talked about back in November 2017 could not be more relevant. In many ways, we spend a lot of our energies reinforcing self-sabotaging behaviors and habits. Thing is, even though I originally broadcast thi...

One of the main ways that coffee shops fail has a lot to do with the  level of self awareness leaders. So many issues we experience can be traced back to this skill. It is a skill we need to practice in order to set up everyone in the business for success.  Today will be chatting about self-awareness and the critical role it plays in running a coffee shop and, more importantly, leading people.  Re...

OK! Today we get to talk with coffee legend James Hoffmann! On top of being the 2007 World Barista Champion and Co-owner of Square Mile Coffee Roasters, a renowned roastery in London, James is also the author of the World Atlas of Coffee, and runs one of the world's most popular and fun coffee YouTube channels where he dives deep into everything from coffee equipment, coffee science, brewing, extr...

Today on Founder Friday we get to explore the Coffee Maverick himself, David Morris!  David J. Morris is Founder and Co-CEO of Dillanos Coffee Roasters , based in Sumner, Washington. Dillanos sells wholesale coffee and other supplies to specialty coffee retailers across the U.S. and several countries. He is a serial entrepreneur, leadership expert, and commercial real estate investor. David, along...

Performance reviews have become a place where we tend to unload on the barista all the issues we have been seeing over the past months. They tend to be frustrating because they include some surprising bits o feedback that are news to the barista and generally end up being disheartening in stead of encouraging and motivating.  Today we will be talking about the what we need to be doing before the p...

Designing a coffee bar requires a lot of forethought and attention to detail. Unfortunately, it is often he case that bars are designed for looks and not functionality. This creates a huge amount of problems down the road with the way you baristas work, the speed of your drink prep, the way customers feel when ordering, and much more.  In today's episode I am sharing a few tips that I use with cli...

Here we go! Stories from the Ground is a series of interviews that are designed to give you insights and guidance on how to thrive in the midst of the COVID crisis by hearing from amazing cafe owners and learning from their stories and experiences dealing with the shutdowns, caring for their staff, serving their customers, and keeping their businesses going.  In this 3rd and final installment of "...

It can sometimes be hard to find qualified employees and when we see great baristas at other shops we "can't help" thinking of offering them a job in our place. But there is a bit of an ethical problem here. When we cross a certain line, we are violating an unwritten rule. We are, in fact, poaching.  It's not black and white though, and in today's shift break we will chat about some of the nuances...

The sheer number of things we need to focus on in small business is overwhelming. Amidst the sea of tips, tricks, and tools we know we "should" utilize there are a few things that are absolute musts. Today we are going to hear from one of the world's leading voices in running a successful small business, Henry Lopez. Henry has over 35 years of diverse business experience, including successful care...

We are back! Stories from the Ground is a series of interviews that are designed to give you insights and guidance on how to thrive in the midst of the COVID crisis by hearing from amazing cafe owners and learning from their stories and experiences dealing with the shutdowns, caring for their staff, serving their customers, and keeping their businesses going.  In this second installment of Stories...

When we onboard new baristas we usually schedule them for a "Shadow Shift". he intent is that they are to learn the ropes, observe and absorb how things are done, which will help prepare them for work on the bar. That's the hope.  In reality it often turns out to be chaotic, stressful, and produces more confusion than clarity.  Today we will be discussing how to approach the shadow shift with what...

Whether you employ in-house techs or you need to work with outside coffee tech services, today's episode is a must listen!  The cafe is a complex mix of many different professional relationships. The relationship between a shop and the coffee tech can be a tense one because it is centered around emergencies. In order to work well with the techs we hire, led our in-house techs, and serve our wholes...

Stories from the Ground is a series of episodes that are designed to give you insights and guidance on how to thrive in the midst of the COVID crisis by hearing from amazing cafe owners and learning from their stories and experiences dealing with the shutdowns, caring for their staff, serving their customers, and keeping their businesses going.  In our first installment of Stories from the Ground...

Hiring is already a daunting process. There is a lot at stake for both the employer and prospective employee. That said, we tend to find ways to make make it harder to find the right person than it has to be. In today's Shift Break we will be going into what I believe is the #1 mistake I and lots of other have made while interviewing people and how to do the opposite.  Related episodes: 018: Hirin...

There are a ton of opportunities to create resiliency and a better normal through how we approach out our mindset, leadership, staff, business, and customers. As the COVID crisis is still upon us, the question remains, "What happens after this?"  In today's epiodes I am presenting something I presented to the SCA on Post-COVID Coffee and outlining various areas and opportunities we have to improve...

"The little cafe, with a big heart." These words were spoken by Curtis Herrera who, along with his wife Miel, own Cafe Corazon in Kansas City, MO. Cafe Corazon is vibrant homage to Miel and Curtis' Latin roots (Argentina and Mexico respectively) and in the last year it has been open has quickly garnered praise for their warm hospitality, traditional drink including a wide selection of Yerba-mate,...

" Hey! Did you see what so-and-so is doing?" "Oh! look at what _______ is starting to sell?" It's comments like these that are often a sign that we are a bit too obsessed with our competition. What do we gain from this preoccupation? Not much. What do we lose? A lot.  Today we will be talking about how you are not your competition and a healthy way to work toward betterment.  Related Episodes: 046...

How do you ensure that what you teach in training is effective for both the employee and the business? Well, there are many different elements but amongst those element are four foundational mindsets and practices that serve to hold everything together. Today we are going to be exploring how focusing on minimum viable skills, patience, real-life training, and tracking/follow-up will completely tra...

We have developed a mentality that if we can just get the right manual, the best onboarding, the most effective hiring process then all will be well and staff will magically fall in line and our shops will run smoothly. The truth? It's not that easy, no matter how hard you work on those things. Today we will be discussing this propensity, why it is dangerous, and how the real work begins and ends...

You are unique, but are you just marketing everyone else? How do you differentiate yourself as a business when the market has become so saturated with everyone saying the same things? Customers need clear messaging that delivers meaning, sets you apart, and drives loyalty to your shop. In a time where more than half of the ways we communicate with existing and potential customers is remote, having...