Every year we have the opportunity to invest our time and attention into many different things. In a coffee shop it can be overwhelming and toward the end of the year we tend to look back and determine way to improve how we invest our time and attention for a better result.  In today's Shift Break we will be discussing a few very important and foundational areas where, if you consistently focus your energy with intention, you will find massive return for your customer's, your staff's, and your own happiness and well being.  Related episodes to listen to next:   Shift Break: Working Clean Fix the Small Stuff! : Management, Morale, Coffee Bar Culture 067 : 6 Truths About Power : The Responsible Approach to Power Dynamics in the Cafe Feedback Culture : Making feedback a part of what you do not just something you sometimes do 165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli Being the Point of Clarity  248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team   Visit our Sponsors!!! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co   Subscribe to KTTS Follow on IG @KEYSTOTHESHOP

What a great year this has been! So many amazing people have graced KTTS with their presence, perspectives, and wisdom. It really is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to high value content that can transform your coffee business and career.  This makes it very hard to choose which lessons and insights to feature in this episode but I have assembled 8 clips from past guests that I believe offer timeless wisdom and an opportunity to reflect and give you positive momentum for the new year. So here is the line up in order of appearance and what they speak on:  EP:327 Phuong Tran | Lava Java: Embracing Simplicity EP: 375 Roland Horne | WatchHouse: Having a specific value proposition EP: 366 Chris Baca | Cat and Cloud: Finding your leadership style EP: 336 Selina Viguera | Blue Bottle: Custom training and cafe management  EP: 337 Diana Martinez | Cafe Calle: Serving your community well EP: 359 Nigel Price | Drip Coffee NYC: Accessible Excellence EP: 328 Xavier Alexander | Metric Coffee: Resilience, stewardship, and legacy EP 380: Cindy and Cary Arsaga | Arsagas Coffee Roasters: The key to developing a meaningful business Links to guests websites: www.lava-java.com www.watchhouse.com www.catandcloud.com www.bluebottlecoffee.com www.cafecalle.com www.dripcoffeenyc.com www.metriccoffee.com www.arsagas.com Interested in leveling up your coffee shop or setting up 1:1 coaching? 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  

On this last Founder Friday of the year I am quite happy to feature a coffee shop founder story that is firmly rooted in service to the community. First as a pop up at farmers markets and now with a brand new brick and mortar, today we are talking with the founders of Last Mile Cafe in Grand Rapids, MI , Arick Davis and Sarah Layman! Arick and Sarah come with a lot of experience in non-profit and impact work as well as tech. Their love for coffee and people eventually guided them to begin Last Mile Cafe as a coffee business designed to make an impact through partnerships with charitable organizations and baking into the practice of donating 10% of all revenue to charities voted on by customers.  As of this recording Last Mile's brick and mortar was only 9 days in to being open and things have just been getting better from there.  In our conversation we will get an inside look at how they built this impact coffee business, their reasons behind decisions that shaped it, and how they have experienced the journey from mobile to brick and mortar and the road that lies ahead. We discuss: Leaving the corporate world Building for sustainability and impact work Setting out, pivoting and rebranding Learning coffee as a consumer Partnering with organizations To roast or not to roast Donating 10% to charity Pop ups, farmers markets, and learning service Next steps past 2 weeks open/refining Related episodes:  106 : Changing Lives Through Coffee w/ Pamela Chng of Bettr Barista 192 : Freedom through Coffee w/ Esther Hope-Gibbs of Manumit Coffee 180 : A Conversation with Rugid Grind Founders, Brian Washington and Averett Barksdale 139 : Founder Friday w/ Kusanya Cafe Co-Founder, Phil Sipka   Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

We all want our customers and staff to be enthused and exhibit what we tend to consider loyalty. Trouble with that word is that it is loaded with assumptions that go beyond reasonable expectations. In fact, many operators are guilty of trying to force loyalty through coercion and making things personal. This is toxic loyalty.  In today's Shift Break we will be discussing a better way to think about loyalty that builds healthy and sustainable relationships with staff and cultivates an environment where we are more likely to receive peoples advocacy beyond what is expected.    Related episodes: Customer Loyalty The Key to Up-Selling When "Going above and Beyond" goes too Far Don't Force Vulnerability   Visit our Sponsors!!! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co     Subscribe to KTTS Follow on IG @KEYSTOTHESHOP

There has been a resurgence of mobile coffee carts recently. A cart offers the owner flexibility, agility, and a less risky entry into the world of coffee retail. That said, there are many elements that need to be in place for you to be able to set up and run a successful coffee cart that serves you and your customers well. Today we are going to be digging into the details with special guest Sarah Naylor of Daybreak Coffee Cart in Snohomish, WA.  After 11 year working in coffee and and 8 years in the pastry arts world, Sarah Naylor took all the hard earned knowledge and wisdom she acquired  through the hospitality industry and ventured out on her own to found Daybreak Coffee Cart.  Daybreak is a mobile coffee cart and craft coffee catering service located in Snohomish County. Daybreak offers an elevated coffee experience for weddings, corporate events, conferences, and mitzvahs all around. They love serving others and aim to bring joy wherever we go. It is their mission to share kindness through coffee.  In our conversation we discuss her beginnings and the practical actions she took to start and run her cart in a way that serves her guests with excellence and most importantly, also serves her and her family well.  We cover: Changing paths via life challenges Putting family first and the “why” True service and operating values The first steps in starting the Coffee Cart Ergonomics and set up Setting, expectations, and forming an LLC Drawing from past experience to inform the journey The key business logistics and necessities Saying no and growing responsibly Menu design and Pricing  Marketing, networking , and promotion Developing confident and positive thought patterns Links:  www.daybreakcoffeecart.com IG: @daybreakcoffeecart   Related episodes: 115 : Finding Success in Mobile Coffee w/ Tim Cox / Communion Coffee 367 : Designing Your Coffee Shop for Community w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman 187 : A Conversation with Nikki Outlaw of Anecho Coffee 161 : Founder Friday Drive-Thru Edition w/ Jasmine Diedrich Wilson of Diedrich Espresso 011 : Founder Friday w/ Maxwell Mooney, Narrative Coffee : hospitality / building relationships / coffee quality   Interested in leveling up your coffee shop or setting up 1:1 coaching? 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

Sometimes it is hard to reconcile our desire for authenticity with the performance and responsibilities that we take on while working in the cafe.  In fact, for many baristas, their distaste and inability to embrace anything that seems prescribed leaves them incapable of delivering meaningful service and, consequently, incapable of advancing in their work.  Today on Shift Break we will be talking about your role as a barista and how it is your job to take ownership of the duties of your job, which will in turn create the authenticity you seek.  Related episodes: Excellence in the Things we Hate 015 : What to do if You don’t Advance w/ Anne Nylander : How to take the next step in your barista/coffee career 356 : 5 Barriers to Progress in Your Coffee Shop 014 : A Barista’s Guide to Advancing: How to take full advantage of where you are and set yourself up for success in coffee 355: Baristas! 6 Essential Qualities to Get Yourself Hired   Visit our Sponsors!!! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co     Subscribe to KTTS Follow on IG @KEYSTOTHESHOP

It is easy to assume that if you have found the right person for the manager role then they will not need very much investment or guidance from you to get the hang of things. After all, they are amazing and you trust their "can do" attitude will be enough to help them succeed.  Obviously this is not the case, but that doesn't stop this misconception from being repeated over and over again in cafes around the world.  Truth is that no matter who you hire you will need to have a structured plan for how they will be onboarded, trained, and invested into over a significant period of time so they are not only capable, but confident and trustworthy in their work as a true leader, not just a barista with a few extra admin tasks.  On today's show we will be going over some needed mindsets, approaches and methods for training up a manager that may challenge the way you have been doing things to this point, but will definitely set everyone up for success.  We cover: Who is a good manager and what do they do? The misconception of time Your role in the relationship Real investment and specificity  Developing beyond knowledge transfer Committing to long term development Co-creation and staying touch with the real needs of the shop   Related episodes: 314 : The 6 Essential Qualities of Coffee Shop Leaders 109 : Leadership Abandonment Syndrome : Lack of development in senior staff and what to do about it 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap 261 : The Basics of Managing Managers 378: 5 Areas to Develop in Managers   Interested in leveling up your coffee shop or setting up 1:1 coaching? 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

Cupping is as close to a sacred act as we get in the world of coffee evaluation. It is a ubiquitous ritual that comes with its own language, implements, and is considered by many to be THE way that we can determine what a coffee has to offer. But what if cupping is not the end all be all we assume it to be? What if certain aspects of cupping are not to be worried about so much allowing us to explore other, dare we say, better ways to to evaluate a coffee?  In this episode of RoR from Roast Magazine we get to see how recent scientific discoveries have shown us we can stop worrying and start tasting on a new level through an article called "Why We Can Stop Worrying About ExtractionYield in Cupping" w/ the author and coffee legend, Charlie Habegger!  Charlie is a coffee buyer with field experience in over 20 producing countries. He has built sourcing and quality systems with Intelligentsia, Handsome Coffee Roasters, and Blue Bottle. He has been a U.S. Barista Championship finalist and a subject of the documentary film "Barista" (2015). He has volunteered with the Coffee Quality Institute leading local Q-grader teams in Myanmar and the Philippines. Charlie is now proudly with Royal Coffee in the Bay Area, where he has the fun title of "Sourcing Curator and Placement Specialist", a project-based position of sourcing and marketing. Before Royal, Charlie was a legal cannabis buyer in California's Emeral Triangle, an experience that renewed his love for California and specialty agriculture of all kinds. He thinks constantly about the vast distances many of us never get to cross as consumers. In our conversation we cover: Pivotal cupping experiences The language of Correct vs incorrect Is cupping the ultimate way to explore potential? The epiphany in the Philippines Cultural context and objectivity Study that addresses extraction yield in cupping Introducing other methods Timing when you taste coffee and where cupping fits Deciding on definition and what is important before tasting The role of history and relationship in cupping Advice for new businesses developing preferences and systems   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 RoR #15 : Managing LTL Freight and the Nuances of green Shipping w/ Evan Gilman of Royal Coffee RoR #16 : Ideal Resting Times for Roasted Coffee w/ Joey Stazzone of Cafe Kreyol

Boy oh boy this is a hard question. The initial reaction you might have to this will depend on your position in the cafe, your knowledge of the circumstances around the firing, and your ability to consider more than just the individual in question. In other words, it depends.  On today's Shift Break we will be talking about how to think about this question and what areas need to be considered before you give a definitive answer that may have unintended consequences on your coffee shop, and more importantly, the people that work in and frequent it.  Listen to these related episodes next:  Two responses to Accountability It's not You, It's Me Passive-Aggressive Management  When Patience is not a Virtue Why You Need to Back up Your Policies 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence 329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff   Visit our Sponsors!!! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

Innovation in the coffee industry is no longer just about large companies tweaking their standard equipment, but it is becoming democratized through small companies bringing their ideas to market through networking, research, and good old fashioned hard work. Today we are going to be talking with 2 of the 3 founders of one such company who sought to create the brew they always wanted but could not find. WE sit down with Michael Butterworth and Ozgur Jerdan of Etkin Design! Etkin believes that when brewing coffee, you shouldn't have to choose between batch size and quality. If you brew coffee for your friends and family, you’re often stuck making multiple batches. The Etkin Dripper is a new, flat-bottom coffee dripper optimized to make up to one liter of coffee. Its proprietary design helps ensure an even extraction and ideal brew time resulting in a sweeter, more full-bodied cup of coffee.  Michael is a long time industry pro who has been a Q Grader, competitor, cafe trainer, and is an active AST certified trainer Ozgur is from Istabul,Turkey where the brewer is made with local porcelain and has a long history in academia around ESL, education, and organizational direction.  Aaron O'Neal is the other cofounder who is not present in this interview. His history and expertise is in the work of media and marketing consultation and leadership as well as a deep love and enthusiasm for coffee.  In our conversation today we explore the story of how these three friends conceptualized and brought this brewer to market, the relationships, challenges, and what their story means for innovation, hospitality, and how we enjoy coffee at home.  We Cover: Unique journey to market Hospitality Proper brewing geometry Creating ease for hosting Relationships in business Crowd funding and democratizing innovation Building trust with the manufacturer Turkish culture of hospitality Is home brewing tech too complex? Consumer journey and goals Links: https://etkincoffee.com/ @etkindesign   Related episodes: 016: Raising the Bar on your Customer Experience w/ Michael Butterworth  360: Encore Episode! Hosting Consumer Coffee Classes: 7 Tips for Success Sustainability Series #4 : Consumer 092 : Tony “Tonx” Konecny of Yes Plz : Consumer Accessibility, roasting, 3rd wave, subscription 349 : Talking About 21st Century Coffee w/ Kenneth Davids 216 : Helping your Customers Brew at Home w/ Brian Beyke , I Brew my own Coffee Podcast 333: Bridging the Professional and Home Barista Gap w/ Lance Hedrick of Onyx Coffee Lab   Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? 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

It happens all the time. We create and conduct training sessions, programs, and systems that contain a lot, but do not produce a lot.  We end up with staff that are ill equipped for handling the day-to-day work and challenges that await them and as a result the customer receives an inconsistent experience.  On today's Shift Break we will be talking about the number one way we create ineffective training programs and what we should be investing into in order to properly train and prepare ours staff and business for long term success Please listen to these related episodes: 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces 313 : Coffee Education and Training w/ Michael Phillips of Blue Bottle Coffee 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence 296: Holistic Barista Training w/ David Castillo of Go Get Em Tiger , Los Angeles 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff 130 : Anne Nylander | Training Principles for Specialty Coffee Professionals 119 : Barista Training Masterclass w/ 2009 WBC Champion, Gwilym Davies   Like the episode? Subscribe, share, and rate the show!   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 we perceive something impacts the decisions we make when buying or selling it. That in turn shapes consumers perceptions and then the market. Tea has long been a part of the coffeehouse, but has suffered from a severe lack of attention and intentionality. As a result the way we represent tea in many cafes has a negative impact of the tea farmer in effectively disappearing their work and craft. These are the types of issues that today's guest has sought to address.  After leaving her corporate job Annie Xiang founded Volition Tea. As an Asian American owned business is core to how Volition operates with every decision centering around serving their community and the farmers whom we have the privilege to know.  Instead of focusing on transparency and direct-trade for the sake of marketing, Volition shares the stories of tea farmers to cultivate empathy across communities.  Through their intensive focus, highly curated offerings, and education Volition is making a real impact.  In this interview we will be talking with Annie all about how Volition began, its values, and the practical ways we can adjust our mindsets and practices to usher in a better future for tea and tea farmers through our cafes.  We discuss: Starting volition How tea farmers are unique Telling their story Breaking down the Types of tea How to curate your menu Getting staff exited about tea Tapping into the tea market True transparency in tea Training people in tea Tips for selecting, storing, and using Re-steeping Sourcing and relationships Links: www.volitiontea.com @volitionteaco on IG   Related Episodes: 282 : How to Listen to your Customers How to talk to Customers about Coffee 361: Managing Roastery Relationships and Logistics w/ Corey Turner of Andytown Coffee Roasters Eliminating menu items Humanely 080 : Changing things in the Cafe : A workflow for Refinement 002: Master Your Workflow w/ Ryan Soeder   Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? 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 do you measure the impact of you business? We talk about metrics mostly related to finances and judge success accordingly. But the deeper and more fulfilling impact a coffee shop can have is based in relationship. You may ask yourself the question, does what I am creating or have created have “heart and meaning”? If your answer is yes and you stick to it long enough, you might end up with a legacy similar to our guests today, Cindy and Cary Arsaga In 1992 Arsaga Coffee was founded in Fayetteville Arkansas and this month marks the 30 year anniversary of Arsaga's. Cindy and Cary have been serving generations of people through their unique, warm, and welcoming shops. Their goal has always been to provide a space that fosters true community, connection, and the positive life change that results. Today they are pillars in the North West Arkansas community and continue to serve great coffee in authentic spaces with simplicity and integrity. Arsaga's was the first coffee house I was a regular of and where I first learned to love coffee and the coffeehouse as a dynamic space. I was not only the catalyst for my career but it was the force that inspired innumerable lives. Needless to say this a really special episode to me. So today we get to hear the story of how Arsaga’s was born from an, how it grew organically and with soul, how they took on bigger projects such as baking, food, and roasting, all while staying true to their roots of “Heart and Meaning”. We cover: How coffee basically saved Carries life The epiphany Goals for creating community Beginning the journey and finding their way Early inspiration and creating energy and a community space Staying true to yourself Fostering connection Learning how to operate a public space The journey of roasting and scaling without losing culture Hiring the right people Creating magic in peoples lives Going from organic growth their intentional development / being organized Working with family Challenges, lessons, and proud moments Links: www.arsagas.com Instagram @arsagascoffeeroasters   Related Episodes: 329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff 018: Hiring, Culture, and the Future of your Shop Bridging the Values-Actions Gap 208: Building a Company that Cares w/ Kyra Kennedy of Baratza 166 : Founder Friday! (Special Curated Edition) : Four Awesome Perspectives on Caring for Staff from past Founder Friday Episodes 139 : Founder Friday w/ Kusanya Cafe co-founder, Phil Sipka 232 : Founder Friday w/ Blew Kind of Fanny Lou’s Porch 279 : Founder Friday! w/ Daniel Brown and Nephthaly Leonidas of Gilly Brew Bar 305 : Founder Friday! w/ Andrew Sinclair of MadLab Coffee, Los Angeles, CA   Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

Thankfulness, positivity, affirming others, and seeking out the good can easily be things that get pushed aside in favor of the problems, stresses, and challenges of this life. As a result we develop a lob sided perspective in reality. On today’s Shift Break we will be talking about how we can pursue thankfulness and seek out the positive in the midst of the challenge to have a full and truer view that actually gives life. Related episodes: Priorities and Deep Thankfulness  Thankfulness : The key to joy in the journey 317 : Encore Episode: Death by Comparison Skewing Positive The Affirmation Vacuum Like the episode? Subscribe, share, and rate the show!   Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co  

Communicating hard things is hard! The good news is that is does not have to be ineffective or worse yet, turn into something problematic or toxic. There are ways to deliver necessary feedback to employees (or anyone for that matter) that will not only show that person respect but also allow you your dignity as well.  I wanted to re-share this old episode today with our friend Tom Henschel because there are many of us who are struggling with communicating to our staff regarding their performance, behaviors, expectations, etc. In this conversation Tom outlines a simple 4 step process that you can use to deliver difficult feedback well. 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 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.   Links: Tom's Company: www.essentialcomm.com Tom's Podcast: The look and Sound of Leadership 4 Step Feedback Model PDF  — Keys to the Shop   Related Episodes: 363 : Setting Boundaries in the Coffee Shop w/ Tom Henschel 052 : Solving Coworker Conflict w/ Tom Henschel 221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin 165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli   Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? 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  

"Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good" This quote from Voltaire has been passed around a lot over the years, even still it seems we always find ways to procrastinate on starting things because we either want it to be perfect, feel fear of looking bad, don't think we have the time, or perhaps we jus don't feel the urgency.  On today's shift break we will be talking about how embracing the practice of taking imperfect action can radically transform you and your coffee shop.  Related episodes: Make Your Problems More Specific Managing Expectations in Systems Doing What You Want -vs- Doing What is Needed Making a Decision Pipeline Turning Radius   Like the episode? Subscribe, share, and rate the show!   Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co  

It is easy to assume that a managers main role is only to take on basic administrative tasks. At least this is the way I would argue most shop treat the role of manager. It is too often a "set and forget" scenario that inevitably leads to  managers being in the dark, ill equipped, and frustrated. Ultimately this is all due to a lack of development and a failure of ownership to play an active role in it.  On todays episode we will be talking about five key areas that need to be developed in managers consistently as the primary way to facilitate their success, and in turn, the success of your business.  We will cover:  Admin tasks Leadership skills Accountability to Standards Cafe evolution Clarity, communication, and being informed Maintaining a constant focus Avoiding misuse of your authority Related episodes:  028 : Why it’s Ok to be the Boss w/ Bruce Tulgan : A guide to defining and fighting the under management epidemic in your cafe so you can be the manager your staff need 261 : The Basics of Managing Managers 229 : 7 Tips for New Managers 373 : The Owner’s Role: 5 Behaviors for Effectiveness Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? 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  

It's wild to me that this still exists in coffee. The idea that we can throw a new hire in to the mix of a shift in a new cafe and expect that they will prove themselves as being valuable based on if they fail or thrive.  On today's Shift Break we will be talking about why this "sink or swim" mentality is glorified laziness, culturally dangerous, and what we should be doing as leaders to train our people.  Related episodes you need to hear:  Unofficial Trainers & Fair Compensation 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence 296: Holistic Barista Training w/ David Castillo of Go Get Em Tiger , Los Angeles 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff   Like the episode? Subscribe, share, and rate the show!   Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co  

  Photography and coffee seem to just go together. There is something about creating moments and capturing moments that is a common drive where we can see the beauty in the mundane and get a whole new appreciation for our work and world. Today we are going to chat with of one of our industries great photographers, Rob Sykes.  Rob Sykes lives in Houston, TX with his wife and daughter. H practices Zen meditation, writes haikus, and works full time as a PICC RN at North Cypress Medical Center. In addition to this, Rob is a serious  coffee and street photographer and content creator who you can catch around the Houston cafe scene, roaming the streets of major metropolitan areas, and of course capturing magic at Coffee Fest's Latte Art World Championship Open.  In this conversation we talk about Rob's journey into coffee, photography, and how he sees the world through those lenses. We cover: Getting into photography through coffee Mindfulness and intentionality Zen meditation and coffee shops Capturing culture The beauty of the mundane Knowing what to shoot and why Staying aware of your surrounding Focusing on community  Links: Instagram @layman_rob Related episodes:  352: Music, Culture, and Coffee w/ Hip Hop Artist, Propaganda 365 : Spilling the Beans on Global Coffee Culture w/ Lani Kingston 199 : Founder Friday w/ Mario Jimenez of Banana Dang Coffee, Oceanside, CA 024 : Chermelle D. Edwards, The Coffeetographer : Documenting Art and Culture Through the Lens of Specialty Coffee : Barista Culture, Consumer Experience, Movements in coffee culture   Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? 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  

The coffee shop is a can be a stressful place. There are no shortage of challenges big and small that confront us daily whether you are a barista of cafe owner. The trouble we run into is when our confirmation bias kicks in with every challenges and our emotions run away with us and we start telling ourselves a story about what is happening that may not be true but certainly feels true in the moment On today's shift break we will be talking about how we can combat overthinking and negative emotions through pursuing objectivity, truth, and growing in confidence as a result.  Related episodes: Getting Over Guilt 224 : Essentialism: Focusing on what truly Matters w/ Greg McKeown 111 : Self Care 101: Taking care of yourself while taking care of others 176 : Harnessing Emotions at Work w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab Professional Distance (Blog) When Going Above and Beyond Goes too Far 258 : Prioritizing your Mental Health in the New Year w/ Dr. Lara Pence Make Your Problems More Specific   Like the episode? Subscribe, share, and rate the show!   Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co   Want clarity, perspective, and solutions? Sign on for KTTS Consulting coaching calls today! Email [email protected]  

Some interviews we have on the show touch on so many deep, important, and impactful subjects that it is hard to stop the conversation. This was one of those. I wanted to talk about our guests' career and then see where it led us and indeed we ended up discussing an assortment of issues that are sure to inspire and spark curiosity in you as you listen. Today we sit down with the great mat North! A seasoned veteran with over two decades experience, Mat’s career has taken in the full gamut of the of the industry. Stints with both national and local chains as well as time in the consumables and engineering side of the business have given him a well rounded view of the coffee world. In 2013 Mat opened Full Court Press, a small specialist multi roaster coffee shop and now Nano- roastery in the heart of Bristol. His knowledge, passion and attention to detail ensured FCP quickly became a forerunner in the city’s scene. It is FCP’s excellent customer service, coupled with the team’s ability to articulate their extensive knowledge in an approachable way that has ensured Full Court Press not only serve exceptional coffee, but have sparked an interest in specialty coffee among their customers. Having sold FCP in 2021 he’s moved into the green side of the industry as part of the European office for Raw Material, a not for profit social enterprise working in all aspects of the supply stream. He is also the author of the acclaimed book, Coffee - A Modern Field Guide, and recently served as National Coordinator for the UK chapter of the Speciality Coffee Association. As we chat I hope you take notes and continue to pursue the subjects discussed. From Mat's career evolution and lessons learned through business ownership - to his take on how the industry has evolved and what is key for us to prioritize in the future, this conversation is loaded with value and insights from start to end.  We discuss: Learning through early retail experiences Discovering what coffee could be Abandoning a phd in physics to pursue coffee physics and engineering training helping with coffee How to be inspired by unknowns and learn Starting his shop Full Court Press Curating a multi roaster program Feedback loos in QC Water in coffee Writing a coffee book Quantifying the art of coffee Marketing vs true innovation How consumers are leading the way in quality coffee Evolution of specialty retail The priority of price equity and leaving efficacy based models Links: www.matnorth.com Instagram @mat_north Related episodes: 242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann 374: Opening a Coffee Shop: Fantasy vs Reality (w/ bonus commentary)” 349 : Talking About 21st Century Coffee w/ Kenneth Davids Sustainability Series #2 : Importing & Roasting 333: Bridging the Professional and Home Barista Gap w/ Lance Hedrick of Onyx Coffee Lab Learning -vs- LEARNING   Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? 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 happy to share with you this Founder Friday episode that takes a hard look at what is possible when you want to offer excellence at scale in a cafe setting. I am joined by the founder of the iconic and standard setting company, WatchHouse, Roland Horne. Roland founded WatchHouse in 2014 after extensive experience running small-to-medium-size businesses, including luxury aquarium design consultancy Aquarium Architecture. He holds directorships with property development funds Verum Domus and Coutts & Partners and has a MSc in Economic History from the London School of Economics. Roland is currently pursuing his Executive MBA at the University of Oxford. Over the past seven years WatchHouse has grown from one cafe on London’s iconic Bermondsey Street to ten sites, and in August celebrated the one-year anniversary of the WatchHouse Roastery at 36 Maltby Street. A CEO with formative experience outside the speciality coffee sector, Roland has a unique and ambitious perspective on the sustainable expansion of the brand throughout the London and beyond. In today's conversation we get to hear the story behind WatchHouse and how Roland has grown this brand through values and a desire to keep integrity of service and quality front and center. I think you will get a great deal from this chat. We discuss: From luxury aquariums to coffee Defining modern coffee and evolving Focusing on your unique value proposition Why you need to focus on the MLP Big concept in an initially small space Making hard financial decisions and listening to customers Beginning to roast Scaling and customizing for the community Living wage and following through on delivering value Getting better as you get bigger Staff structures Overcoming the assumption that big is bad Providing spaces for Happiness Links: www.watchhouse.com Instagram @watchhouse  Related episodes: 320 Founder Friday! w/ Francesco Sanapo of Ditta Artigianale, Florence, Italy 171 : Founder Friday w/ Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters in India 348: Founder Friday! w/ Benito Burmudez of Cafe Unido, Panama City, Panama! 263 : Founder Friday w/ Mike McFall, Co-Founder of BIGGBY Coffee! 017 : Founder Friday w/ Jonathan Rubinstein of Joe Coffee: Entrepreneurship | Coffee Business | Hiring | Barista Culture | Growth   Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

It is that time of year where cafes are all but expected to have the ubiquitous PSL in their menus. But there is so much more. Beyond this staple drink specialty cafes around the world have developed both wonderful signature creations and others that don't really resonate.  Today on shift break we will be chatting about signature drinks and I will be offering some tips on how to approach curating and creating your specialty drink menu so your beverages are more likely to succeed.    Related episodes:  274 : Crafting Specialty Drinks in your Shop w/ Matt Foster” 317 : Encore Episode: Death by Comparison 282 : How to Listen to your Customers Taste the Rainbow! : Menu knowledge, tasting, flavor, coffee cupping approach to your offerings Don't fall into FOLO! (Fear of Limited Options) Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co  

Should you open a coffee shop? How hard could it be anyway? Thousands of people around the globe have a dream to open a cafe. Once open however that dream can quickly become a nightmare. I am thrilled to have been able to collaborate with fellow podcasters over at the Adventures in Coffee podcast to put together an episode that deals with this subject head on.  In this episode you will hear from several aspiring, and experienced entrepreneurs as James harper, Scott Bentley, and myself take you through the 3 major areas of inspiration and focus cafe owners need to be aware of. The money, the scene, and the dream.  This was awesome to get to be a part of and i hope you enjoy this very important and entertaining show!   Links: Adventures in Coffee Slate article: My Coffee Shop Nightmare By Michael Idov   Related Keys to the Shop episodes:  283 : 5 Bad Reasons to Open a Coffee Shop 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   Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? 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 long should you let your coffee age after roast? Is freshest always best? How can we ensure our customers get the coffee at its peak? These are some of the questions that we explore around the topic of ideal resting times for roasted coffee, the myths around freshness, and the best practices for managing your coffee's flavor life cycle. In this episode of RoR from Roast Magazine we are exploring the new data associated with ideal resting times for coffee based on a study recently conducted and written about in Roast and the implication it has for you, the customer, and the farmers. We are talking with the person who conducted this study, President of Cafe Kreyol, Joey Stazzone.  Joey Stazzone is the President (and Chief Coffee Hunter) of Cafe Kreyol. In 2012 Stazzone took his experience with chemistry, cross breeding, and backyard botany, and began working in developing countries with the goal of creating sustainable employment, through specialty coffee. Through a decade of hands-on experience working with producers, he has become an expert in fermentations and post harvest processing. Stazzone has been a licensed Q Grader since 2015, and became a CQI Lecturer on Quality Evaluation in 2022. He has been on the international jury for the Bolivia Quality Cup Presidential Tournament 4 times, and has given dozens of lectures on Direct and Transparent Trading as well as Fermentations and Post Harvest Processing. Through his work at Cafe Kreyol, he provides consulting to hundreds of producers a year, conducting experiments on coffee fermentations, pH testing, and post harvest processing, in order to help them develop the best possible product. Recently his company completed a scientific study on post roast resting times, and the impact on sensory evaluation which can be found HERE In our conversation we cover: Standard understanding of resting a degassing Relaying accurate information Cafe Kreyol’s experiment and results Tools and methods for evaluation How to use resting data in your Roastery Surprising results of long term degassing Roasting fast or slow and the impact on degassing How does this work with blends? Freshness and Marketing Subscribe to Roast Magazine! Use code "ROR" to get $5 off Links: www.cafekreyol.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 RoR #15 : Managing LTL Freight and the Nuances of green Shipping w/ Evan Gilman of Royal Coffee

The work of running a cafe seems to never be quite complete. While we know that chasing “ perfection” is not the goal, we would do well to embrace the idea of dial in and refinement in our work. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about what a summer woodworking project from years ago taught me about refining what we do in our cafes.   Related episodes: Higher Degrees of Imperfection 373 : The Owner’s Role: 5 Behaviors for Effectiveness Feedback Culture : Making feedback a part of what you do not just something you sometimes do 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge Turning Radius Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co  

The coffee shop is made up various tasks and roles that all work together to create something magical. Wen those roles are not clear or followed through on then the we lose the magic and gain frustration. No role in the cafe is as important than that of the owner (arguably managers but that's another topic), yet we rarely see owners having job descriptions let alone a schedule organized according to both the administrative / financial needs AND the areas of operations, quality, and people.  In today's episode we will discuss the 5 behaviors that are necessary for owners to successfully and effectively lead and manage those 3 areas so they can facilitate and create a thriving coffee shop.  We cover:  Operations, People, and Quality The need for detailed scheduled work Constant curiosity Tension as needed structure Honesty at all costs Using problems to discover and institute solutions Crafting systems needed for operations that serve the people Related Episodes: 314 : The 6 Essential Qualities of Coffee Shop Leaders 368 : Walking the Line Between Leadership and Friendship 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop 253 : Mindsets that Sabotage Success 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team   Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? 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  

Finally. It is time to get meta and have a Shift Break conversation about...shift breaks.  We all go to work with a finite amount of energy to use on that days tasks and responsibilities. Trouble is that we also tend to work well beyond the point at which we have used up our energy and subsist on coffee and fumes. The shift break is supposed to be something that allows for some respite in the midst of a busy day but is often more an idea than a regular and well resourced practice.  Today on Shift Break we will talk about the shift break, its role in the cafe, the reality of how we tend to minimize it, and why making it a reality for your staff is a critical part of caring for them and your business.    Related episodes:  Shift Break: Four Steps to Inspiring Your Staff How to Talk to Each Other The Importance of Debriefing Reasonable Expectations Main 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co    

Every day on bars across the globe baristas are using milk to create amazing drinks. For almost as long as coffee has been served in coffee shops, milk has been a staple ingredient. Yet, in spite of its ubiquity in coffee culture, we tend to focus (understandably) more on understanding and crafting coffee than we do the milk that today makes up such a. large portion of our menus.  Today you are in for a treat. We will be diving into the subject of milk from both a scientific perspective and a craft perspective. To do this we talk with two establish authorities on the subject, Morten Munchow and Emilee Bryant.  Morten Munchow is the Founder of Coffee Mind a coffee roasting academy, research, and consultancy company based in Denmark. Morten is a scholar of biology who through over ten years of intense practical and scientific research and application gained a unique insights that have pushed the specialty coffee industry forward worldwide. He is a sought after speaker and presenter having published several papers in scientific journals. Emilee Bryant is a long time award winning barista, latte art champion, internationally revered coffee content creator, and trainer with Counter Culture Coffee in NYC. When it comes to breaking down the craft of coffee, milk steaming and latte art, Emilee is second to none in effectively communicating concepts that lead to consistently great results.  In both conversations we get very technical and specific about the how what and why of milk as a product and then the practical steps needed to craft that milk into a beautiful texture to add to our coffee.  I hope you listen deeply and leave this episode with more clarity, understanding, and confidence regarding the science and craft of milk! Links: Morten:   www.coffee-mind.com Instagram Emilee:  Youtube @emstagrim Related episodes: 047 : Mastering Latte Art : Some of the worlds best latte masters weigh in! 333: Bridging the Professional and Home Barista Gap w/ Lance Hedrick of Onyx Coffee Lab RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind” 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces 119 : Barista Training Masterclass w/ 2009 WBC Champion, Gwilym Davies       Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? 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 got a great question in from a listener. "How should managers be appraising staff?" I love it because it gets beyond the trope of the holy trinity of delegation (Schedule + Inventory/ordering + Shift coverage) and assumes correctly that a manager should be involved in the development of their team.  So today on Shift Break we will be talking about the how of apprising staff as manager as well as the preparations necessary to be effective with your coaching, feedback, and reviews.  Don't miss this one! Related Episodes: 243 : Encore Episode! “The Sleepwalking Barista (Owner)” The Difference of Deference to your Staff      Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co  

We all are susceptible to the siren song of trying to fix a place or a person to our own detriment. In the moment it seems like the right move and there is a sense higher calling an nobility pushing us forward. The reality though is that for certain cafes and bosses, there is no reformation only resistance and a dedication to the ways that will eventually drive you into the ground.  On today's episode we will be discussing why you should not try to be a hero at the expense of your own well being and what you can do to use this current circumstance you may find yourself in for your long term betterment instead of a desperate bid save a pace and sacrifice yourself in the process.    Related episodes:  162 : Discussing “Baristastainability” w/ Jenna Gotthelf of Counter Culture Coffee 031 : Essential Advice for New Baristas : Tips to help you successfully navigate and thrive in your new coffee career 363 : Setting Boundaries in the Coffee Shop w/ Tom Henschel 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge Shift Break: Creating a Feedback Culture    Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? 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 excited to present to you another great interview with an inspirational founder! This time we get to hear the story of the founding an development of a business that has long been a pillar of specialty coffee in the U.S.. We are talking with Tony Dreyfuss, Co-Founder of the award winning Metropolis Coffee Company!  Tony started Metropolis Coffee with his Father Jeff Dreyfuss in 2003 and they continue to own and run it to this day. In the span of 2 decades Metropolis has established itself as both an iconic specialty coffee roaster and shop, winning many awards for its coffee and overall business, but also as a pillar of the community it serves in Chicago. The values and passion for of diversity, quality, and locally rooted service are the foundations that make Metropolis as effective and successful as they are.  Today we will be diving into the story of Metropolis as we talk with Tony about everything from his first exposure to coffee and getting hooked on the scene- to founding and growing Metropolis with all the high and low points along the way.  We cover: Discovering coffee and becoming a coffee guy Experiences at Pete's and planning his own shop First steps into coffee as a career and then as an owner Working with family and building the brand Using experience + Learning new business lessons  Coffee offerings then and now Inclusivity model and hiring nice people Cultural diversity and a people first approach  Learning from mistakes and embracing authenticity Thoughts on the industry shift toward accessible offerings Most important issue in coffee right now Links: https://www.metropoliscoffee.com/ Metropolis Coffee Instagram @metropoliscoffeeco   Related Episodes:  366: A Conversation w/ Chris Baca of Cat and Cloud Coffee 204 : Founder Friday w/ Jeff Taylor of PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. & Bird Rock Coffee! 075 : Founder Friday w/Jill Killen of Cloud City Coffee, Seattle Washington 329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff 282 : How to Listen to your Customers 367 : Designing Your Coffee Shop for Community w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman Your Peers are not your Customers Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

One of the top questions I get asked is about how to improve employee morale. As someone who has conducted and sat through his fair share of meetings designed around this issue,  I can tell you with a fair degree of certainty what does not work.  On todays Shift Break we will be talking about the wrong way to improve employee morale as well as the right way to begin truly fixing the problem instead of throwing a lot of meetings and initiatives at it.  Please listen to these recommended and related episodes: Fix the Small Stuff! : Management, Morale, Coffee Bar Culture The One-on-One : How one meeting can dramatically impact your coffee shop's culture and morale. Four Steps to Inspiring Your Staff Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co  

It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway - first impressions matter a lot! When a customer enters your business the person that sets the tone for them is usually the barista working the cash register. With this fact in mind you'd think most bars would then invest heavily in training and equipping their staff to work this station with the same or even greater finesse than a barista. But you'd be wrong. Mostly we tend to under equip and push to the side this area and it shows.  On today's episode we will be revisiting an old episode that deals directly with this topic and will give you 6 skills that are needed to do a wonderful job at the cash register.  Please also listen to the recommended episodes below to dive deeper into the subject and let it motivate you to take action on improving the experience your staff and customers have at the POS.  Recommended episodes: Up-selling and Hospitality: Helping Customers Make Good Decisions 271 : Why the Cash Register Controls Everything 085 : How we Ruin the Specialty Experience 045 : Simple, Powerful Hospitality w/ Philip Turner Empowering Staff to make the right Call   Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? 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  

There is always a general sense of anxiety present when it comes to running a coffeehouse. Part of the reason for that is that problems are always popping up and we need to then deal with them. The other reason for why this anxiety seems perpetual has to do with the fact that for most operators, problems are not specific enough to do anything about.  On today's Shift break we will be exploring how digging into the problems you experience and making them more specific, will give you a far great chance of finding peace of mind and solutions amidst the challenges of running a cafe.  Related episodes: Slowing down your Response Time The Miracle of the Mundane: How curiosity helps our sustainability 125 : Confidence in Conflict w/ Kwame Christian : A framework for Compassionate Curiosity 052 : Solving Coworker Conflict w/ Tom Henschel 165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

We have a problem. There are plenty of people in leadership positions but many of them are afraid to step into their role and opt instead to try to avoid the difficulty by being friends with everyone. I'll bet you know a manager or owner like this and I'll also bet it was not necessarily an endearing quality.  In an environment where community, teamwork, and close quarters are constants, it is natural to feel the tension between leadership and friendship. Today we are going to be hashing out why this tension exists, how it has led to some bad situations, and what to do to make sure you are and trusted, respected AND effective leader in the coffee shop.  We cover: Why we try to run form authority Futility of friendship alchemy Bias and toxicity Avoidant behavior and Self awareness Embracing your role and authority for good Using the difference  Keeping your distance while connecting Related episodes I think you will enjoy: 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   Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? 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  

When we promise our customers a specialty experience in our shops they would logically assume that promise of quality might extend to the bathroom. Alas, it is not so. Not at least for many shops.  On today's Shift Break we are going to be talking about how the way you care for you cafe bathroom is a direct reflection of how you care for you guests and why we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard.  Related episodes: 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop Spiders and Customer Service 175 : How to Keep your Cool : A Fridge, Cooler, and Ice Machine Masterclass w/ Luke Peterson of The Maintenance Department! 367 : Designing Your Coffee Shop for Community w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman   Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com   Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

It goes without saying that most of us want our shops to be a place that attracts and fosters community. The question though is how exactly to we intentionally build our spaces to accomplish that. If we are honest, probably not as much thought or effort get put into setting up a space to purposely create community as is necessary. Well you are in luck! Today we are talking with returning guest and expert on interior design and how to create community conducive spaces, Dr. Lisa Waxman! Dr. Waxman, Ph.D. is a professor and chair of the Interior Architecture + Design department at Florida State University. Her research includes topics related to the design of spaces that foster community, sustainable design, and design for special populations. She is an NCIDQ certificate holder, a LEED-AP and a licensed interior designer in Florida. Dr. Waxman has served in many capacities on the board of the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC), including president-elect, president and past-president from 2010 until 2013. She was honored as a Fellow of IDEC in 2008. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).  Her teaching expertise includes environment and behavior, design issues, sustainability and studio. Dr. Waxman has authored an incredible number of scholarly works and has won many awards for her work.  In our interview today we will be discussing her new book "Designing Coffee Shops and Cafes for Community" and diving into the practical ways we can build great 3rd places for our communities.  We cover: Perspective of community and the 3rd place Biological roots of out need for connection Balance of community success and commercial success. Familiar stangers Key components of place attachment How are our cafes counteracting community Values, mission, and identity reflection Branding and un-branding Thinking about Lighting, texture, sound, and smell Working around space restraints Community with mobile operations? Welcoming and serving a variety of demographics Service is critical Links: BUY: Designing Cafes and Coffee Shops for Community   Mentioned resource:  Together Book    Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? 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

It is critical to pay baristas and staff from a place of generosity. We like to say "Pay what you can, not what you can get away with". In many cases though there is a lack of knowledge of how to manage income once it is paid. If we want to pay our staff a living wage then I believe we should also help provide some help on how to manage it.  On today's shift break we will be talking about the issue of financial mismanagement of wages and how operators can equip their staff have a healthy view of and handle on their income leading to a better quality of life.  Related episodes:  160 : The Smart Way to Approach Money w/ Jill Schlesinger 223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll 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

We all want leadership and cafe culture that inspires. Through  personal and professional development we can learn how to create an environments where our values and core beliefs are lived out in real time. In spite of the inevitable challenges, set backs, and failures that come with entrepreneurship and leadership, when we bring our true selves to work in good faith with others, magic happens. This is what today's guest, Chris Baca has accomplished at the globally celebrated shop and roastery, Cat and Cloud Coffee.  Chris Baca is the co-owner of Cat and Cloud and inspires thousands around the world through his YouTube channel and writing at www.chrisbaca.com where he focuses on finding joy in your work and putting ideas into action. Over two decades he has carved out a consistent people and hospitality focused career where ever he was working. Through the founding and growth of Cat and Cloud he has learned an incredible amount about himself, the nature of cafe leadership, and how to cultivate a culture that truly leaves every person they it touches in a better place.  He believes we all have gifts to share, and that the world would be better off if we are brave enough to share those gifts. In our conversation today we dive deep into development,  leadership, overcoming challenges, and creating a dynamic culture of clarity and mutuality in the cafe We cover: Developing skills and his career The fear and challenge of leading the first groups of staff The gravity of leadership and urgency about the right thing The reason for starting cat and cloud Empathy and self compassion Living by Values and core beliefs. Communicating clearly Enrollment vs enforcement Finding magic in the mundane Challenging yourself Boss and staff  Striving to understand each other Next steps to building a culture of care  Links: www.chrisbaca.com www.catandcloud.com Chris on Instagram @realchrisbaca   Related episodes: 055 : Personal Growth & Development w/ Jared Truby, Cat & Cloud Coffee 341: How to Think About Success 018: Hiring, Culture, and the Future of your Shop 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017 303 : Create Authentic Partnerships w/ Marc Gessler of Cat & Cloud Coffee 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

There has been a lot of publicity around the phrase "Quiet Quitting" in the last few weeks. In short this is explained as employees doing bare minimum and as giving up on their jobs without explicitly quitting. It would be easy to chalk this up to some generational quirk or attribute of the modern age but what is really happening may be deeper.  Today on Shift Break we will discuss quiet quitting, what is behind it, and how to move forward together in a way that will reengage both employees and leaders in the coffee shop.    Related Episodes:  When Going Above and Beyond Goes to Far Specific Expectations and Due Dates Being the Point of Clarity Helping Managers Avoid Burnout Please Clarify: Making sure you and your boss are on the same page   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  

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