Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

2017 World Barista Champion, Dale Harris of the of Has Bean Coffee in the UK talks with us about his winning presentation, lessons from both his professional and competition career, his advice to baristas, and what are the most pressing things that  we in coffee service should be focusing on and more! Dale brings both an elevated and grounded view of specialty coffee the table and it was just a gr...

When it comes to coffee, what do you think of when I say "Brazil"? Chances are good that some of the things that come to mind are, in fact misconceptions. On today's episode, Kelly Stein, Host of the Brazilian coffee podcast, Coffea, helps us explore the true bounty and quality that Brazil has to offer, dispel myths that plague the country, and gives us actions we can take to properly relate the c...

Without the coffee plant we have no coffee industry. The sustainability of coffee plants, farms, and farmers is the cornerstone of what we do and determines everything in regards to what is possible in coffee quality. This week we get to learn from Hanna Neuschwander, Director of Communications at World Coffee Research about the history and current state of both coffee plant and what part the coff...

Its Founder Friday and this time we are talking with Joshua Boyt, Founder of Metronome Coffee in Tacoma, Washington! Joshua brings really amazing passion, energy, and insights as we talk about his beginnings in coffee, founding his cafe and consulting business, running a great business, hiring well, and finding your true purpose.  If you want to get inspired today then you've come to the right pla...

Holiday season in the cafe is predictably busy, intense, and stressful. Not just for us but also for the customers! Today we explore 5 things to do to take the stress out of the holiday season in the shop and to create an welcoming and warm environment amidst the frantic pace all around us. With some forethought, planning, and a generous spirit we can come out the other side of this time being str...

SOPs FTW! In order for any operation to be successful it needs to be supported by a set of well crafted Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs. In many a cafe there is a great need for more thorough, clear, and relevant communication around the daily tasks as things often get lost in translation and quality, as a result, is inconsistent. In this episode we walk you through the process of understand...

Sleepwalking happens to us all at different points in our careers and for a variety of reasons. Though the reasons may vary the results are the same. Missed opportunity, lack of fulfillment, disillusionment, growth stagnates, we may even wonder why we are doing this in the first place! Today we will explore 7 of the main causes for why we check out for lengths of time and how we can wake up, becom...

Pursuing personal growth and development is one of the cornerstones of success and fulfillment in work and in life. Often we can get into such a rhythm of the day-to-day at work that we forget that there is a whole world of resources at our finger tips. Jared Truby of Cat and Cloud Coffee talks with us today about how seeking personal development with tenacity and purpose has helped shape his life...

Welcome to another Founder Friday! We are talking with Nathan Quillo, Founder of Quills Coffee. You will get to learn about the methods, values, and vision that makes Quills Coffee tick / The importance of buy-in and communication / What are some of the keys to their success / and the three things Nathan think every owner should do. This was a fun talk and Nathan offers up some really great tools...

As we build our careers we take on more responsibility and authority. Building trust and helping build the community around you is a critical part of your success and how that plays out in your cafe will determine how it plays out in the industry. As a long time trainer and industry leader, Reggie Elliott has embodied these values. We get to talk about his career, how he helped build the coffee co...

Conflict at work is inevitable but it does not have to take a negative turn. Hard conversations and confrontations handled well can actually enhance your relationships, the team in the cafe, and benefit our industry as a whole. This week it is an absolute privilege that we get to learn from world renowned executive coach and communications expert, Tom Henschel. In this episode Tom give us the tool...

When people experience our coffee they are left with an impression that is largely made up of what they saw. What kind of impact does design have a customer's experience of your business? What are the keys to good design? What are the first steps you need to take to assess the state of design in your business? This week we are joined by the amazing designer Liz Chai. Liz works 100% in the specialt...

It's the 50th Episode of Keys to the Shop and I had the opportunity to interview 5 people live at the Kentuckiana Coffee Champs Pre-lims this past weekend. In this 2nd edition of Baristas Speak Nathan Quillo, Sam Miers, Cimara Dunn, Matt Park, and Rita Kaminsky join me to give their thoughts on the role of the barista, lessons they have learned, and advice to current and future baristas all of whi...

Are you wanting to start something in your town based a shared passion for coffee? Do you want to invest more into your existing community and want some tips from a seasoned pro? Today's guest will address those question and more. Jason Card is the founder of Journeyman Coffee in Tallahassee, FL and in today's Founder Friday episode we get to talk with him about building community where there is n...

Steve Cuevas of Black Oak Coffee Roasters is the 2017 U.S. Cup Tasters Champion and he is here to here to talk to us about learning to taste, tips for developing your palate, and talking to customers about coffee with confidence, and empathy. His approach to cupping and communicating about coffee to consumers is generous and refreshing and will inspire you to expand your approach too.  Enjoy! LINK...

Ah Latte art...that ubiquitous often ill used symbol of specialty coffee in the eye of the consumer and to the professional both a creative outlet and a seal given to a well made drink.  This week we sit down to talk all about latte art with four accomplished latte artists: Jibbi Little, Antoine Franklin, Kenny Smith, and Christopher "Nicely" Alameda. They share their origin story, what latte art...

In the coffee world, like anywhere else, we love to compare ourselves to other baristas, managers, owners etc. and see how we stack up. Often this can lead to stress, worry, depression, lack of clarity, wasted energy, loss of opportunity, and many other negative consequences. In today's episode we explore some of the ways negative comparisons can damage your shop and your career and ways to avoid...

Providing amazing hospitality for the guests in your shop does not have to be complicated. Today's guest, Philip Paul Turner, Manager at   Sunergos Coffee , shares his 3 step approach to providing great hospitality that has become his mantra to the staff at his shop and it can transform the way you welcome people into your space. I get to work with Philip and see him put these principles into acti...

Even though mistakes and failure in coffee are a normal part of the learning process they can be hard to deal with, embarrassing, and often can derail our progress. Today we talk about some best practices I have discovered from personal experience for navigating both the small and the serious failures we all have or will encounter as we continue our work in coffee. You will learn how to move throu...

This Founder Friday we talk with Kathy Turiano, Co-Owner of the award winning, Joe Bean Coffee Roasters in Rochester, NY. In this episode you will hear the epic story of how Joe Bean embraced radical change to come back from major set backs early on in the life of the business. I know you will find their example of over coming challenges, learning, collaboration, hospitality, continued exploration...

There are many hands that contribute to specialty coffee ecosystem. In addition to farmers, green coffee importers and roasters supplying our shops we all rely on specialty coffee equipment suppliers to get the gear we need to make great coffee. Just like sourcing great coffee, the best suppliers are very particular with what they stock and offer. Today to explore that process further we get to ta...

One of the best places we can go to gain inspiration, be educated, find insight, and experience life in a different and deeper way is printed page. In the midst of an endless sea of available content, Standart Magazine stands out as a leader in this arena for specialty coffee. Content Director for Standart Magazine, Luke Adams, talks to us this week about the philosophy and process behind curating...

Pour over & batch brew. Each method of brewing has it's strengths and weaknesses and depending on what message you want to communicate in your shop you will likely find one to be better suited to assist you in that cause. Today in Part 2 of our discussion, Ryan Soeder breaks down the pros and cons of each method along a frame work of Labor, Training, Speed, Aesthetics, Equipment cost, and Waste.  ...

Eric Cacciatore is the host of the #1 Podcast for the restaurant industry, Restaurant Unstoppable! A podcast that brings together some of the best and most successful hospitality professionals and seeks to draw out wisdom, advice, and insights to help us also be successful in our hospitality careers. In this weeks show Eric is sharing with us the top 6 things that he has seen as the common traits...

He's Back!!! Maxwell last joined us on the show back in February 23rd on episode #11 before the opening of his first brick-and-mortar space for his company, Narrative Coffee. It's been 4 1/2 months and Narrative has had their soft opening, grand opening, and Maxwell has learned a lot through the process. Now he is back on the show to give us a glimpse into his first couple months being open for bu...