Barista Craft Episodes
472: Why Technical Skill as a Leader is Not Enough w/ Jonathan Raymond, Refound, Author: Good Authority
Leadership, PodcastBeing technically skilled as a leader is a small part of what makes one effective. The larger part of cafe effective leadership has to do with emotional skill and how we either create or destroy relationship in the daily life of our coff...
RoR #29 : A Coffee Roaster’s Career Journey, Leigh Wentzle, Cedar Coffee
Podcast, RoastingAs a roaster your career can go through many different unique phases, all of which will tech you different things about the craft, the business, leadership, and even entrepreneurship. Not least among the things you learn is how to use bo...
452: Championing the Customer Experience in Coffee w/ 3x SA Barista Champion, Winston Douglas Thomas of Cedar Coffee
Barista Craft, Hospitality, PodcastThe world of professional specialty coffee can be both inspiring and intimidating with many customers and new baristas feeling lost in the mix of rules, methods, and information. How can we create a great experience for guests and staff ...
451: Business Growth, Integrity, and Coffee Farmer Equity w/ Martin Mayorga of Mayorga Coffee
Business, Podcast, Roasting, Supply Chain, UncategorizedWhen Martin Mayorga first entered the coffee industry it was not as someone whose singular passion was the product, but the people and communities behind it that were unseen and more often that not, un rewarded for their work. Born in G...
450: A Conversation About Mobile Apps and Hospitality w/ Joe Capone of Espressly
Coffee Tech, Hospitality, Podcast, techHospitality is a pursuit that relies on our ability to not only offer our guests excellence in quality, consistency, and interaction, but it also relies on us being able to select tools for delivery of our service that line up with our v...
RoR #28 : Ease and Accessibility in Sample Roasting w/ Andrew Stordy, Inventor/Founder of IKAWA
Podcast, RoastingSample roasting empowers people with the knowledge of possibility locked in the coffee. Bringing sample roasting that provides for more continuity and better communication to more professionals in the value chain, especially at origin, i...
449: Convenience and Automation in Coffee w/ Tim Cox of Franke Coffee Systems
Podcast, techThe coffee market is much bigger than just specialty coffee. In fact specialty makes up just a fraction of coffee consumed globally. The advent of convenience coffee service is growing lock step with innovations in automation and that ha...
448: Founder Friday! Part 2 “Switching Gears” | w/ Doug Zell of Intelligentsia and The Meteor!
Founder Friday, PodcastIn this second part of our 2 part Founder Friday we switch gears with Doug Zell, founder of the iconic coffee company Intelligentsia Coffee. In the years that followed the acquisition of Intelligentsia, Doug entered into a new era of cre...
448: Founder Friday! Part 1 “Switching Gears” | w/ Doug Zell of Intelligentsia and The Meteor!
Founder Friday, PodcastThe landscape of specialty coffee has been influenced by many people and companies over the last few decades. The foundations of the standards and methods we use now, at one time, were merely ideas waiting for someone to put them into ac...
447: Understanding the Business of Coffee w/ Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood
Business, Podcast, Supply ChainThe world of coffee trade and commerce is complex to say the least. The difference between a business that succeeds and one that flounders is largely based on how well we know the business of coffee and how we move wisely within it as we...
446: Building a People-First Coffee Tech Culture w/ Jason “Double J” Johnson, Black Rabbit Service Co.
Career, Coffee Tech, Leadership, PodcastAs the tools we use to craft coffee multiply, so too does the need for companies to keep the machines running well. Service techs are an essential segment of the industry and in an industry based on hospitality and service, it is importa...
445: Evolution of the Machine-Barista Relationship w/ Ryan Willbur of Synesso Coffee Systems
Podcast, techThe magic baristas can render from coffee relies on not just their skill and the incredible efforts from producers and roasters, but also on the quality of the equipment they have to work with. Over the past couple decades the quality an...
444: Founder Friday! w/ Julia Peixoto Peters of Peixoto Coffee, Arizona
Business, Founder Friday, Podcast, Supply ChainBetween the moment a farmer hands over their crop, to the moment a barista hands a customer a cup of that same coffee, there is a complex system that will either bring hope and equity to those most vulnerable, or reinforce the hopelessne...
443: Want Impactful Messaging? Keep it Simple! w/ Author Ben Guttmann
Business, PodcastWhy do we overcomplicate things? Certainly details matter with SOPs , recipes, etc…but communication to our customers and staff can often be more confusing than helpful in delivering the impact and purpose we intend. The coffee shop is a...
441: How to Achieve Operational Excellence w/ Laila Ghambari
Management, Podcast, TrainingA coffee shop cannot survive without having excellent operational systems and tools that bring together and make consistent all the craft, values, and magic we want from a cafe experience Just like the work of a barista, 75% of what we d...
440 : What Should Scare You About Coffee
Career, PodcastWorking in coffee, you come across a lot of unexpected career pitfalls. Things that you may not have expected that can lurk just around the corner and lead us off track in our careers and our businesses. That should scare us. At least it...
Founder Friday! Youth, Foster Care, and Human Connections Through Coffee | w/ Miah Sommer of Astute Coffee in Omaha, NE
Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastMore than 23k youth age out of the foster care system each year. Many of these young people, because of the trauma and instability, end up at higher risk of addiction, homelessness, financial instability and worse. One man whose own ...
438 : How to be the CEOwner w/ Erin Young of Red Buffalo Cafe
Leadership, Management, PodcastOpening a running a successful cafe is no easy task. I requires passion as well as attention to the details around systems, relationships, and being able to grow yourself as a leader in that environment. Today we are going to be explorin...
437 : The New Age of the Barista: Mindsets + Habits for Success
Career, PodcastWhat does it take to be successful as a barista or even just a coffee professional today? I believe the main differentiator for cafes is the experience and the main differentiator for baristas is how they approach their role. This will d...
436: Stop Burn Out! and Make Work Effortless w/ Greg McKeown | Best Selling Author “Effortless”
Business, Career, Management, PodcastHow many times have we heard that we are supposed to give work our all? Give 100% or even 110%? And then we wonder how it is that professional baristas, managers, and owners burn out on a regular basis. I’d say it is high time we look at...
435 : Encore! It’s OK to be the Boss, w/ Bruce Tulgan
Management, PodcastFully stepping into your authority is an act of service. Your position as a leader is meant to serve those you lead. But if you do not think it is ok to be the boss, you will simply be a bad an ineffective boss vs one that takes a strong...
434 : Founder Friday | Leo Ferreira | Puzzle Coffee Shop, Tanzania!
Founder Friday, Podcast, Supply ChainTanzania is well known the world over for growing and exporting wonderful and iconic coffees. Mostly every coffee professional has enjoyed a Tanzania Peaberry coffee. Yet, much like most coffee farming countries, Tanzanias internal consu...
RoR #26 : How to Approach Roasting Fine Robusta w/ Cleia Junqueira | Consultant + Q-Robusta Grader
Podcast, RoastingFine robusta has been the hot topic of conversation in the specialty industry these last few years and for good reason. What was once relegated to the sidelines has been showing up on offering sheets and coffee menus of some of the wor...
433: Winning Staff and Customer Loyalty
Business, Hospitality, Leadership, Management, PodcastHow do I find loyal staff and win loyal customers? This question and many like it has been asked thousands of times as we deal with incredible amounts of turn over in our shops. We have tried tricks, incentives, benefits of all kinds but...
432 : How to Win in Specialty Retail Coffee
Business, Management, PodcastIt is a new era is specialty retail coffee. Great coffee can be found very easily in most major cities and people are making better coffee at home than they ever have. Add to this the ubiquity of RTD (Ready to Drink) coffee and a wide va...
431: An Exercise in Listening to Coffee w/ Alexander Roach of Boycott Coffee + The Alphabet Book of Coffee
PodcastAs professionals, our communication about coffee is only as good as our ability to truly tune in to the message that emerges from the many different voices that give shape to the story of coffee. In the noisy world innovating ways to con...
430 : Embracing “Unreasonable Hospitality” w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference
Business, Leadership, PodcastCoffee is all about human connection. That we get to create both the beverage and the experience people have when enjoying it is at once a great responsibility, a joy, and an opportunity to change lives through our hospitality in each in...
RoR #25 : Training Up the Next Generation of Roasters w/ Steve Lee of Pocket Knife Consulting + Linea Caffe
Podcast, RoastingEffectively training up an apprentice roaster is key not only to your succession, the growth of your business, and the consistency of your quality, -but providing a great learning environment and approach to education and coaching will p...
SPECIAL! Part 2 | Coffee Fest Anaheim 2023 w/ Steve Chang of Copa Vida Cafe and Jon Ferguson of Coffee Tech Central
PodcastWelcome to Part 2 of the Coffee Fest live on the show floor interviews from Anaheim, CA 2023! This time we are starting off with an interview with Steve Chang, Founder of Copa Vida Cafe! Currently the owner of Copa Vida Café (10 loc...
SPECIAL! Part 1| Coffee Fest Anaheim 2023 w/ Kenneth Davids and Madeleine Longoria Garcia
PodcastWelcome to Part 1 of the Coffee Fest live on the show floor interviews from Anaheim, CA 2023! It was a pleasure to kick things of with coffee legend and returning guest, Kenneth Davids! Kenneth has been involved with coffee since the e...
429 : Believing You CAN Run a Great Shop w/ Michael Ryan of Threadbare Coffee Consulting
Business, PodcastIn the face of necessary reality checks and the inherent ups and downs of starting and running a coffee shop, there must always exist the foundational idea that “You can do this” and “It is possible”. That belief in possibility is what d...
428 : Founder Friday | Maxwell Mooney’s Final Chapter at Narrative Coffee and New Beginnings
Business, Founder Friday, PodcastEarly on in the podcast (2019) I had Maxwell on to tell the story of Narrative and then 3 more times since then to discuss deeper topics related to running a great shop, dealing with challenges, and tools to success. I have known him for...
427 : Encore Episode: What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap
Leadership, Management, PodcastWhile culture is a needed focus, today it has become the hottest buzz word that can mean almost anything. What is most useful these days as we rightly focus on culture is a lens through which to view it that brings clarity and helps guid...
426: Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Management, Podcast, TrainingHaving an engaged staff that are motivated and inspired to not just get through the shift, but to truly invest into the cafe and help improve things is a dream shared by many owners. This culture where each individual team member takes o...
425 : Some Thoughts on Supporting Your Manager
Management, PodcastManagers hold the key to the success of the shop. They are tasked with taking all the people, place, and processes and making them work well together day to day. When a manager is correctly supported by the owner then they are able to do...
424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides
Business, Management, PodcastWhen it comes to our training and resourcing of staff we often have a desire for people to “get it” and to be detail oriented, but fail to give them much to “get” or to orient them to the details. This results in inconsistency and frustr...
423 : Founder Friday! w/ Danny and Michelle Quiroz of Reserva Coffee Roasters | McAllen, TX
Founder Friday, PodcastI am so excited to present this Founder Friday with two people who are doing amazing things in coffee! I met them in the first year of their business in 2018 as clients and they have done a great job of growing their business with excell...
ROR #24 : Perspectives on Roasting for Espresso w/ Jaroslav Tuček of Doubleshot, Czech Republic
Podcast, RoastingRoasting for espresso is a tricky business. Not only are there multiple variables that inherently complicate the extraction process but there is also a wide variety of opinion is and preferences for what the final flavor experience shoul...
422: Coffee Truck Success w/ Vincent LaVolpa of Green Joe Coffee School
Business, PodcastOne of the best options for getting started in coffee without as much risk is a coffee truck. Especially emphasized post-pandemic, mobile concepts like coffee trucks have grow exponentially and with it the need for reliable information o...
421: Encore Episode: Simple, Powerful, Hospitality w/ Philip Paul Turner
Hospitality, PodcastOne of the most important aspects of our business is how we welcome people into our space. Early on in the KTTS podcast I sat down with someone who I still consider to be one of the best examples of showing genuine hospitality in a way t...
420: Design Meaningful Roles in the Cafe
Business, Management, PodcastYou see it all the time, a barista is promoted to a role such as trainer, manager, cafe lead etc, but they quickly find that there is very little preparation that has gone into this role. They are either simply not doing much, but now ...
418: Founder Friday! w/ John and Luigi Di Ruocco of Mr. Espresso, Oakland, CA
Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday! Leaving a legacy and making an impact on the industry is something we all want for our businesses. Few companies get to the place where they can say they have not only achieved this but done so it a way that stays tr...
ROR #23 : How to Close the Industry-Consumer Flavor Gap w/ Phil Beattie, Dillanos Coffee Roasters
Podcast, RoastingAs an industry, our flavor preferences turn into what we market, which turn communicates a message about quality and what people should care about when it comes to “the best” coffees. Too often we are content to let the our message be in...
416 : People-First Principles for Growing Your Shop w/ Mike McFall of Biggby Coffee
Business, Leadership, PodcastGrowing you coffee shop is about more than just adding locations. Growth has to do with developing internal resilience, culture, and practices that are life giving to those who work in the business and to you as the owner. Ultimately the...
415: The Best Lessons On How to Listen w/ Listening Expert, Oscar Trimboli
Leadership, Management, PodcastLearning how to listen is the cornerstone of effective and transformative communication. In the hustle and fast paced daily activities of the coffee shop, it is easy to forget about listening and truly understanding what is being said be...
414: Secret Ingredients for a Successful Coffee Shop
Business, Leadership, PodcastThe barrier of entry for getting a coffee shop open is lower than ever. Many have the idea that if they can get the shop open, then they have succeeded. But the test is not only about whether you can open a shop, or even if you can kee...
413 : Coffee Education and Training at Origin w/ Fabiola Solano of Soy Barista
Podcast, TrainingIn order to train people in coffee and barista skills you have to not only be a student of your subject, but also a student of your students and their unique context. In recent years we have seen an incredible explosion of coffee eductio...
RoR # 22 : Master Insights on Roaster Maintenance and Care w/ Doug Graf, Vintage Coffee
Podcast, RoastingSetting up and maintaining a roaster for functionality, safety, and quality output is perhaps the biggest challenge of roasting. There are many variables and trades that go into it and it is easy to skip some steps, be less than detailed...
412 : Founder Friday! w/ Lem Butler and Kyle Ramage of Black and White Coffee Roasters
Founder Friday, Podcast, RoastingIt’s Founder Friday! Partnerships in coffee bars can be tricky things. You really have to make sure you have complimentary character traits as well as a unified s12et of values to help guide you through the ups and downs of business in a...
411 : Excellence, Approachable Coffee, and Always Learning w/ Kenneth Thomas of Umble Coffee and Coffee 101 Podcast
Podcast, RoastingOpportunities for specialty coffee still abound in certain areas of the American South. With those opportunities comes challenges of communicating coffee in a way that both meets people where they are, and helps open them up to new exper...
410 : A Conversation w/ 2023 U.S. Barista Champion, Isaiah Sheese of Archetype Coffee
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastTenacity, humility, and curiosity. Whether you are working as a barista, competing, opening your own shop and roastery, these are character traits that are essential for success. Today we are talking with someone whose long career in cof...
408: Coffee Tools, Music, and Serving the Community w/ Anita Tam of Slow Pour Supply Co.
Business, Leadership, PodcastThe world of coffee is saturated with suppliers of tools and equipment. Most are seeking the transaction and chasing the opportunity the current market has afforded them. Precious few suppliers are truly passionate about their customer...
RoR # 21 : Data, Community, and the Art of Roasting w/ U.S. Roasters Champion Andrew Coe of Elevator Coffee
Podcast, RoastingOn this Rate of Rise episode I am thrilled to get to have a conversation with the new U.S. roasting Champion, Andrew Coe of Elevator Coffee in Portland, OR Andrew Coe is the owner and roaster at Elevator Coffee in Portland, OR, founded i...
406 : Five Ways to Immediately Improve Your Coffee Quality
Barista Craft, PodcastOut of all the reasons that may be contributing to customers either loving or avoiding your shop, the quality of your drink beverages actually ranks pretty high. The trouble is, we all tend to assume that we have pretty much achieved a l...
405: Beyond the Schedule w/ Wil Brawley of Schedulefly
PodcastTechnology and tools are meant to serve people, not the other way around. As we multiply apps, software, snd services in the name of optimization and ease, it can become harder to truly connect as we begin relying on these innovations to...
404 : Education, Home Brewing, and Launching a Roastery w/ Kyle Rowsell, September Coffee
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingCreating in depth, engaging, and ultimately helpful educational content is no easy task. Today the number of options we have for gear, techniques, and the coffee itself are daunting to say the least. It is this vast field of options that...
RoR #20 : Challenging the Status Quo w/ David Lalonde of Rabbit Hole Roasters, Montreal, Quebec
Podcast, RoastingWhen you think about success in roasting coffee, you will more than likely be concerned first and foremost with quality. While quality is critical, it is not the only factor. And success itself is more than a measure of your businesses p...
401 : Founder Friday! w/ Jack Benchakul of Endorffiene in Los Angeles
Business, Founder Friday, PodcastCreating a moment of delight and excellence is what we all want to do when we set up our shops and make coffee for others. We also want to be delighted ourselves with the things we create and feel a sense of pride in each and every drink...
400 : The Values of Speed and Service w/ Jaime Denney of Scooter’s Coffee
Business, PodcastThe market place of coffee has seen rapid expansion of drive thrus and concepts focused on quick service. There is no doubt that customers appreciate speed when it comes to their coffee, better than speed though is speed plus service. ...
399: Encore Episode! How to Change Things in the Cafe
Business, PodcastFrom the first day you open the doors to your coffee shop one thing confronts you as a constant. Change. In order to run a healthy business we have to embrace changing things in the cafe in order to provide for the needs of the people an...
398: The 5 Biggest Mistakes Coffee Shops Make
Business, PodcastCoffee shops can have everything going for them on paper, but it is what is practiced in the day to day that determines whether you are successful. The truth is, mistakes happen. They are unavoidable. Certain mistakes, though, have a g...
RoR #19 : A Vision of Sustainable Roasting w/ Arlo Holschuh of Bellwether Roasters
Podcast, RoastingSustainability can become more of a reality if we determine to use the tools at our disposal wisely. Perhaps even more so if the tools we use to roast evolve to better address the many concerns we have in the coffee industry. That is wha...
397: Diversity and The Color of Coffee w/ Keith Hawkins, The Color of Coffee Collective
Career, Leadership, PodcastCreating opportunities for a wide group of people to experience coffee seems like a goal we have for just for consumers. As good of a goal as that is, it is equally and maybe even more important that this goal be applied to the people wh...
396 : Founder Friday: Before + After Edition! w/ Jonathan Pascual of the Newly Opened Opo Coffee.
Founder Friday, PodcastWelcome to another before and after edition of Founder Friday! Occasionally we sit down with an entrepreneur who is in the process of opening their shop to talk about what they are planning, hoping for, and doing right now. Then we co...
395: Connecting Roasters and Producers w/ Henry Wilson of Perfect Daily Grind and The Producer Roaster Forum!
Podcast, Supply ChainSpecialty coffee has its fair share of challenges across the supply chain. Solutions for those challenges are only as good as how they were created, namely, whether they were created collaboratively and with deference to those most impac...
394 : Happy Coffee People w/ Wendelien van Bunnik
Career, PodcastWhy so serious? Coffee is a beverage that inspires a wide range of emotions but within the specialty industry in organizations, competitions, and businesses it has somehow moved away from one of the main emotions that draws so many to it...
393 : The Tyranny of Taste w/ Kosta Kallivrousis
Podcast, Supply ChainSpecialty coffee has been defined by a difference in quality and taste for a very long time. It is the central value that creates the markets that we currently operate in. The problem with this though is that taste as a value is, in the ...
392 : Cafe Management and the Importance of Team w/ Justin Duenne of Quills Coffee
Management, PodcastThe journey of a barista often will lead to management. That particular role of leadership in the cafe comes with a host of changes that call on people to not only care for the quality and operations of the cafe, but the people themselve...
381 : Founder Friday! w/ Megan Wilson of Spuds Coffee in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Founder Friday, Podcast. It is Founder Friday and boy is this a wonderful conversation with a wonderful person. You simply cannot underestimate the importance of what an owner brings to a cafe and business. You as a leader have the opportunity to bring meaning...
390 : 7 Ways to be Consciously Competitive
Business, Podcast, UncategorizedBeing competitive in business is often thought of in the same vein as being aggressive, leading with fear, and creating an us vs them scenario that is antithetical to community. The reality is that while we need to be competitive in orde...
389: How to Approach Modern Coffee Processing w/ Christopher Feran
Podcast, Roasting, Supply ChainA lot has changed in coffee over the last couple decades. As roasters and baristas, our understanding of the current landscape of coffee processing, its impact on flavor, and the possibilities it contains will greatly determine our succe...
388 : Insurance and Risk Mitigation w/ Brennan Pothetes of Butter Insurance
Business, Coffee Tech, PodcastRunning a coffee shop means you take on a fair degree of risk. This is why having and understanding of insurance that is appropriate for your shop is critical. On top of that you need to make sure the insurance you do have is optimized a...
387 : Innovation and Building a Better Coffee Business w/ Miranda Caldwell
Business, PodcastAs the 2023 begins it is a great time to take inventory of our cafes and roasteries and really look at what we have done and where we can not only improve, but what needs to change. How can we keep up with the changing industry while sti...
386 : A Look Back at the Lessons of 2022
Business, Leadership, Management, PodcastWhat 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 a...
385 : Founder Friday! w/ Arick Davis and Sarah Laman of Last Mile Cafe, Grand Rapids, MI
Business, Founder Friday, PodcastOn 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 a...
384 : How to Run a Successful Coffee Cart w/ Sarah Naylor of Daybreak Coffee Cart
Business, Hospitality, PodcastThere 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 ...
383 : How to Train a Manager
Leadership, Management, Podcast, UncategorizedIt 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” att...
RoR #17 : Evolving Our Approach to Cupping w/ Charlie Habegger of Royal Coffee
Podcast, Roasting, Supply ChainCupping 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...
382 : Hospitality, Innovation, and the Birth of a Brewer w/ Etkin Design Co-founders, Michael Butterworth and Özgür Jerdan.
Coffee Tech, Hospitality, PodcastInnovation 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 ol...
381 : Changing our Perspective on Tea w/ Annie Xiang of Volition Tea
Barista Craft, Podcast, Supply ChainHow 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 atten...
380 : Founder Friday! w/ Cary and Cindy Arsaga of Arsaga’s Coffee Roasters
Business, Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastHow 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 yoursel...
379 : Encore Episode! How to Deliver Difficult Feedback w/ Tom Henschel : Plus Bonus Content
Career, PodcastCommunicating 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) tha...
378: 5 Areas to Develop in Managers
Career, Leadership, PodcastIt 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 t...
377 : Coffee, Mindfulness, and the Art of Observation w/ Rob Sykes
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastPhotography 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. T...
376: Career, Coffee Quality, and Advancing the Industry w/ Mat North, of Raw Material
Business, Career, Podcast, Roasting, Supply ChainSome 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 inde...
375 : Founder Friday! w/ Roland Horne of WatchHouse
Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastI 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, W...
374: Opening a Coffee Shop: Fantasy vs Reality (w/ bonus commentary)”
Business, PodcastShould 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 wit...
RoR #16 : Ideal Resting Times for Roasted Coffee w/ Joey Stazzone of Cafe Kreyol
Podcast, RoastingHow 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 roast...
373 : The Owner’s Role: 5 Behaviors for Effectiveness
Business, Leadership, PodcastThe 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 import...
372 : Milk Steaming Master Class: Science + Craft w/ Morten Munchow and Emilee Bryant!
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingEvery 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 ten...
370: Founder Friday! w/ Tony Dreyfuss of Metropolis Coffee Company, Chicago, Illinois
Founder Friday, PodcastI 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 tal...
369: Encore Episode! How to be a Cash Register Hero
Barista Craft, Business, PodcastIt 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...
368 : Walking the Line Between Leadership and Friendship
Leadership, Management, PodcastWe 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...
367 : Designing Your Coffee Shop for Community w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman
Business, Hospitality, Podcast, Supply ChainIt 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 t...
366: A Conversation w/ Chris Baca of Cat and Cloud Coffee
Business, Career, Leadership, Podcast, UncategorizedWe 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 ch...
365 : Spilling the Beans on Global Coffee Culture w/ Lani Kingston
Podcast, Supply ChainCoffee 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 enjo...
364 Founder Friday w/ Sarah Alakeel of Hjeen Coffee in Saudi Arabia
Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastI 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...
363 : Setting Boundaries in the Coffee Shop w/ Tom Henschel
Career, Leadership, PodcastWorking 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...
RoR #15 : Managing LTL Freight and the Nuances of green Shipping w/ Evan Gilman of Royal Coffee
Podcast, Roasting, Supply ChainHow 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 ma...
361: Managing Roastery Relationships and Logistics w/ Corey Turner of Andytown Coffee Roasters
Management, Podcast, RoastingFrom the perspective of the cafe, the world of the roastery seems to be shrouded in mystery. Indeed, as we have said on the show before, roasting is practically its own business with its own ecosystem of relationships and systems. Todays...
360: Encore Episode! Hosting Consumer Coffee Classes: 7 Tips for Success
Barista Craft, Business, Podcast, TrainingIn the shop we serve people the product of our own training and understanding. We also sell them ideas of what coffee can be and our customers will frequently be frustrated at the gap of quality between the shop and their kitchen. This i...
359 : Founder Friday! w/ Nigel Price of Drip Coffee Makers NYC
Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday once again and I am thrilled to shine a light on someone who has built their business on a heart for people, relationships, and an offering of accessible quality coffees. Today we are talking with the founder of Drip ...
358 : Changing Coffee Through Proportional Pricing w/ Andy and Nanelle Newbom of Torque Coffee
Podcast, Roasting, Supply ChainThe system works exactly the way it was designed to work…and it needs to be broken. This is the goal of a new model of coffee trade introduced by Andy and Nanelle Newbom through their company Torque Coffee. Andy and Nanelle Newbom are li...
SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! Chicago 2022 Part 2 w/ Marissa Childers, Jess Gulino, and Tony Dreyfuss
PodcastWelcome to part two of a live series of interviews conducted on the show floor of Coffee Fest Chicago in June of 2022! In these interviews I sit down with stellar presenters and lecturers to dig deep into a range of relevant and importan...
SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! Chicago 2022 Part 1 w/ Luke Waite, Kris Christian, and Perfect Cube
PodcastWelcome to part on of a live series of interviews conducted on the show floor of Coffee Fest Chicago in June of 2022! In these interviews I sit down with stellar presenters and lecturers to dig deep into a range of relevant and important...
357 : A Conversation w/ Michael Tan of JWC Roastery in Malaysia
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingCommunicating, educating, and training boils down to how well you can connect with people to walk with them through information and transformation. If you want to be effective in these areas you need a whole lot of genuine passion and a ...
356 : 5 Barriers to Progress in Your Coffee Shop
Business, PodcastMany shops make sense on paper but in practice there is something missing. There are lot’s of unseen barriers to progress and success in your shop that get in the way of the best plans no matter how you rearrange the staff, equipment, ho...
355: Baristas! 6 Essential Qualities to Get Yourself Hired
Barista Craft, PodcastWhat are some of the qualities that potential employers most value in a barista and why are they important? Today you and I will chat about the answers and how they make a significant difference in how you are perceived and how you find ...
354 : Management Master Class w/ Ryan Fisher of Erewhon Market, L.A.
Management, PodcastOperations management is a distinct from cafe management. At a certain point in your coffee business’ growth it become necessary to have someone whose job it is to manage managers and oversee the operations of the retail shops. This is...
353 : Encore Episode! Founder Friday w/ Kathy Turiano of Joe Bean Roasters
Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s time to go back to an amazing episode of Founder Friday that teaches us about the power of taking risks and listening to what your heart is saying about your business. Back on episode 43 we interviewed Kathy Turiano of the multiple ...
352: Music, Culture, and Coffee w/ Hip Hop Artist, Propaganda
Barista Craft, PodcastAs long as it has been around, coffee has always attracted creative and artistic people. Whether it is the coffee shop serving as community gathering spots or just the coffee itself inspiring expression, coffee fuels art, music, culture,...
351 : Pro Tips for Using Spreadsheets w/ Maxwell Mooney, Narrative Coffee
Business, Management, PodcastIn order to have a profitable and consistent coffee shop you need to track and keep your data in order. Whether is labor, expenses, or COGs- spreadsheets are an essential tools to help you build a stable business. On today’s episode we s...
350 : The Physics of Filter Coffee w/ Jonathan Gagné
Barista Craft, Podcast, RoastingBrewing a great cup of coffee is what we all strive to do daily. Over the years, our own understanding of how to do this well has grown as the body of literature and content regarding brewing science has increased. Most recently one such...
349 : Talking About 21st Century Coffee w/ Kenneth Davids
Podcast, Supply ChainHow specialty coffee has evolved, been understood, and enjoyed has changed greatly over the past 50 years. Today get to talk someone whose career has not developed in parallel with the coffee industry but has been instrumental in advanci...
348: Founder Friday! w/ Benito Burmudez of Cafe Unido, Panama City, Panama!
Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday! We are traveling to Panama to learn about one of the greatest cafes and roasters, Cafe Unido through a wonderful conversation with its founder, Benito Burmudez. Inspired by the idea that Panama has some to of the wor...
347 : Brewing Coffee and a Career w/ U.S. Brewer’s Cup Champion, Elika Liftee
Career, Podcast, TrainingBrewing a great cup of coffee is like crafting a career in coffee, it take intentionality, consistency, and a humility that keeps in mind the end goal of all your efforts. These are some of the qualities that make today’s guest, Elika Li...
346: Connecting People Through Coffee w/ Celeste Wong of The Girl in the Cafe
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastWe take for granted the kinds of interactions and connections we make in the course of our daily professional barista lives. An incredible variety of people with unique and interesting stories and perspectives pass through our doors dail...
345: A Conversation w/ 2022 U.S. Cup Tasters Champion, Julien Langevin
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingAccurately tasting coffee can be a daunting task. Add to that the pressure of competition or just the daily work of the bar, and being focused, confident, and at ease while dialing in or making flavor determinations seems all but impossi...
344 : From Fine Dining, to Coffee w/ Nicolas Simon of El Condor Coffee Roasters
Business, Hospitality, Podcast, UncategorizedOur industry is one focused on creating memorable experiences for guests of our shops. Being detail oriented is part of our hospitality to people because we know that when all those little things come together, they deliver a real impact...
343 : Founder Friday! “Curated Edition” | Hospitality + Meeting People Where They Are
Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastWelcome to this special edition of the Founder Friday series! We have an incredible collection of interviews from some of the world’s best coffee shop operators and entrepreneurs. Within each interview are gems of wisdom that help us mov...
342 : A Conversation w/ 2022 U.S. Barista Champion, Morgan Eckroth!
Barista Craft, Podcast, UncategorizedMorgan Eckroth is the new U.S. Barista Champion! Part of the point behind competition is setting the stage for conversation around ideas ranging from social issues to the hands on craft of coffee. In both these areas there are far reachi...
RoR #14: How to Roast New Processing Methods w/ Mike Ebert
Podcast, RoastingAs new processing methods become more popular and prominent, roasters must pivot and adjust how they approach them in order to get the best possible result. Processes like honey and pulped natural present unique challenges for even the m...
341: How to Think About Success
Business, Leadership, PodcastHow do you think about success and your coffee shop? For many people it boils down to financial metrics only which, in the long run, may not bring the kind of fulfillment the we seek when we first set out to begin in coffee. In fact with...
340 : Encore Episode of “10 Reasons to Love the Customer”!
Hospitality, PodcastIt is the 5 year anniversary of episode #19 titled “10 Reasons to Love the Customer”! Coffee professionals tend to pit themselves against the customer as and us vs them battle. The original episode in 2017 was inspired by a magazine arti...
339 : What Good Barista Training Produces
Podcast, TrainingWhat does you baristas training produce? For many shops barista training is a loose and rushed experience that falls short in equipping staff with what is needed to succeed. It also creates stress in leadership who desperately want to se...
RoR #13 : The NORM ROAST Protocol w/ Dave Baxter
Podcast, Roasting, UncategorizedHow do we test the energy efficiency, emissions, and impact of or roasting machines?. We all want to be responsible with our environmental impact but all we have to go on for data is supplied by marketing from the manufacturer. Wouldn’...
338: A Conversation w/ Martell Mason of The Sepia Coffee Project, Detroit, Michigan
Podcast, Roasting, Supply ChainIn order to have clarity on how to operate effectively in coffee we need to view it thought a global lens. The tapestry of people and cultures that make up our industry are rarely represented and even less often do they benefit from coff...
337: Founder Friday w/ Diana Martinez of Cafe Calle, Los Angeles
Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastDiana Martinez is one of those people that I am thrilled to see find success in coffee. She had a dream to open a coffee shop and consistently pursued knowledge and experience right out of the gate by working at a roastery and coffee sho...
336: A Cafe Leadership Masterclass w/ Selina Viguera of Blue Bottle Coffee
Leadership, Management, Podcast, TrainingIt’s not very often you come across someone who has spent decades as a true example of what it is to be an exemplary manager, leader, and professional. When you do find them you better be prepared to absorb their wisdom and let it he...
335: A Better Business Model for Coffee Farmers w/ Thaleon Tremain of Pachamama Coffee
Leadership, Podcast, Supply ChainMost of us would say we represent farmers with our work. Few of can say we literally work for farmers. Increasingly we see the need for business models that don’t just give financial reward to farms but that shift the power balance to ...
334 : How to Approach Deescalation w/ Melissa Tucker of Mind Over Matters and Pathways to Peace
Business, Hospitality, Leadership, PodcastWorking in customer a customer facing environment like a coffee shop means that we get to serve and experience all different types of people in the course fo the day. While so many of our interaction are within the expected range of emot...
333: Bridging the Professional and Home Barista Gap w/ Lance Hedrick of Onyx Coffee Lab
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingWe are living in a time where the average consumer is both spoiled for choice and simultaneously vexed at the sheer number of options available for great coffee and brewing equipment. What used to be a need for more and better green and ...
332: Founder Friday! w/ Iman Kusumaputra & Putri Yulandari of Kopikalyan, Jakarta, Indonesia
Business, Founder Friday, PodcastOn this Founder Friday we go to Jakarta, Indonesia to explore the story of Kopikalyan! This ground breaking roaster retailer sources, roasts, and serves exclusively Indonesian Coffees. Innovation, Hospitality, and relationships ar...
331 : The 7 Deadly Sins of my Career
Barista Craft, Career, Leadership, PodcastWe all make mistakes. It’s part of the learning and growth process for everyone. As you go in your career you will find that there are certain types of mistakes that are worse than others in that they have a greater negative impact on yo...
RoR #12 : Inside Coffee Packaging w/ Ever Meister
Podcast, RoastingYour coffee packaging holds more than just coffee. It holds an incredible amount of potential for communication of values, impact on the supply chain, and how coffee itself is percieved and succeeds in the global market. Packaging might ...
330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop
Business, PodcastGood intentions are nice and all, but how do you make sure that you can actually deliver on your ideals for quality, service, and beyond? The answer is systems. Unfortunately many shops are organizationally flying by the seat of their pa...
329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff
Hospitality, Leadership, Podcast, TrainingIt’s pretty easy to write our a set of company values. But how do you teach them in such a way that your staff own them and live by them? Now THAT is not easy. If you want to teach your staff the company values so that you are confident ...
328 : Relationships and Resiliency w/ Xavier Alexander of Metric Coffee
Business, Career, Podcast, RoastingNavigating our way through the coffee industry can be a daunting task. Especially if you want to make a difference. As you go you are confronted with many challenges that threaten your stability and test both your resolve and faith in th...
327: Founder Friday! w/ Phuong Tran of Lava Java
Business, Founder Friday, PodcastToday we get to talk with a pillar and foundational member of the specialty coffee community, Phuong Tran of Lava Java For 20 years now Phuong Tran has been the owner/operator of the famed coffee shop, Lava Java in Ridgefield Washington....
RoR #11 : Exploring Scent w/ Sandra Elisa Loofbourow
Barista Craft, Podcast, RoastingThe smell of coffee is one of the great joys in this life. As professionals we take this important sensory aspect of coffee and build tools and protocols around it so we can fully and accurately assess a coffee’s quality and ultimately s...
326 : A Conversation w/ Alan Jarrar of 50%Arabica and Jokes Aside Coffee!
Barista Craft, Business, PodcastEveryone’s favorite coffee culture commentator and meme lord, Alan Jarrar is in the house! If you are like me and follow the account “50%Arabica” on Instagram, you know full well that there is more to the funny content than what you se...
325 : How to Manage Your Trainers
Leadership, Management, PodcastWhen you have a trainer on staff there are specific responsibilities you have as a leader that will determine their success and how happy you are with their performance. Often we can set someone in a position and let them loose with litt...
324 : Encore Episode! Organizing the Community w/ Espresso State of Mind Founders, Javier Alvarez and Joseph Gonzalez
Barista Craft, PodcastCommunity exists all around us. When we start a coffee shop we see the blossoming of community in our customer base, baristas bonding with one another, and then across the industry people of similar interests who are desirous to learn, g...
323 : Reflecting on 5 Years of Keys to the Shop w/ my Wife Lynnsy Deferio
Career, PodcastWelp, KTTS is now 5 years old! In this time KTTS has aired 560 episodes and is closing in on 2 million downloads around the world and it simply feels surreal. I have been so blessed by the guests on this show, you the audience, and most ...
RoR #10 : What Your Broker Wishes You Knew w/ Scott Merle of La Minita Coffee
Podcast, RoastingRelationships are what the coffee industry is built on. The quality of those relationships determines the strength of the supply chain and the success of all involved. One of the most important relationships that is not talked about very...
322 : A Conversation w/ LaNisa Williams of Barista Life L.A.
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, TrainingCreating a path forward and up in the coffee industry sometimes requires we take matters into our own hands and build the opportunities for ourself and others that we don’t see. This is exactly what today’s guest, LaNisa Williams did wit...
321 : Marketing and Moral Injury w/ Josh Tarlo of Kiss the Hippo
Business, Podcast, Supply ChainHow we market our values to potential employees and the consumer is often at odds with what we actually do. In a past episode we called this the “Values – Action Gap”. Question is, what is the result of this gap on the people who sig...
320 Founder Friday! w/ Francesco Sanapo of Ditta Artigianale, Florence, Italy
Business, Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday! Today we are going to be exploring the story of a ground breaking and standard setting Italian coffee roaster and cafe. Our guest on this last Founder Friday of 2021 is the founder of Caffe Artigianale, Francesco Sa...
319 : A Conversation w/ World Barista Champion, Diego Campos of Colombia!
Barista Craft, Podcast, Supply ChainThis year the World Barista Championship was held in Milan, Italy. The winner of that competition accomplished not only a historic win as the first world champion to hail from Colombia, but accomplished a life long dream born from a long...
318 : Why Your Shop is Key to the Success of Coffee
Podcast, Supply ChainThe pressure and business of the daily work can easily blind us to the impact that we have on the greater reality of the “Industry”. We often think of the industry as existing outside our own shops but the reality is that our we are the ...
317 : Encore Episode: Death by Comparison
Business, PodcastWhat happens when we allow ourselves to get caught up in comparing ourselves and our businesses to those around us? The simple answer is that we stifle growth and kill off the joy of what we have and who we are doing it all for. Way back...
315 : Growing and Connecting w/ Stephen Zinnerman of The Coffee Enthusiast!
Career, Podcast, RoastingBack in 2018 at a Coffee Fest in Baltimore I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Stephen Zinnerman, owner and founder of (along with his wife Natasha) The Coffee Enthusiast: A Brewing Company (TCE). Back when we first met on the...
RoR #9 Inside the Roaster’s Tool Kit w/ Kat Melheim of Black and White Coffee and The Coffee People Zine
Podcast, RoastingWhere do we even start when choosing tools for our roastery? There are an incredible number of options from basic and inexpensive -to complex and costly. In the most recent issue of Roast Magazine, today’s guest, Kat Melheim gives us an ...
314 : The 6 Essential Qualities of Coffee Shop Leaders
Leadership, Management, PodcastDo you feel like you need to be good at everything in order to be a good leader? That is a pretty common thought but the fact is that this way approach to leadership stifles both you and those you lead. Instead we should focus on what qu...
313 : Coffee Education and Training w/ Michael Phillips of Blue Bottle Coffee
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, TrainingTraining and education is an ongoing process. Not just for those we are training but also for ourselves as trainers and educators. If we adopt the same type of “always learning” mentality we want to see in other, then the way we understa...
312 : How to Choose the Right Machine for Your Shop w/ Chad little of La Marzocco
Coffee Tech, PodcastMaking a decision on an espresso machine can come with a lot of stress and uncertainty. With so many different options, configurations, styles, and promises made by manufactures it is hard to know that you will be happy with what you end...
311 : Why Your Coffee Shop Needs Open Book Management w/ Larry Chase
Business, PodcastHave you ever wondered how you can get your staff energized and highly invested in the success of your business? This is one of the struggles that a lot of coffee shop owners have. Turns out the best solution for this challenge is to gi...
310 : Founder Friday w/ Jelynn Malone and Beverly Magtanong of Mostra Coffee
Founder Friday, PodcastThis Founder Friday is such unique success story! What started as a dream between two best friends (one an actor, the other a classical opera singer) has now been a 7 year coffee journey that is easily the most important and rewardi...
309 : A Conversation w/ Sarah Allen and Ken Olson of Barista Magazine
Barista Craft, CareerFew things are as essential to the global barista community as Barista Magazine. For 16 years they have been “Serving people Serving Coffee” and advancing the knowledge, craft, and profession of the barista with every issue. Barista Ma...
308 : A Conversation w/ Italian Brewers Cup Champion, Alessandro Galtieri
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingItalian coffee has shaped how the world understands coffee and cafe culture. These days there is a movement to take the traditional Italian way of of getting a coffee and elevate the quality and the experience making it a truly specialty...
ROR #8 How Post-Harvest Processing Impacts Flavor w/ Siva Subramanian and Byron Holcomb of Olam Food Ingredients
PodcastHow coffee is processed after harvest has an incredible impact on the final quality in the cup. Today we have the luxury of choosing form a wide variety of processing techniques. Whether you are a roaster or a farmer, understanding wha...
307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop
Business, PodcastOur coffee shops are the sum total of many different small and large things. When business gets going it can be easy for some of the simpler and more nuanced elements of running a coffee bar to fall by the wayside. The impact these have ...
306 : A Conversation w/ 2004 U.S. Barista Champion, Bronwen Serna!
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastToday we get to chat with 2004 U.S. Barista Champion and legend, Bronwen Serna! Bronwen has been a practicing Coffee Professional since 2000, a Professional Barista, Roaster, and Barista Trainer, a Certified Instructor and Assessor wit...
305 : Founder Friday! w/ Andrew Sinclair of MadLab Coffee, Los Angeles, CA
Career, Founder Friday, PodcastBoy do we have a Founder Friday for you! Today we get to talk with the founder of MadLab Coffee in L.A., Andrew Sinclair. Andrew has been in coffee for over a decade going from an enthusiast to barista, head barista, manager, then owner ...
Sustainability Series #4 : Consumer
Business, Podcast, Supply ChainConsumers. What we assume to be the end of the value chain in coffee, may in fact be the the beginning. In reality, as we will learn today, coffee is more a circle than a straight line, and in many ways it begins and ends with the consum...
Sustainability Series #3 : The Cafe
Business, Podcast, Supply Chain, TrainingAs we have explored all that has gone into the product of coffee and the many ways that sustainability can be achieved in farming, Importing, and Roasting. Now we come to the place where coffee’s potentially is ultimately on display. The...
Sustainability Series #2 : Importing & Roasting
Podcast, Roasting, Supply ChainSustainability is a collaborative effort that relies on solid networks, relationships, and communication. This is mainly the responsibility of importers and roasters whose job it is to provide connection, accurate representation, and to ...
Sustainability Series #1 : The Farm
Podcast, Supply ChainWelcome to the Sustainability Series from Biocaf and Keys to the Shop! To kick off this series we will be exploring sustainability where all the potential of a coffee and the foundation of our industry is concentrated. The farm. How we d...
304 : Inside the Coffee Data Trends Breakout Report w/ Katie Von Der Lieth of the SCA
Business, Podcast, Supply ChainHow do we gauge the markets our coffee shops serve? On top of being engaged in our own local ecosystems we must also pay attention to large scale trends as they influence the perception and habits of our customers. The SCA and NCA have r...
303 : Create Authentic Partnerships w/ Marc Gessler of Cat & Cloud Coffee
Business, Leadership, Podcast, TrainingIdeally, the nature of your relationship with your wholesale customers is less like a transaction and more like a partnership. How do we approach caring for those who have decided to serve our coffee in a way that is true to our values, ...
302 : Data’s Roll in the Success of your Shop w/ Mark Calhoun and Jim Strarcev of Perfect Cube
PodcastThere is a lot of information available to us through our POS systems that show us the numbers behind the business. Owners and managers read these numbers to get a sense of not only how the business is doing, but also to get an idea of w...
301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence
Leadership, Management, Podcast, TrainingThese are the two most important and intensive processes in the cafe yet they often are the most rush and poorly thought through. The preparations we make and the actions we take when hiring and training staff will and does create a ripp...
300 : Founder Friday! w/ Jeremy Lyman, Co-Founder of Birch Coffee NYC
Founder Friday, PodcastNew York City is undoubtedly one of the coffee capitals of the world. With a seemingly endless number of options to choose from, it is hard to stand out and create something that makes people notice and even hard to keep their attention ...
299 : 5 Rules for a Successful Coffee shop
Business, PodcastWhat makes a successful coffee bar? This whole show is dedicated to exploring the depths of the question and yet there are a few fundamental elements that, if practiced, will greatly help your coffee bar succeed. Were are not going to be...
298 : A Trophy, or Atrophy?
Barista Craft, Business, Career, PodcastWinning coffee awards and competitions is pretty cool. There are many benefits to pursuing accolades for your coffee shop through such as marketing opportunities, sharpening skills, energizing staff, and networking. The question we have ...
297 : Making Coffee Education Fun w/ Suneal Pabari of Leaderboard Coffee
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingA big issue with coffee education is accessibility. Much of the practical information that leads customers and coffee professionals alike to understanding, buying, and brewing great coffee is either locked away in our roasteries and cafe...
296: Holistic Barista Training w/ David Castillo of Go Get Em Tiger , Los Angeles
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingTraining staff to become productive, competent, and confident members of the team is a massive challenge all coffee shops face. In spite of our best efforts we often end up with baristas who have completed training but are still not read...
295 : Founder Friday! w/ Justin Shepherd of Spencers Coffee, Bowling Green, KY
Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday! I am very pleased to be presenting a conversation with someone who I have wanted to have on a Founder Friday for quite a while. Not just because he has been quite successful, but because in the course of achieving th...
294 : At Origin Roasting Revolution w/ Luis Fernando, founder of Amor Perfecto!
Podcast, Roasting, Supply ChainWhen we think about coffee roasting we generally assume that roasting happens once green coffee leaves its county of origin taking much of the coffee’s value along with it. But there is a growing movement of entrepreneurs who are keeping...
293 : Thoughts on Defining Professionalism
Barista Craft, PodcastWhat is professionalism? Is it aprons? Using the right greeting? The way the space looks? When it comes to coffee shops and coffee professionals we often use metrics that are more surface than substance and the result is that we create a...
292 : How to Take Charge and Drive Your Career w/ Ed Evarts
Career, PodcastWho is driving our career? Most of the time we attribute our careers current state to outside forces or fate. Rarely will we consider that we ourselves are the primary driver of our success. The good news is that there are lot’s of thing...
291 : What to do if Your Baristas Wont Listen to You
Leadership, Podcast, TrainingHave you ever thrown your hands up in frustration and said something like, “Why won’t my staff listen to me?!” I get this type of question a lot from people attending my lectures at Coffee Fest. Managers and owners alike have this moment...
RoR #7 Illustrative Sample Roasting w/ Mike Ebert of Firedancer Coffee Consultants
Podcast, RoastingSample roasting is a critical part of any roasting operation. But sample roasting is not simply used for finding defects or even just for making purchasing decisions. It is also very important to use as a tool to illustrate what a coffee...
290 : Making Connections in Central Africa w/ Keith White Jr of Paraiso Trading!
Podcast, Supply ChainToday we get to explore the ever growing Central African coffee farming industry with some one who’s company is creating inroads, resources, and opportunities to improve farmers lives and the global demand for their product. Keith Whit...
289 : Founder Friday w/ Ochen Simon Eidodo of Chariots Coffees, Uganda!
Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday and we are talking with the founder of Chariots Coffees in Uganda, Ochen Simon Eidodo! Chariots coffees and Barista Academy was established in 2018 by Ochen Simon Eidodo one of the most renown Ugandan professional bar...
288 : The Truth behind Cheap Coffee w/ Karl Weinhold
Podcast, Supply Chain, UncategorizedThe problem of cheap coffee keeps producers trapped in cycles of poverty and keeps the power in the hands of those least impacted by what is at best a global crisis. What has led to this current state of the industry and how can we be in...
287 : Learning to Shift your Mind w/ Brian Levenson
Leadership, PodcastWhether you are behind the bar making drinks, or behind a laptop making the schedule for your baristas, you cannot rely on just one mindset to achieve the best results in your coffee shop. Just like building an agile business that can pi...
286 : Coffee Roasting Best Practices w/ Scott Rao
Podcast, RoastingRoasting practices have come a long way in the past few decades. Today we enjoy an incredible wealth of information, resources, and sharing of technique to help us be better roasters. With all these tools a techniques available to us it ...
RoR #6: Buying Less and Doing More w/ Ever Meister
Podcast, RoastingWe have an incredible range of options available to us when it comes to the green coffees we purchase. Right now our habit as an industry is to spot purchase small amounts of coffee from a wide variety of producers in hopes of getting th...
285 : Better Systems, Better Connections w/ Jon Ewald of RoasterTools
Podcast, RoastingIf there is one thing that is certain it is that, as you grow your roastery, you become pulled in a thousand different directions. The need to maintain the operation, drive sales, maintain relationships, improve quality, etc becomes over...
284 : Founder Friday! w. Jackie Nguyen of Cafe Cà Phê | Kansas City, MO
Podcast, UncategorizedI am very excited for this Founder Friday! When we talk about coffee shops we often talk about culture, authenticity, and relationships. I have the immense pleasure of presenting to you a conversation with someone whose business and wa...
283 : 5 Bad Reasons to Open a Coffee Shop
Business, PodcastPeople open coffee shops for many reasons. Some good and some-not so good. It really all depends on how you approach the “why” behind your business that determines your success. In a time where the barrier to enter the coffee house spa...
282 : How to Listen to your Customers
Business, PodcastRunning a coffee house is all about making sure you are able to serve the needs of your customers and to do so consistently. In order to do that you need to be able to not only listen to them but you need to know how to then respond to w...
281 : The Vietnamese Coffee Revolution w/ Sahra Nguyen of Nguyen Coffee Supply
Podcast, Supply Chain“Vietnam is the future of specialty coffee!” Today we are going to unpack this statement and discuss how the Vietnamese coffee movement is creating opportunity for a marginalized coffee variety and people with our very special guest, Sah...
RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind”
Podcast, RoastingTime and color in the roasting process are inextricably linked. We are fairly used to using time as a tool but what about color? Turns out that the color of your coffee is actually one of the most important but under-utilized, and po...
280 : A Conversation with Jesse Hartman of The Coffee Podcast
Podcast, Supply ChainQuestions and conversation. They are powerful tools to bring clarity and inspire action. Perhaps nobody knows this better than those of us whose job it is to ask questions of experts across our industry to bring understanding to a global...
279 : Founder Friday! w/ Daniel Brown and Nephthaly Leonidas of Gilly Brew Bar
Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday! Today we get the honor of hearing the story of Gilly Brew Bar in Stone Mountain, GA from Daniel Brown and Nephthaly Leonidas. Started by Daniel Brown who was quickly joined by Nephthaly Leonidas, Gilly Brew Bar was ...
278 : Making great Hiring Decisions
Business, PodcastA lot of how successful a shop is depends on the people who work in it. In the specialty coffee retail industry we can tend to hire based desperation, convenience, or nepotism. What we end up with then is problems in the work and culture...
277: Encore Episode: How to respond to Negative Feedback
Podcast, UncategorizedHow we respond to negative feedback will have a big impact on how our business grows. The trouble is that we tend to not take kindly to negative feedback and respond with either dismissiveness, avoidance, or defensiveness. We leave a lot...
Special! “Thinking Differently” Series | Radical Sustainability w/ James Combs of Combs’ Coffee
Podcast, UncategorizedWelcome to the last episode in the “Thinking Differently” series brought to you by Ground Control! We are ending on an amazing episode this week as we are going to be talking with the amazing, James Combs of Combs’ Coffee in Corinth, Tex...
276 : Six Ideas for Increasing your Revenue
Business, PodcastHow do I make more money? Which areas of the business can I adjust to increase my profitability? These are the questions on the minds of most coffee entrepreneurs. Running a coffee bar means you make your money via low profit margins tha...
The Customer of Tomorrow
BlogWhen we talk with customers in the shop and communicate to with them through our messaging and marketing, we are creating the customer of tomorrow. We create the demand we seek to satisfy in the daily small interactions multiplied a mill...
Special! “Thinking Differently” Series | 1% Better w/ Paul Magda of Pause Coffee House
Podcast, UncategorizedWelcome to the next episodes in the “Thinking Differently” series brought to you by Ground Control! On today’s episode we are going to be talking with the co-founder of Pause Coffee House in Sacramento California, Paul Magda! Paul and ...
275 : The Changing Landscape of Cafe Spaces w/ Dr. Jennifer Ferreira
Business, Podcast, Supply ChainMarkets shift and trends change, impacting how we do business as retailers and also how consumers perceive and interact with what we offer. In the last few years there have been incredible amounts of change taking place that we would d...
RoR #4: Practical Thermal Dynamics w/ Candice Madison of Royal Coffee / The Crown Oak
Podcast, Roasting, UncategorizedThermal dynamics is what makes coffee roasting possible. Having an understanding and control of it is what makes great roasting possible. But what aspects of thermal dynamics should we be familiar with and what methods of controlling i...
Special! “Thinking Differently” Series | Filipino Coffee w/ Ron Dizon of Teofilo Coffee!
Podcast, UncategorizedWelcome to the first in a series of three episodes focused on “Thinking Differently” brought to you by Ground Control! On today’s episode we are going to be talking with the owner of Teofilo Coffee Company, Ron Dizon. Teofilo started a...
274 : Crafting Specialty Drinks in your Shop w/ Matt Foster”
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingU.S. Coffee in Good Spirits champion Matt Foster is here to guide you to specialty drink success! We all want to have a menu that includes unique signature beverages that we love making and customers love drinking. Trouble is, making c...
Simplicity is the MVP of the Cafe
BlogWe have this tendency in the coffee shop to either not have much of any system or structure, or have incredibly complex of convoluted systems and structures. In both cases we are guilty of shallow thinking because the purpose of a system...
273 : Founder Friday w/ Anne Lunnel and Charles Nystrand of Koppi Coffee Roasters, Helsingborg, Sweden
Founder Friday, PodcastI am thrilled to get to feature Anne Lunnel and Charles Nystrand of Koppi: Fine Coffee Roasters on this month’s Founder Friday! Founded in 2007, Koppi not only established itself as of Sweden’s preeminent third wave coffee companies but ...
272 : Coffee for Dummies w/ Major Cohen
Podcast, UncategorizedHow we talk about coffee, relay information about coffee, and represent coffee to our customers and consumers in general, not only determines their attitude toward coffee but will literally shape the coffee industry. Often we get bogged ...
271 : Why the Cash Register Controls Everything
Podcast, UncategorizedOne of the most neglected areas of the bar happens to also be the most important. The register. Not because it is where we handle money (although that is important) but because it is where we make first impressions and guide the experien...
Spiders and Customer Service
BlogSpiders get a bad rap. It’s true that they are generally creepy. Also true that some could even kill you…BUT!…forgetting the fact that the usual visiter to a spider’s web is usually not there FOR dinner but AS dinner, there is st...
270 : A Conversation w/ Mark Michaelson of Michaelson Consulting!
Podcast, RoastingCoffee roasting legend Mark Michaelson is back on the show! Mark has spent the last 9 years as the Head Roaster for onyx Coffee Labs in NW Arkansas whee he was instrumental in helping them forge a path to being one of the worlds most r...
RoR #3: Making Contingency Planning a Reality w/ Andi Trindle Mersch of Philz Coffee
Podcast, UncategorizedIf this least year has shown us anything, it is that life is unpredictable and can sometimes throw a wrench into our plans, causing us to go into emergency mode. What do we do when this happens? What is our plan for when the roastery goe...
269 : What to Focus on after you Launch
Business, PodcastStarting a coffee bar means you have to focus on several hundred different things at once. It can be maddening! All of this to get to the point where you can open the doors and finally let people enjoy what you and your team have created...
Founder Friday! w/ Adam Obrátil of Industra Coffee, Brno, Czech Republic
Founder Friday, PodcastI am so excited to share this interview with Adam Obrátil, the co-founder of one of the Czech Republic’s most well known and foundational cafes, Industra Coffee! Founded in 2013, Industra brought a newer specialty coffee experience ...
267 : The Power of Delegation
Management, PodcastWe have a control problem. Specifically we don’t like to give up our control of the processes and operations of our cafes out of fear for what might happen when others take the wheel. The difference between a successful shop that has c...
266 : Building Physical Resilience W/ Dr. David Dahl DPT, CAFS
Career, PodcastThe health of our bodies plays a huge role in determining the quality of our life both at work in the shop and outside of work. When we are pursuing our health holistically we are making an investment that pays us back immeasurably. Th...
Accountability goes both Ways
BlogWhen we think about accountability we tend to think about holding others accountable for the work and ideas that we want them to practice. After all, we are paying them money to do a particular job and as the boss we want to make certain...
265 : Gaining Clarity on Transparency w/ Jonas Lorenz of The Pledge
Podcast, Supply ChainTransparency. We see it increasingly being used as a tool to signify responsible commerce and trade among coffee roasting companies. But what is it exactly? Are we approaching it in a meaningful way? How do we define and practice transpa...
RoR #2: Exploring Quality Control w/ Spencer Turer of Coffee Enterprises
Podcast, RoastingWhat is it we mean when we refer to “Quality?” If we take that a step further we might ask, how can we control quality? These questions are top of mind for most coffee roasters who, amidst a sea of complexity and moving parts, are desper...
264 : A Conversation with Abner Roldan of Cafe Comunion and La Crema Podcast!
Podcast, UncategorizedOn today’s episode we get to have a conversation with Abner Roldan who, along with his wife Karla Quiñones founded one of Puerto Ricos best coffee shops, Cafe Comunion. Abner is also Puerto Rico’s latte art champion 2014 & ’15, a memb...
263 : Founder Friday w/ Mike McFall, Co-Founder of BIGGBY Coffee!
Founder Friday, PodcastWell now! Today we are going to get an inside look into one of the biggest and most successful coffee brands in the nation! We are talking with the Co-Founder of Biggby Coffee, Mike McFall! Biggby Coffee was founded in 1995 in Lansing,...
262 : Understanding the Homeless Community w/ Natalie Harris, Executive Director of The Coalition for the Homeless
Hospitality, PodcastHow does your shop address and interact with the homeless community? If you are like most people, the answer is not very defined and born more from fear and misunderstanding than empathy and informed policy. As we provide spaces to serve...
I Hope it Sticks
BlogWhen it snows in Kentucky we have to take advantage of it! I am from upstate NY and snow is just a part of life there. Even though we got excited about the snow when it first falls, we hardly think of it as an urgent matter. That’s bec...
261 : The Basics of Managing Managers
Management, PodcastWhen we set up a manager in the cafe we are not just delegating authority and freeing up some of our time, we are setting up the business for failure or success. All of it boils down to how we manage and lead them in their responsibiliti...
Grocery Shopping and Training Success
BlogMost barista training is ineffective. The major reason for this is not because employees aren’t up to the challenge but because we who are doing the training are operating within a framework that makes mediocrity, miscommunication, and...
260 : Wait! Is your current Job actually the right Job?
Podcast, UncategorizedSometimes everything will seem to suggest that leaving our job or career in pursuit of something better is the best option. But is is always the best option? What if the job we have now is actually the perfect one for us? What might we b...
259 : Solving Toxic Customer Service Culture
Podcast, UncategorizedWe have created a monster. Over the years our quest to please the customer has turned toxic as it ignores the well being of our staff and enables entitled, rude, and even abusive behavior. All this in the name of the miss guided notion t...
Use your Focus
BlogYou go where you look. This is something they told me in driving school when I was 16. If you are going off the road and you look at a tree, you’ll tend to steer the car into the tree. If you look at the grass it is more likely you wil...
RoR #1: A Conversation w/ Anne Cooper of Equilibrium Master Roasters
Podcast, RoastingWelcome to the new series produced in partnership with Roast Magazine, “Rate of Rise: Elevated conversations on Roasting”! Every first Friday we will be interviewing roasting experts from around the world to discover wisdom and insights ...
258 : Prioritizing your Mental Health in the New Year w/ Dr. Lara Pence
Podcast, UncategorizedThis year has been a mental and emotional test of endurance like no other. Add to the pandemic the already existing stresses and pressures in the cafe as customer face professionals and you get a perfect storm of both feeling the need ...
257 : A Conversation w/ Morgan Eckroth of MorganDrinksCoffee!
Podcast, UncategorizedConnection with our audiences has never been more important. How do we go about truly delivering value and building a strong community that resonates with or message all while staying true to our core “why” ? Well, today we are going to ...
256 : Founder Friday w/ Varat Vichit-Vadakan of Roots Coffee Roaster in Bangkok, Thailand
Founder Friday, Podcast‘ It’s Founder Friday! Today we are visiting the wonderful city of Bangkok, Thailand as we have a very interesting and inspiring conversation with Varat Vichit-Vadakan! Varatt is co- founder of Kinnest Group, a boutique F&B and a lifesty...
255 : The Triumph of Black Brazilians in Coffee w/ Phyllis Johnson
Podcast, UncategorizedWhen we talk about equity we often we are just scratching the surface of what is going on deep in the structure of the coffee industry. Today’s guest, Phyllis Johnson has dedicated much of her career to bringing to light the deeper gen...
What is wrong with “Going above and beyond”?
BlogWhen we hear this phrase we automatically think of the exemplary employee. They don’t just stop at what their job description says, they invent new ways to serve, create, support etc. We love this attribute in a barista, manager – anyo...
254 : Holiday Hospitality Part 2
Barista Craft, Business, Hospitality, PodcastThis is an especially important time of the year for coffee shops. The holidays are where our hospitality skills are put to the ultimate test. In the midst of COVID lockdowns and never before seen strains on small businesses, the h...
253 : Mindsets that Sabotage Success
Business, Career, PodcastActions are the products of mindsets and not all mindsets are beneficial. In fact, there are a few very common and very dangerous mindsets that will actually sabotage your success without you even knowing it. We will call it fate, the un...
Practice Professional Distancing
BlogLeaders and managers are most effective when there is professional distance between them and the people they lead. Now this sounds pretty antithetical to the notion of gaining trust, leading with humility, and building and engaged team. ...
252 : Founder Friday w/ Klaus Thompson of the Coffee Collective, Denmark
Founder Friday, Podcast, UncategorizedI am thrilled to present this amazing conversation w/ Klaus Thompson to you all today! The Coffee Collective is at the top of a very short list of the world’s best and most influential roasters. Today’s guest, Klaus Thompson, is not ...
251 : Fermentation and the Future of Farming w/ Lucia Solis
Podcast, UncategorizedHow coffee is processed after the harvest is integral to whether or not it reaches its full flavor potential. Farmers depend on their crop’s quality and consistency but all too often what happens during processing produces inconsistenc...
250 : Planning better Events w/ Steven Moloney of The Barista League
Podcast, UncategorizedThese days community and connection are needed more than ever. There can be many hurdles to creating opportunities for having events whether in-person or online, but how we go about planning and execution those events does not have to ...
Is this for You?
BlogWhen it comes to how we serve people in the cafe, we will inevitably default to our true feelings about what it is we are doing. We can talk all day long about the vision mission and values of the company but if it does not make its way ...
249 : The Path to Cooperative Ownership w/ Christopher Ferran and Shane Hinde of Phoenix Coffee
Podcast, UncategorizedWhen we think about cooperative ownership related to the coffee shop we tend be fairly unsure what to think of it. Even though we tend to fear it as an unknown, it is actually a viable option to help secure your business and also to ...
Making Trust the Norm
BlogOur job in leadership is to provide the conditions under which both staff and customers will succeed. For customers this means they are successful in their bid to have a great experience in your shop. The music, the coffee, the service, ...
248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team
Management, PodcastThe main job of leadership is to give people the resources they need to do the work. Generally speaking, I have simply stated that staff need the tools to do the job. Today I want to go a little deeper and cover 5 elements of resourcin...
247 : Founder Friday! w/ Ritesh Doshi, CEO of Spring Valley Coffee, Nairobi, Kenya
Founder Friday, Podcast, UncategorizedThe best Kenyan coffee tends to be exported to other countries. Spring Valley Coffee flips this on its head by sourcing, roasting, and serving the best for themselves and the local Kenyan community. Today we are going to be exploring t...
The Structure of Generosity
BlogGenerosity should be our default setting in the hospitality business. It is a people-based industry after all and relationships are at the heart of everything we do. That said, there is a very real need for intentionality in the midst of...
246 : Selecting a Wholesale Coffee Provider
Business, Podcast, RoastingYour business is built on partnerships. One of the most critical is the relationship between you and the coffee roaster you select. Entering into this relationship needs tp be done pretty methodically and the decision should be based o...
245 : A Conversation with the World’s Youngers Q Grader, Frankie Volkema, Founder of Joven Coffee
Podcast, UncategorizedWhat 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 far...
Getting out of Work
BlogToday, more than ever, we are consumed by hacks, shortcuts, tips and advice to make our lives easier. When it comes to running a coffee shop and being a leader this might be helpful when dealing with things, but not necessarily helpful w...
244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees
Podcast, UncategorizedNow 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 catalyst...
4 Steps to Investing in Affirmation
BlogThe cafe is a high pressure environment and as we go about our work, the hunt for incongruities, mistakes that need correction, and opportunities to coach and guide people are usually at the top of our minds. The opportunities for affirm...
243 : Encore Episode! “The Sleepwalking Barista (Owner)”
Career, Leadership, Management, PodcastI 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 n...
Self-Awareness and Honesty
BlogIn recent interviews I got to talk about self-awareness and have been stewing on the concept for a bit. Self-awareness is not just a personal development side project. It is literally the difference between whether your business is steep...
Who we are and What we do
BlogWork in a cafe is not easy. There is a never ending string of mental and emotional hurdles that must be dealt with in a way that is not normal to the average social experience. When choosing to enter the hospitality industry, not many of...
242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann
Podcast, UncategorizedOK! 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 Co...
241 : Founder Friday! w/ David Morris of Dillanos Coffee Roasters
Founder Friday, PodcastToday 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 ...
Good Communication is “For Here”
Blog“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw This sentiment is, for me, at the heart of what plagues most coffee shops and holds us back from being as excellent as we can be...
240 : What to do before your Build your Bar
Podcast, UncategorizedDesigning 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 ...
SPECIAL: Stories from the Ground #3 w/ Chi Sum Ngai of Coffee Project NY!
Business, PodcastHere 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 a...
Wholesale Entitlement Syndrome
BlogI just released a Shift Break discussing the concept of poaching employees from other shops. The definition of poaching is basically that you, as an owner or manager, enter a business and initiate an offer to a current employee to come w...
239 : 5 Best Practices for the Best Small Business w/ Henry Lopez
Business, PodcastThe 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 o...
SPECIAL: Stories from the Ground #2 w/ Jay Sander of 392 Caffe!
Podcast, UncategorizedWe 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 ...
Soul Searching in the New Landscape of Retail
BlogThe last 7 months have proven one thing. We are more than what we do. Our very means of expression and provision has been stripped from us and we are now left to pick up the pieces and try to reassemble everything from processes, menus, ...
238 : Leading, Hiring, and working with your Coffee Tech w/ Hylan Joseph
Podcast, UncategorizedWhether 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 ...
SPECIAL: “Stories from the Ground” #1 w/ Scott Carey of Sump Coffee!
Podcast, Uncategorized“Stories from the Ground” is brought to you by Ground Control. Visit them to learn more about their amazing Cyclops Brewer. www.Vogacoffee.com Download the “Take Aways“ from this episode! Stories from the Ground is a series of ep...
Professionalize, Specialize, Expand—How to Build Your Reputation and Career, No Matter What Your Role
BlogBy Bruce Tulgan If you only work hard, you’ll only get overcommitted, resentful, tired, and under siege. That’s no way to be a go-to person. So, you’d better work smart: First, professionalize whatever you do. Whatever your job is,...
237 : Thoughts on Post -COVID Coffee
COVID-19, PodcastThere 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 afte...
236 : Founder Friday! w/ Meil Castagna-Herrera & Curtis Herrera of Cafe Corazon!
Founder Friday, Podcast“The little cafe, with a big heart.” These words were spoken by Curtis Herrera who, along with his wife Meil, own Cafe Corazon in Kansas City, MO. Cafe Corazon is vibrant homage to Meil and Curtis’ Latin roots (Argentina and Mexico res...
235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff
Career, Leadership, Podcast, TrainingHow 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 ever...
234 : Actions and Strategies to Improve your Messaging w/ Garrett Oden
Business, PodcastYou 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,...
233 : A Conversation w/ Anthony Ragler, Black and White
Podcast, UncategorizedHumility, serving wholesale clients, accessibility, and creating an inclusive community. These are some of the many topics discussed in this fantastic conversation with today’s guest, Anthony Ragler! Native of Brooklyn, NY, Anthony Ragle...
232 : Rebuilding your Staff with Excellence w/ Dave Stachowiak
Podcast, UncategorizedAs we seek to rebuild our staff in the midst of the pandemic, many different questions come up about re-hiring, deciding who not to bring back, how to decide who to promote, and generally how do we do this in a way that is good for every...
232 : Founder Friday w/ Blew Kind of Fanny Lou’s Porch
Founder Friday, PodcastWhen is comes to community and serving the neighborhood well through the cafe, you’d be hard pressed to find a better example than Franny Lou’s Porch, in Philadelphia, PA. Blew Kind began her entrepreneurial journey in 2010 with Leotah’s...
230 : Making room for Community in your Shop
Podcast, UncategorizedThis is going to be a deep dive into some foundational ideas related to your shop and the way it exists in your community. I wasn’t planning this episode but I really felt a gut-level urgency about the message. Thing is, if we want to bu...
229 : 7 Tips for New Managers
Management, PodcastEntering into a new role, or even just taking over a new cafe or team, is a daunting challenge. Many burn out and the experience leaves a bitter taste in their mouth and a lot of destruction in their wake. In the midst of the reshuffling...
228 : Cracking the Leadership Code w/ Alain Hunkins
Leadership, PodcastLeadership is a HUGE topic and it is easy to get overwhelmed with the never-ending opinions and techniques that are available these days. It is cruel in a way because in a time where we need good leadership the most we want to find g...
227 : Connecting with Hearts and Minds
Hospitality, PodcastMore than communication, we need connection! As we move forward through the current retail landscape the currency of connection with our guests and also our staff becomes more valuable. A focus on connection and conversational communic...
Creative Avoidance : Thoughts on Long-game Management
BlogIt is easy for me to chase peace in the moment in order to avoid temporary pain. I mean, I am really good at fooling myself, lying to myself that if I don’t address it, it will go away. If I avoid talking to that one employee about the...
226 : The Art of being Indispensable at Work w/Bruce Tulgan
Career, Leadership, Management, PodcastAre you a “go-to” person? How do you show up at work in a way that gains trust and makes you an essential and indispensable member of the team? These are important questions to answer right now as many teams are being re-built and compan...
225: Encore Founder Friday! Dorian Bolden of Beyu Caffe, Durham, NC
Podcast, UncategorizedAs we struggle through COVID and seek also to care for our staff, show hospitality, and address the needs of our community around racial justice, we need to lean on the example of people who have excelled in those areas that we seek to i...
224 : Essentialism: Focusing on what truly Matters w/ Greg McKeown
Podcast, UncategorizedWhat is essential? Many of us have been forced into a place of asking this question for the sake of survival and are now looking to create a new way forward for ourselves, our businesses, and our families. If we want our work and life to...
223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll
Podcast, UncategorizedOh boy is this a critical episode! Which one of us does not want to have more financial security? Especially these days? It is not an understatement to say that the future of your cafe hinges on how well you manage your money now and h...
222 : How to have Difficult Conversations about Race and Justice w/ Kwame Christian
Podcast, UncategorizedThroughout history the coffee shop has been a catalyst for conversation. The subject of that conversation is as wide and varied as your clientele and your community. There are subjects of conversation that are very niche and only apply...
221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin
Podcast, UncategorizedWe are in the people business. Having a great people program is a critical part of being able to thrive as a small business since the degree to which you care for your people, and they feel cared for, directly impacts how they care for...
220 : Founder Friday! w/ Sarah Barnett Gill of Mama Mocha’s in Auburn , AL
Founder Friday, PodcastThis Founder Friday is a wild, unique, and refreshingly honest experience. Today we are going to be talking with the one and only Sarah Barnett Gill, the owner of Mama Mocha’s in Auburn, AL. Mama Mocha is a formidably strong Alabama w...
219 : Building a Winning Food Program w/ Marilei Denila, Culinary R&D Manager, Go Get em Tiger
Business, PodcastCoffee shops are not necessarily known for having the best food in town. That is the way it has been for a very long time. Recently though, we are seeing in increase in the number of coffee shops investing time, money, and passion into t...
218 : An Expert’s Guide to Elevating your Cold Brew w/ Matt Bushman of Alto Cold Brew
Barista Craft, Business, COVID-19, PodcastNot all bold brew is created equal! The difference between offering your customers an average experience vs an outstanding one comes down to basics, attention to detail, creativity, and a craft mindset toward the liquid juggernaut that i...
217 : Should you roast your own Coffee w/ Joe Marrocco of List & Beisler
Podcast, UncategorizedAh roasting coffee, many shop owners are planning what they want their business to look like in the future and how they can make it more resilient and roasters/retailers seem to have some more flexibility in what they can do in this cris...
216 : Helping your Customers Brew at Home w/ Brian Beyke , I Brew my own Coffee Podcast
Business, PodcastHome brewing is gaining more and more ground as our customers, who would normally come in to he shop, are brewing at home and looking for ways to replicator’s the coffee they love in the shop. This time in coffee history will likely ...
COVID-19 Focus w/ John King | Walkie Talkie Coffee, Canton, OH
COVID-19, PodcastWalkie Talkie Coffee was founded by Lindsey and John Kind in the Summer of 2019. The result of a ton of planning, dreaming, and raising support, the shop was an immediate hit offering coffees from Heart in Portland , OR, amazing servic...
COVID-19 Focus: Perspective form Burundi w/ Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, JNP Coffee
COVID-19, PodcastToday we are hearing from Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, the Founder and President of JNP Coffee, Burundi Coffee importer and exporter in operation since 2012. Jeanine grew up in Burundi and left to pursue her education earning an MBA from ...
215 : Communication and Marketing Master Class w/ Spencer M. Ross, PH.D.
Business, Management, PodcastNever before has it been more important to invest in your companies communication and marketing than right now. Connection to our customers and also our staff is the life blood of the cafe and drives everything we do. Additionally, the h...
COVID-19 Focus w/ Maxwell Mooney, Narrative Coffee, Everette, WA
Podcast, UncategorizedAs we continue our focus series on the COVID-19 crisis and it’s impact on specialty coffee, we get talk someone who has been leading the charge for business agility, staff/customer safety, and creating systems to support it all. Maxwell ...
214 : Founder Friday w/ Peter Moses of Mighty Oak Roasters, Astoria, NY
Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday! Today I am excited to present this live interview with the Co-Founder of Mighty Oak Roasters in Astoria, NY, Peter Moses! You may recognize Peter because he was one of a few people I interviewed on the floor of the...
213 : Coping with Corona using Emotional Intelligence w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab
Podcast, UncategorizedTo say our emotions are on high alert these days is quite an understatement. I, like you, have found it difficult to manage let alone even articulate the feelings that are constantly being triggered in the wake of the pandemic. At no t...
COVID-19 Focus w/ Lauren Crabbe of Andytown Coffee Roasters
COVID-19, Leadership, Podcast, UncategorizedSo happy to sit down with Lauren Crabbe Co-Founder of Andytown Coffee Roasters for this episode of our COVID-19 Focus Series. Lauren was a past Founder Friday guest and has a wonderful style of leadership that prioritizes people and fo...
212: Refining your Leadership and Systems in a Crisis
Leadership, PodcastThe time to lean into optimizing your operations and how you show up as a leader is now. As we get used to the “new normal” everyday, we need to take time to look at some critical elements of the work we do in the middle of the crisis an...
COVID-19 Focus : Jonathan Pascual | Taproom Coffee and Beer | Atlanta, Georgia
Business, COVID-19, PodcastThis is a wonderful value-driven conversation with someone who is doing a fantastic job caring for his staff and the community as the crisis unfolds. Jonathan Pascual is the owner of Taproom Coffee and Beer in Atlanta, GA. He was a pas...
211 : Straight Talk from the Retail Doctor, Bob Phibbs
Business, Leadership, Management, PodcastBrick and mortar retail is taking a huge hit right now. We are all trying our best to adjust and weather the storm. In the midst of this crisis there is still room for hope, connections, and there is an opportunity to serve like never be...
COVID-19 Focus : Impact on the Supply Chain w/ Ricardo Pereira , COO, Ally Coffee
Podcast, UncategorizedThis crisis is having a massive impact on more than just coffee shops and roasters. It extends out to the farmers who rely on us to purchase and move the coffee they produce. To help us gain some understanding around the scope of the iss...
210 : The Future of Retail w/ Doug Stephens | CEO of The Retail Prophet
Business, PodcastThe future of retail seems pretty uncertain right now. Many of us are left wondering how things will look at the end of this crisis. What will happen to the physical shop and the customers that frequent it. Whenever we consider the futur...
COVID-19 Focus : Karl Purdy of Coffee Angel, Dublin, Ireland : Not going quietly, not giving up, and serving well
Business, PodcastKarl Purdy is a coffee legend. Credited with kickstarting the specialty coffee movement in Ireland in 1996 he has since founded and run the amazing Coffee Angel in Dublin. From a humble mobile stand that offered great coffee and a smil...
209 : Founder Friday! w/ Linda Thach of Little Skips, Brooklyn, NY
Founder Friday, PodcastToday on Founder Friday we are talking with Linda Thach, the founder of Little Skips in Brooklyn, NYC! Having come to the states as a Cambodian refugee with nothing, the comfort of food and family played a foundational role in setting ...
COVID-19 Focus : Erica Escalante, The Arrow | Acting Quickly, Leading Well, and Fighting for Connection
Business, PodcastErica Escalante is no stranger to overcoming challenges. You might say that her experience in starting and running The Arrow in Portland, OR has prepared her to shine as a leader during this crisis. Today Erica recounts how she prepared ...
COVID-19 Focus : General Guidance on Talking to your Bank and Landlord w/ Marshall Fuss, Attorney at Law
Business, PodcastToday we are talking with past guest Marshall Fuss Attorney at Law. Marshall is attorney and general counsel to the Specialty Coffee Association, World Coffee Events, and Coffee Quality Institute and was a guest on episode 101 of KTTS “A...
208: Building a Company that Cares w/ Kyra Kennedy of Baratza
Leadership, PodcastOne of the most unique things about Baratza, a legendary 20 year old home grinder company, is that people are not just loyal to them, but that those same people go out of their way to advocate for and recommend the brand to anyone who wi...
On a Resilient Coffee Community
Business, PodcastThese are hard times. It is difficult to know where to begin in discussing the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on our industry. I have, like many of you, spent countless hours trying to process this and attempting to help in any way possi...
207 : Hope in Difficult Times w/ Kathy Turiano of Joe Bean Coffee Roasters
Business, Leadership, PodcastIn the midst of challenging times, there can still be hope and a way forward. Today we welcome back to the show Kathy Turiano to talk about finding hope in the face of difficulty. Kathy is the Co-Owner of Joe Bean Coffee Roasters in Roch...
206 : The Emotional and Social Impact of the Cafe Space w/ Noa Berger
Podcast, Supply ChainThe cafe is an institution of our social lives. More than just a spot to grab a quick coffee, the coffee shop is a place that carries with it a host of different sociological and emotional implications for the customer, the local and glo...
205 : Inside Caffe Florian, the World’s Oldest Coffee Shop ! | Venice, Italy
Career, Hospitality, Podcast300 Years! That is how long Caffe Florian in Venice, Italy has been in continuous operation serving Venice and the world. In those years Cafe Florian has served as the cultural hub for millions of Venicians and travelers privileged to ex...
204 : Founder Friday w/ Jeff Taylor of PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. & Bird Rock Coffee!
Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday! I am thrilled to be able to feature a conversation with an old friend and coffee OG, Jeff Taylor. Jeff is the Co-Founder and CEO of the legendary PT’s Coffee Roasters in Topeka, KS and the Owner/ President of Bir...
203 : Empowering Women in Business w/ Katherine Knapke
Career, PodcastIn the world of specialty coffee we still have a lot of work to do when it comes to creating a context where women are given the same bias-free consideration as their male counterparts. As a result, having the confidence necessary to th...
202 : Mastering your Finances and Accounting w/ Keila Hill-Trawick of Little Fish Accounting
Business, PodcastToo often an otherwise promising business is compromised from lack of attention, simple systems, and tools to manage the finances. This leads to many cafes going under way before their time. There is a lot going on when you are just sta...
201 : Igniting your Curiosity w/ Cody Gough
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastCuriosity is the reason we got into coffee. As we go on in our careers though, the world we thought was so big becomes much smaller. We learn the rules, the ropes, and we get busy with the business of coffee often at the expense of bei...
200! : From Tragedy to Triumph! Navigating Change w/ Talor Browne of Talormade, Oslo, Norway
Business, PodcastNavigating unforeseen change brings about a ton of challenges that, in the moment, seem insurmountable. Today we will be exploring this subject by hearing an incredible story going from tragedy to triumph with the ever-awesome, Talor Bro...
199 : Founder Friday w/ Mario Jimenez of Banana Dang Coffee, Oceanside, CA
Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday! Today we get to talk with Mario Jimenez one of the owners of Banana Dang Coffee in Oceanside, California! Mario and his wife, Thanh-Thanh Dang started Banana Dang back in 2007 in Rincon, Puerto Rico before eventu...
198 : The Evolution of the Coffee Shop w/ Prof. Jonathan Morris
Business, Podcast, Supply ChainCoffee and the coffee shop have an amazing history. From the Ottoman Empire to your favorite 3rd wave coffee bar, there have been many evolutions and critical pints in time that have led us to where we are today. In order to move forward...
197 : Getting the most from your Equipment w/ Melissa Vaiden of Counter Culture Coffee
Coffee Tech, PodcastEquipment breaks, that is just a fact of life. How and why it breaks depends on the way we maintain (or don’t maintain) it over the corse of its life. right now there are thousands of bars working on machines that are either about ...
196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano
Podcast, UncategorizedLearning about consumer trends and preferences keeps us sharp and relevant. How well our shops do will have a huge impact on everyone in the value stream of coffee and in order to do our best work we need to be paying attention to wh...
195 : Organizing the Community w/ Espresso State of Mind founders Javier Alvarez and Joseph W. Gonzalez
Barista Craft, PodcastGetting your local coffee community to come together can be a powerful way to build networks, friendships, and careers. This is what today’s guests have made their mission. Javier Alvarez and Joseph W. Gonzalez are long time professi...
194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017
Leadership, PodcastThat’s it! The year is done and to help us ring in the New Year I am re-airing a classic from way back in the day. January 17 2017 is when “Leadership in the Cafe : 10 Steps to being a People First Leader” first aired. Now, three years a...
193 : Founder Friday w/ Colin Whitcomb of Canary Coffee Bar
Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday! Today we get to sit down not once, but twice with Colin Whitcomb of the newly opened Canary Coffee Barin Milwaukee, WI. In this episode we talk with Colin a couple months before Canary opened and then 3 months after ...
192 : Freedom through Coffee w/ Esther Hope-Gibbs of Manumit Coffee
Business, Leadership, Podcast, Training27 Million. That is the number of people who are trapped in modern day slavery. It is a number that may leave many wondering what they can possibly do in the face of such a daunting statistic. However, today’s guest decided that she ne...
191 : Retraining your Staff on new Standards
Podcast, TrainingHas it been a while since you last trained the staff and practices are outdated or ineffective? As a business grows the need for raising the standards in the shop becomes an absolute necessity. The new year is approaching and if you ...
190 : 6 Tips for better Scheduling
Management, PodcastWriting the schedule is one of the hardest things a manager has to take on. It is also one of the primary ways to care for the staff and the success of the cafe. It determines labor cost, quality of service, consistency of standards and ...
189 : Talking Tea w/ Jeffery Champeau of Rishi Tea and Botanicals
Barista Craft, PodcastWhile tea is a staple menu item in virtually every coffee bar around the world, our understanding of tea can be fairly limited and the selection of teas often stagnates over the years. Much of this maybe because we don’t know where to st...
188 : Founder Friday w/ Jon Allen of Onyx Coffee Lab
Founder Friday, PodcastIn just 7 years, Onyx Coffee Lab has become one of the industry’s most recognizable, respected, and progressive coffee companies. Whether you know them from their championship performances on the barista, brewers, or roasting competiti...
187 : A Conversation with Nikki Outlaw of Anecho Coffee
Business, PodcastOpening a pop-shop is one of a number of great ways to get started in specialty coffee retail. It is a lower start up cost, you get to test the concept, and you get to know your community (and they, you) in the process. Today’s guest, Ni...
186 : Interviews from Coffee Fest PNW, Tacoma, WA
Business, PodcastGrowing and learning from the experiences of others is what this show is all about. A lot of growth and learning happened this past weekend in Tacoma during the Coffee FestPNW trade show where I was able to record three interviews with...
185 : Exploring the La Marzocco Cafe w/ Amy Hattemer and Carolyn Reddy
Management, Podcast, UncategorizedOne of the world’s most compelling cafes is also run by one of the world most iconic and trusted espresso machine companies. Located in the lobby of KEXP, the La Marzocco Cafein Seattle, WA has been operating for almost 4 years. Every...
184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak
Business, Leadership, PodcastRunning a successful business is all about the quality of your decisions. Whether large or small, each one plays a part in shaping the company and either strengthening or compromising it. To help give us a frame-work and foundation for m...
183 : Exploring Diversity w/ Phyllis Johnson
Hospitality, Leadership, PodcastCreating a coffee bar and working in retail all boils down to practicing hospitality. We want to practice this on behalf of our guests and our staff but without taking a critical look at how and who we welcome in, we are not really showi...
182 : Founder Friday w/ Alec Tod of Indie Coffee Roasters
Founder Friday, PodcastToday we are talking about scaling and transitions with the founder of Indie Coffee Roasters, Alec Tod! Founded in 2013 with a home roaster on his back patio, the business has undergone several stages of change and growth over the years ...
181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge
Business, Leadership, Podcast, UncategorizedHow well do you know your business? I’m not talking about the numbers and the stuff that is accessible through the POS or spreadsheets. I am talking about the life of the business and the people and cultures that make it up. The incredib...
180 : A Conversation with Rugid Grind Founders, Brian Washington and Averett Barksdale
Business, PodcastCoffee is more than just a drink. It can also be a vehicle for change. Ending teen homelessness through coffee is the vision of today’s guests, Brian Washington and Averett Barksdale. Established in 2019, Rugid Grind is a for-profit co...
179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap
Management, PodcastAs goes the culture, so goes the company. This is just a fact. All of us want to be able to say that our employee cultures are strong, vibrant, and dedicated to the vision we have set for the company. Unfortunately though, it aint that...
178 : Training Masterclass w/ Emma Haines of London School of Coffee and Caffeina Consulting
Podcast, TrainingWe all know that training is one of the most critical skills to master in the professional coffee world. Entire careers are made or broken by the influence of a great or a terrible training experience. It stands to reason then that w...
177 : Founder Friday w/ Jonathan Pascual of Taproom Coffee and Beer in Atlanta, Georgia
Founder Friday, PodcastCoffee! Beer! Founder Friday! Today we get to talk with founder and owner of Taproom Coffee and Beerin Atlanta, GA. Jonathan founded Taproom in 2014 and since then has seen great success creating amazing coffee and beer experiences fo...
176 : Harnessing Emotions at Work w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastWe will always have our emotions with us at work. In the fast-paced customer facing work of coffee retail we can cycle through a whole host of emotions in just one shift and not all of them are helpful to the situations we find ourse...
175 : How to Keep your Cool : A Fridge, Cooler, and Ice Machine Masterclass w/ Luke Peterson of The Maintenance Department!
Business, Coffee Tech, PodcastWhen the fridge goes down, the ice machine is not making ice, and the display case is making weird sounds…it’s time to call a tech ASAP! Well that is exactly what we did in this episode. Today we get to talk to master refrigeration techn...
174 : Saying Yes to Business Opportunities w/ Kyle Wells of Torpedo Coffee & Close Quarters
Business, PodcastHow do you decide which opportunity for expansion is good and which one is not for you? If you are in business you will get offers to open a location in many different contexts but when you are knee deep in operating your first store i...
173 : 5 Areas of Focus for Retailers
Business, Leadership, PodcastTo be successful in retail coffee today you need to be able to give your time and attention to the things that will truly make a difference. The standards for what makes a truly great and sustainable shop is as high as it has ever been...
172 : Why Tracking Performance is a Must!
Management, PodcastThis is absolutely critical! One of cornerstones of running a coffee bar is the ability to stay in tune with the performance of the people that work in it. Having a system for tracking behavior that is either praise worthy or in need of ...
171 : Founder Friday w/ Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters in India
Business, Founder Friday, PodcastThe Indian specialty coffee market is growing by leaps and bounds. Today’s guests Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana and their company, Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, are part of the reason why Indian people are switching from instant...
170 : Why your Inventory Counts w/ Albert Amar and Pierre-Francois Rio of SwiftCount
Business, Podcast, UncategorizedWhat you have on your shelf is of the utmost importance. Tracking it and evaluating its performance is key to being able to make good decisions that will increase the health of your business. Unfortunately we in coffee tend to rely on ...
169 : Designing the Guest Experience w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman
Business, Hospitality, PodcastThe design of your shop communicates the level of care you have for your customer and the community. Crafting the details of your space to evoke a sense of connection to place and a feeling of hospitality that matches the quality is ab...
168 : How to get the Best from your Coffee w/ WBC 2013 Champ, Pete Licata
Barista Craft, Coffee Tech, PodcastDialing in your coffee can be hit or miss. There are so many factors to consider for the extremely large variety of coffees we are tasked with brewing. Methods, recipes, and philosophies abound yet still the complexity of brewing remains...
167 : Handing off the Shift : 4 Tips to Avoid Chaos
Barista Craft, Management, PodcastThe most confusing moments in the day are when the shifts switch. People finishing tasks, gathering items to leave, and others coming in tying to get caught up to speed, get situated, and find their place. It can get chaotic and customer...
166 : Founder Friday! (Special Curated Edition) : Four Awesome Perspectives on Caring for Staff from past Founder Friday Episodes
Founder Friday, Leadership, Management, Podcast, UncategorizedFrom the Founder Friday vault we are diving into the subject of how to care for your staff, staff culture, and setting up yourself and your people for success with amazing past guests Lauren Crabbe of Andytown Coffee Roasters San Fransis...
165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli
Business, Hospitality, Leadership, Management, PodcastWhen we listen, we tend to stay on the surface of what is being said but rarely ever venture into the deeper meaning of what is being communicated. This means we enter into dialogue with staff and customers only hearing a fraction of w...
164 : Six Tips for Cooler Cold Brew w/ “The Cold Brew Chick”, Rachel Dillon
Barista Craft, Business, PodcastFor so many people cold brew is the first step into the world of specialty coffee. In order to truly serve our customers well we need to make sure that, when we offer cold brew, we do it in a way that is engaging, fun, relatable, and hel...
163 : Lessons from Crush the Rush w/ Josh Little Field
Barista Craft, Hospitality, Podcast, TrainingThere is no better feeling than when the cafe gets busy, the pressure is on, and you and your fellow baristas dig deep, communicate well, get orders out quickly, accurately, and keep the bar clean in the process. You just crushed it!...
162 : Discussing “Baristastainability” w/ Jenna Gotthelf of Counter Culture Coffee
Leadership, Management, Podcast, Supply ChainThe sustainability of the barista profession is a subject that needs to be talked about more. Trouble is that we have accepted that the kind of turn-over we see within the ranks of baristas is how it will always be and cannot be helped. ...
161 : Founder Friday Drive-Thru Edition w/ Jasmine Diedrich Wilson of Diedrich Espresso
Business, Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastDrive-Thru coffee stands play a huge part in spreading the good word of specialty coffee. The convenience they offer makes both consuming coffee and getting into the business of coffee more accessible. Today on Founder Friday we are talk...
160 : The Smart Way to Approach Money w/ Jill Schlesinger
Business, Leadership, PodcastManaging money can be super stressful. This is especially true when you own and operate a coffee shop, the margins are thin, and there seems to be more going out than coming in. To help us work through our approach to our money we are ...
159 : Addressing Unconscious Bias w/ Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters
Career, Hospitality, Leadership, PodcastWhat we think and how we act are inextricably linked. In the world of hospitality how our views and assumption about others influences everything form how we serve customers -to who we promote to leadership positions in the cafe. A large...
158 : A Management Masterclass w/ Jon Felix Lund, VP of Operations for Coava Coffee Roasters / Portland, OR
Career, Leadership, Management, PodcastBeing a manager in coffee ain’t easy. There is no end to the number of different issues vying for your attention on any given day and it can seem like you are constantly trying to keep your head above water. Managers are the most importa...
157 : Four from the Floor : Interviews from Coffee Fest Indianapolis 2019
Business, Career, PodcastThe beautiful thing about coffee is getting to explore the stories of all the wonderful individuals who make up the specialty community. Today we we do just that. In this series of four short interviews from the show floor at Coffee Fest...
156 : Founder Friday w/ Lauren Crabbe, Co-Founder of Andytown Coffee Roasters, San Fransisco
Business, Founder Friday, Leadership, Podcast“Like walking into your granny’s kitchen.” That’s the goal Andytown Coffee Roasters founders Lauren Crabbe and Michael McCrory have for what people experience when they walk into their shops in the Outer Sunset of San Fransisco. ...
155 : A Conversation w/ T. Ben Fischer, Founder of Glitter Cat Barista
Barista Craft, Leadership, Podcast, TrainingLess Bitter, More Glitter. That is one of the mottos for Glitter Cat Barista, a new barista competition training program designed to give marginalized and underrepresented communities the resources to shine on the competition stage an...
154: Decoding Decaf w/ Mike Stumpf of Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee
Barista Craft, Business, Podcast, RoastingDecaf coffee has been much maligned over the years but it has been getting steadily better. What once was a joke amongst “serious” coffee nerds is now being focused on with the same care as its caffeinated counter part thanks to the e...
153 : Exploring the Peace Trade in the Congo w/ Mighty Peace Coffee
Business, Podcast, Supply ChainIn a country torn by war one organization is literally sowing seeds of peace and hope through coffee. Mighty Peace Coffee is a next generation impact company working directly with coffee cooperatives in the Democratic Republic of Con...
152 : Essential Advice for Starting a Roastery w/ Jen Apodaca
Business, Podcast, RoastingSo you want to start a coffee roastery. Well there is a lot that goes into it and an overwhelming amount of information you can access to help you along the way. Rarely, though, do you get the opportunity to sit down with someone who is ...
151 : How to Respond and React to Negative Feedback : 5 Step Process
Business, Management, PodcastWe don’t like to hear negative feedback. We get defensive and immediately start looking for ways to dismiss it rather than digging in to see if there is value there. I get it, the coffee shop is your baby, you take you profession persona...
150 : Founder Friday w/ Kyle Wells of Torpedo Coffee, Denver, CO : Before & After Episode
Career, Founder Friday, Leadership, Podcast, UncategorizedOn this Founder Friday we are taking a look into the before and after of Torpedo Coffee in Denver, CO. I was able to interview Kyle Wells at the Coffee Fest trade show in Denver June 2018 before ehe opened his new shop. We then sat dow...
149 : Celina Velez, Head Roaster of Merit Coffee in Austin, TX
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, RoastingCelina is about to celebrate her 2 year anniversary of joining the specialty coffee community having started with no knowledge of coffee as a roasting assistant at the great Merit Coffee in Austin, TX. Through hard work, curiosity, and i...
148 : Exploring the Ground Control Brewer w/ Eli Salomon
Barista Craft, Coffee Tech, PodcastWe all want to extract the most out of our coffee. There are many methods and tools used to achieve maximum flavor but only a few machines offer innovation in a way that creates a substantial jump forward in brew quality and consistency....
147 : U.S. Roasting Champion, Shelby Williamson of Huckleberry Roasters, Denver, CO
Career, Podcast, RoastingRoasting is a hard job that happens behind the scenes. Even the championship itself is somewhat isolated from view! That is why I am so excited to share this talk with you. Not just because we get to learn more about roasting but becau...
146 : How to Host a Throwdown w/ Justin Shepherd of Spencers Coffee, Bowling Green, KY
Barista Craft, PodcastWant to know what goes into hosting a killer throwdown that energizes your baristas and brings the community together? Well your in luck because today we are talking with the creator of one of the nation’s biggest and most successful thr...
145: Founder Friday w/ Red Rooster Coffee Roasters co-founder, Haden Polseno-Hensley
Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastToday on Founder Friday we get to hear from Haden Polseno-Hensley, Co-Founder of one of my favorite coffee companies, Red Rooster Coffee Roasters in Floyd, Virginia! The values that drive the company, the quality of the people, the way t...
144 : A Conversation with 2019 U.S. Barista Champion, Sam Spillman!
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, TrainingThe Champ is in the house! 2019 U.S. Barista Champion, Sam Spillman of Dillanos Coffee Roasters joins me for this very special episode. In our conversation we discuss the evolution of her coffee career, her love for the community, what d...
143 : Behind the Scenes of the new “Baristas” movie w/ Director, Rock Baijnauth
Barista Craft, PodcastIt’s an honor to welcome to the show the director of the 2nd Barista movie “Baristas”, Rock Baijnauth! The first movie “Barista” was a huge success and brought the barista competition world to a very global audience. We are now only a m...
142 : Entrepreneur Interviews from Coffee Fest NYC!
Podcast, UncategorizedI am so excited to share these interviews from the show floor at Coffee Fest NYC! I had the chance to interview the amazing British Coleman & Shabria Quinn Robinson who are in the very early planning stages of their business, “Pour Coffe...
141 : The 27 Challenges Managers Face w/ Bruce Tulgan
Podcast, UncategorizedIf you are in management you know that it is not each day can bring a new set of challenges. It just so happens that there are 27 particular challenges that are common to almost all managers and we are going to explore a few of these in ...
140 : A conversation w/ Erika Vonie, Director of Coffee at Trade Coffee
Barista Craft, Career, Leadership, Podcast, Supply ChainI am so excited to welcome Erika Vonie to the show! Erika is the Director of Coffee for Trade Coffee and she is the professionals professional. Her long and accomplished career in coffee has been comprised of great success in retail, man...
139 : Founder Friday w/ Kusanya Cafe co-founder, Phil Sipka
Business, Career, Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday! Today we talk with the Co-Founder of Kusanya Cafe located in Englewood, Chicago, USA, Phil Sipka. Kusanya Cafe is an all resident owned and run non-profit coffee shop that has been providing an amazing gathering spot...
138 : Joseph A. Rivera on Organic Acids and the Importance of Coffee Science
Barista Craft, Coffee Tech, Podcast, Supply ChainThere is a whole world of chemical components that make up your cup of coffee. Knowing more about that world will help us become better operators and better professionals as it will enable us to increase the quality and consistency of wh...
137 : Essential Books for your Professional Development vol.2 : Five books to help you grow
Barista Craft, Career, Leadership, Management, PodcastNothing helps you grow like great books! In this Vol.2 of Essential Books we talk about 5 books that will have a huge impact on your career and business. They cover everything from team building, problem solving for managers, and managin...
136 : Nourishing the Barista’s Soul: A conversation w/ Deb Kaminski of Pacific Natural Foods
Career, Leadership, Management, PodcastToday is a special day because we get to chat with Deb Kaminsky, the Director of Food Service Marketing for Pacific Natural Foods. When you see the Pacific Barista Series, it’s success in the market, and the incredible support Pacific gi...
135 : Stay Motivated in the midst of Difficulty
Barista Craft, Career, Leadership, Management, PodcastWorking in coffee can really wear on you. Often we find our motivation for the job is so low it is almost non-existent. It could be you are the only barista that really cares about quality, or you want to advance but there’s nothing av...
134 : Founder Friday w/ Jeremy Zhang of M2M Roasters & Uni Uni Coffee in Nanjing ,China
Business, Career, Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday and today we get to hear from the 2x Barista Champion of China and owner of M2M Roasters & Uni Uni Coffee , Jeremy Zhang. In this conversation we get a look into Jeremy’s road to specialty coffee through competition a...
133 : 5 Keys to Successful Wholesale w/ Sarah Richmond
Business, Leadership, PodcastWholesale! It is a vital part of both your success as a roaster-retailer, and the success of specialty coffee globally. Setting up a program that is sustainable, true to your values, and serves your team and your customers well is an abs...
132 : Baristas Speak Vol. 3 : Interviews from Coffee Champs, Nashville 2019
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastBaristas speak and we listen! Learning form others experiences and allowing the way we chart our course to be influenced by the best input from our peers is an essential element of healthy community. I was able to attend the Coffee Champ...
131 : The Strong Women of Coffee w/ Laura Gonzalez
Career, Leadership, PodcastOur industry is blessed to have so many wonderful women contributing their greatness and inspiring us all. Laura Gonzales knows this to be true and founded the Strong Women of Coffee project to help them tell their story and give them a ...
130 : Anne Nylander | Training Principles for Specialty Coffee Professionals
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, TrainingIf we want healthy businesses that produce amazing coffee experiences then becoming better at training and teaching coffee needs to be a constant pursuit. There are hardly any books out there that speak directly to the situations coffee ...
129 : Founder Friday w/ Casey & Jeremy Miller of The Mudhouse, St. Louis, MO
Business, Career, Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastThe Mud House stands as a am amazing representation of where passion, genuine love of people, and a consistent pursuit of quality can take you. For 10 years now Casey and Jeremy Miller have been operating one of St. Louis’ best coffee sh...
128 : Terry’s Top 10 w/ Terry Ziniewicz : Best practices for how not to kill your espresso machine
Business, Coffee Tech, PodcastYour espresso machine is probably the most expensive thing you have in the shop. It is also the heart of your cafe’s operation. Taking care of it should not be left to chance unless you want a pretty big repair bill or to have your abi...
127 : Passion and Curiosity: A conversation w/ Starbucks Global Sr. Project Manager, Major Cohen
Business, Career, Leadership, PodcastNo matter where we are in specialty coffee, we have all benefited in some way from the influence of Starbucks and their immense impact on the world stage. Today we get to learn from someone who has not only been in specialty coffee since...
126 : Kids in the Coffee Shop! An exploration of two different approaches
Business, Leadership, Management, PodcastKids! When you open a shop you are bound to be serving these little hot chocolate drinking future baristas right along side their single-origin cortado drinking parents. The question is, are they welcome?How do we view them? How do you s...
125 : Confidence in Conflict w/ Kwame Christian : A framework for Compassionate Curiosity
Business, Career, Leadership, PodcastNegotiations…No matter what you do in coffee, you negotiate all the time. Whether it is for a raise, a better price from a supplier, or a lease for a new location. The question is not whether or not you negotiate, but do you do it well? ...
124 : Founder Friday w/ Emi Fukahori, World Brewers Cup Champion/Founder of MAME coffee in Zurich, Switzerland
Barista Craft, Business, Career, Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s a very special Founder Friday. I am thrilled to welcome to the show the new World Brewers Cup Campion (and first female WBrC Champ!), Emi Fukahori!!! Not only is Emi the WBrC campion but she also runs the world-class cafe MAME Cof...
123 : The 10 Essentials of a Barista Manual
Business, Management, Podcast, TrainingThe Barista Manual, The Book of Knowledge, That Binder That Never Gets Updated…whatever you call it there is usually some assortment of documents lurking in the cafe that is meant to be a resource but is more a source of frustration. Wri...
122 : How to be a Cash Register Hero : 6 Essential Skills
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, TrainingWorking the cash register is not often seen as legit barista work. We’d rather be on the machine because we are closer to the actual product. Fact is, the register is perhaps more important than the machine as it sets up the entire exper...
121 : Working from Your Strengths w/ Strengths Finder Guru, Lisa Cummings
Barista Craft, Career, Leadership, PodcastWe really do tend to put too much emphasis on what is wrong with us and others. We focus on our weaknesses and simply overlook our strengths. This missing a huge piece of what makes a successful and fulfilling career. Do you want to be a...
120 : Social Media 101 w/ Jenn Chen
Business, PodcastSocial media is a vast landscape filled with both great and terrible representations of people brands. At best we enhance a customer’s view of us and create an even bigger fan -At worst we introduce confusion, boredom, or anger into the ...
119 : Barista Training Masterclass w/ 2009 WBC Champion, Gwilym Davies
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingTraining baristas effectively is a hugely important task. When done well, it sets them up for long term success in the cafe and in their career. When done poorly, it leaves them without essential tools for understanding the nature of cof...
118 : Founder Friday w/ Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters founders, Phil Robertson and Sebastian Sztabzyb
Business, Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday! Today we get to sit down and learn from the founders of Phil and Sebastian Coffee Roasters, Phil Robertson and Sebastian Sztabzyb! In the course of 11 years, Phil and Sebastian have gone from a small farmers market s...
117 : Coffee and Cocktails w/ Amanda Whitt
Barista Craft, PodcastCoffee and cocktails. Baristas and Bartenders. These are basically two sides of the same bar. Today we are going to get to know the craft cocktail and bartending side a little better with the help of coffee and spirits professional, Aman...
116 : Understanding Gentrification w/ Dr. Stacey Sutton
Business, Leadership, Podcast, Supply ChainCoffee shops have become a symbol of gentrification, a process that is made up of a mix of opportunism, policy, and politics resulting in the displacement of communities. As people who tout the love of community and people as being core ...
115 : Finding Success in Mobile Coffee w/ Tim Cox / Communion Coffee
Business, PodcastMobile coffee service is an incredibly important element to a successful coffee operation. Be it farmers markets, luncheons, weddings, or concerts- breaking out of your four walls is the perfect way to get the word out about your brand t...
114 : The New Rules of Coffee w/ Sprudge Founders Zachary Carlson & Jordan Michaelman
Barista Craft, Podcast, Supply ChainSprudge is here!!! Founders, Jordan Michaelman and Zachary Carlsen join me on the show talk about their new book, “The New Rules of Coffee”. In this conversation we unpack their creative process deciding what to include in the book, thei...
113 : Founder Friday w/ Matt Milletto of Water Avenue Coffee, Portland, OR
Business, Career, Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastIt's Founder Friday! Today we are welcoming the great Matt Milletto of Water Avenue Coffee to the show! This conversation is packed with extremely valuable insight from someone who not only runs his own shop and roastery but has spent...
112 : The Power of Story w/ James Harper of Filter Stories Podcast
Podcast, Supply ChainStories are at the heart of all we do and to truly know coffee, you must know more than dry facts, you must know the story of the people behind it. James Harper has dedicated himself to discovering and giving a platform to the untold...
111 : Self Care 101: Taking care of yourself while taking care of others
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastInstead of being a normal part of our professional development, self-care is often a last resort after we have pushed ourself past where it was healthy in a bid to further our career and serve well. Today we chat about some practical...
110 : A Conversation w/ Matt Perger of Barista Hustle
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingCoffee education can often be a mixed bag. While resources presenting information on coffee and barista work abound, it is hard to come by reliable and well researched best practices that will genuinely help you make better coffee....
109 : Leadership Abandonment Syndrome : Lack of development in senior staff and what to do about it
Leadership, PodcastThere is an interesting phenomenon in the cafe where as you move up support, communication, and development tends to be harder to come by. The result is managers and other leadership staff feeling abandoned and burned out as they are...
108 : Founder Friday w/ Dorian Bolden of Beyu Caffe in Durham, NC
Career, Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastIt's Founder Friday and boy do we have a great episode in store for you today! Today we welcome Dorian Bolden, Owner of Beyu Caffe in Durham, NC. Beyu (be-you) is designed to be "The Ultimate Community Gathering Place" and has been...
107 : Kyle Glanville & Charles Babinski of G&B Coffee and Go Get em Tiger
Career, Leadership, Management, PodcastLive from Los Angeles! G&B Coffee and Go Get Em Tiger are two of the best shops you can find in this world. Since the beginning owners Kyle Glanville and Charles Babinski have used the multi-roaster to critical acclaim. They have...
106 : Changing Lives Through Coffee w/ Pamela Chng of Bettr Barista
Business, Career, Leadership, Podcast, TrainingChanging lives through coffee! It is something we all want to take part in and learn how to do with our businesses and careers. Well, today's guest is doing just that and setting an example that should inspire all of us. We are having...
105 : Leadership & Management Masterclass w/ Maria Cleaveland
Career, Leadership, Management, PodcastMaria Cleaveland is a master of management, leadership, and organizational systems and process. She has spent over 30 years in hospitality leadership, the last 17 of which have spent in leading the charge in specialty coffee. Her...
104 : How to Deliver Difficult Feedback w/ Tom Henschel
Business, Leadership, Management, PodcastGiving feedback is not an easy task. We often psych ourselves out and/or procrastinate on delivering it, dreading the conversation and what might happen when we bring it up. This is especially true when the situation seems to be...
103 : The Colombian Coffee Connection w/ Ervin Liz
Podcast, Roasting, Supply ChainErvin Liz is an indigenous Colombian of the Nasa tribe who grew up on a coffee farm helping his family plant, pick, process, and sell their harvest. Years later co-founded The Colombian Coffee Connection where he imports, roasts, and...
102 : Founder Friday w/ Justin Hartman of OZO Coffee, Boulder, CO
Career, Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastIt's Founder Friday!!! Today we get to sit down with Justin Hartman who is the Founder of the standard bearing OZO Coffee Company. Justin brings a very down to earth perspective to all he undertakes. We discuss his journey into coffee...
101 : Avoiding Legal Pitfalls in Retail w/ Specialty Coffee Attorney, Marshall Fuss
Business, Leadership, PodcastThere are countless details that go into setting up a great coffee shop. At the top of the list of priorities are the legal considerations that provide you with a foundation on which to build your dream cafe in a way that won't turn...
100! Why YOU are the Key
Career, Leadership, PodcastWooo Hooo! It's the 100th episode of Keys to the Shop!!! Thank you so much for listening to and supporting this show! I can think of no better way to use this time than to highlight what a critical role you all play in the industry....
099 : The Barista League w/ Competition Founder Steve Moloney
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingCompetitions don't have to be expensive, complex, or stressful! The Barista League is proof. Today we are talking with Barista League founder, Steven Moloney about this community focused, engaging, and refreshing competition. We...
098 : Loving the Closing Shift : Problems, solutions, and philosophy on work
Barista Craft, Career, Management, PodcastAs shifts go, the closing shift is normally not a covent one. We can suffer from boredom, lack of motivation, disillusionment, isolation, and end up feeling bitter toward our day-time counterparts who get to work more in the thick of...
097 : Founder Friday w/ Erica Escalante of The Arrow Coffeehouse
Career, Founder Friday, Management, PodcastIt's Founder Friday! Today we are honored to hear from the owner of The Arrow Coffeehouse, Erica Escalante. Erica is an 8 year veteran of the specialty industry and went from Starbucks barista to coffee shop owner. Her story is one of...
096 : Instant Specialty Coffee w/ Voila founder, Kent Sheridan
Barista Craft, Coffee Tech, Podcast, Roasting, Supply ChainDid you say "Instant specialty coffee"?! Yup, that's right. Not only does it taste 300 times better than traditional instant but it may well change the way you think about accessibility, consumer engagement, and how we provide value to...
095 : Dealing with Stress in the Cafe w/ Wellness Counselor, Joe Sanok
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastIn coffee shops we know a thing or two about being stressed! It can range from nagging to debilitating just with a single shift. If you want to experience more calm and peace of mind in the cafe, even in the midst of the business then...
094 : How to Map it Forward w/ Lee Safar
Career, Leadership, PodcastWe all want a fulfilling career in coffee but often times we feel trapped and disappointed with where we are and cannot see the next move. Enter Lee Safar. Lee is the owner of "Map it Forward" and host of the "Map it Forward Live...
093 : US Brewers Cup Champion, Becca Woodard!
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, TrainingToday we get to talk with the 2018 U.S. Brewers Cup Champion, Becca Woodard! It was such a pleasure to chat about the details that went into her fantastic performance, the fascinating story of her competition coffee, her personal...
092 : Tony “Tonx” Konecny of Yes Plz : Consumer Accessibility, roasting, 3rd wave, subscription
Barista Craft, Podcast, Roasting, Supply ChainGreat coffee should be for everyone! For the consumer today though, specialty coffee can be complicated. But it does not have to be! Today we talk with industry legend Tony (Tonx) Konecny, Founder of Tonx Coffee, and Co-founder of Yes ...
091 : Founder Friday w/ Talor Browne of Talor & Jorgen
Career, Founder Friday, Podcast, RoastingTalor Browne, Co-founder of Talor & Jorgen in Oslo, Norway chats with us on this May edition of Founder Friday. Talor is an absolute legend and through her career has been at the helm of some of the worlds greatest cafes and...
090 : Researching the Cafe w/ Dr. Jennifer Ferreira
Podcast, Supply ChainWhile many of us can say that we are students of coffee and coffee shops, not many can say that we study it on an academic level the way or guest Dr. Jennifer Ferreira does. In this discussion Dr. Ferreira talks about her research into...
089 : La Marzocco USA General Manager, Andrew Daday : Leadership, Innovation, service, heritage
Coffee Tech, Leadership, Podcast, Supply ChainToday we have the immense honor of talking with Andrew Daday, General Manager of La Marzocco USA! We dive into his leadership, values, and goals as he heads up one of the worlds most iconic and respected equipment manufacturing compani...
088 : 2018 U.S. Barista Champion, Cole McBride
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, TrainingToday we talk with the new U.S. Barista Champion, Cole McBride! Cole has always given 110% effort to improving both his own craft and being an advocate for specialty coffee and those around him. In his 15 years of professional coffee wor...
087 : Coffee Masters Champion, Agneiszka Rojewska
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, TrainingToday we talk with Coffee Masters Champion, Agnieszka Rojewska! She is the multi-time Polish Barista champion, Latte Art champion, and now Coffee Masters champion, a trainer, consultant, and all around inspiration! In this conversation w...
086 : Founder Friday w/ JoEllen Depakakibo / Pinhole Coffee
Founder Friday, Leadership, Podcast086: Founder Friday! w/ JoEllen Depakakibo / Pinhole Coffee Warmth, hospitality, community, kid songs…this episode has it all! Today we get the chat with the founder of Pinhole Coffee, JoEllen Depakakibo! JoEllen’s shop, Pinhole Coffee, ...
085 : How we Ruin the Specialty Experience
Barista Craft, Career, Leadership, PodcastIt is often the little things that we allow or that escape our attention that will ruin the specialty experience for our customers in our shops. Today we discuss ways that we create unnecessary roadblocks to customers having a truly grea...
084 : Crushing the Rush : Tips and Best Practices for Busy Times
Barista Craft, Management, Podcast, Training“We got slammed!”, “Today was intense!”, “It was crazy!” …If you have ever said this then today’s episode is for you. In the cafe we all experience rushes differently based on how well prepared we are. A sudden pop of business or sus...
083: 6 Essential Books for your Professional Growth
Career, Leadership, Management, PodcastI love recommending great books! In this episode we talk about 6 books that I think are critical to your professional development. They cover everything form hospitality, coffee knowledge, operations, management, personal growth, and voc...
082 : Knowledge and Flavor w/ Cosimo Libardo
Barista Craft, Leadership, Podcast, Supply Chain, UncategorizedIs specialty coffee scaleable? How do we think and act in order for our businesses to succeed long term? What role does delivery of flavor, knowledge, and consistency play in giving your company the depth and soul needed to truly execu...
081 : Founder Friday w/ David Schomer of Espresso Vivace
Barista Craft, Founder Friday, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday!!! I am honored to have David Schomer of Espresso Vivace join us on the show as his company celebrates it’s 30th year. Since it’s founding in 1988 Espresso Vivace has been home to David’s groundbreaking and paradigm s...
080 : Changing things in the Cafe : A workflow for Refinement
Leadership, Management, PodcastChanging things in the shop can either make things better or make things worse. Of course you need to have a good idea or solution, but, once you have that, it is all about HOW you go about implementing the change. Today I am presenting ...
079 : Interviews from Coffee Fest Baltimore
Career, PodcastHey! Coffee Fest Baltimore 2018 was fantastic and I got to visit and chat with three fantastic people for this KTTS episode. What are people looking for at an event like this? What are the things you, as a coffee retailer should be pursu...
078 : Exploring Green Buying and Sensory Analysis w/ Amanda Juris
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, Supply ChainTasting coffee gives us a window into where the coffee came from and what it’s potential can be. Those who work in green buying and sensory analysis are tasked with tasting the truth of a coffee and deciding how it will turn up on reta...
077 : How you can Happen to your Career w/ Scott Anthony Barlow : A frame work for finding the right work
Career, PodcastWe all want to find the right job, right? For many of us though we end up having to settle on something that does not quite fit and end up feeling stuck. How can we take the first steps in the direction of a career that is perfect for ...
076 : Talking Tech! w/ Tom Ritz of Workhorse Customs : Best Practices for Machine Maintenance
Barista Craft, Coffee Tech, PodcastClean and well functioning equipment is definitely one of the keys to the shop! Problem is that we tend to lose those keys and end up with problems that could have been prevented with some basic attention to regular maintenance. To t...
075 : Founder Friday w/Jill Killen of Cloud City Coffee, Seattle Washington
Career, Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday! Today we get to chat with one of the key players in the Seattle coffee shop scene, Jill Killen. For the past 16 year she has run coffee shops and has been dedicated to serving and investing into her staff and the ...
074 : The Life Changing Power of Good Authority w/ Jonathan Raymond
Leadership, Management, Podcast, TrainingGood authority changes lives and can change the world! It all starts with with how we show up for the people we lead and the way we facilitate both theirs and our growth in a people-first culture. In the current climate where being a bos...
073 : How to be Awesome at Your Job w/ Pete Mockaitis
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastDo you want to be awesome at your job? Of course! We all do. Today we will be discussing the foundational principles and focuses that will get you there and grow you even further if you’re there already. I am thrilled to welcome to the ...
072: Taking an Origin Trip w/ Kim Elena-Ionescu : How to go to origin in a mutual beneficial way
Barista Craft, Podcast, Supply ChainThe Origin Trip. A pinnacle moment for any barista and a regular part of business for roasters and importers. As “The Origin Trip” has become a more fashionable, marketable, and regular occurrence in specialty coffee there are questions ...
071: Taking a European Coffee Trip w/ Ales Pospisil
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastCLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! Ya’ll! We’re going on a European coffee trip! Co-Founder of European Coffee Trip, Ales Pospisil joins us on the show today. We get to talk about traveling and exploring Europe’s specialty coffee scene, what they...
070 : Founder Friday w/ Kristian Hedborg, Alkemisten Kaffeebar, Gothenburg, Sweden
Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday! Today we are talking with Kristian Hedborg, the Founder of Alkemisten Kaffebar in Gothenburg, Sweden. In this interview we get to hear about how Kristian went from restaurant management school, to co-owning a cafe at...
069: Hosting Consumer Coffee Classes : 7 Guidelines
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingWe all want to educate the consumer. Education has gotten a bad rap due to some of our awkward attempts to force information on people in less than ideal times and settings. Enter the consumer coffee class. In this episode we talk about ...
068: A Conversation w/ Rita Kaminski and Ant Walach of Snow Drift Coffee
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, Roasting, TrainingRita Kaminski and Ant Walach are the founders of Snowdrift Coffee and Workspace in Roscoe, IL. In this episode we talk all about their approach to training, philosophy on learning, advice they have for other trainers, why is necessary ...
067 : 6 Truths About Power : The Responsible Approach to Power Dynamics in the Cafe
Leadership, Management, PodcastWe all will be leaders in our careers. In the cafe there are positions that hold various levels of power and influence. We can either use this power for the good of those we lead or we can use it destructively. Too often we see the abuse...
066: Shaping and Developing your Team w/ Beth Garrison
Leadership, Management, Podcast, TrainingLeading and developing your staff depends on how well you understand what gives rise to their behavior in the cafe. Today we talk with Behavior Analyst, Beth Garrison and will discuss the basics of behavior analysis, the 5 behaviors of a...
065: A Look Back Founder Friday from 2017!
Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastThis year we got to learn from some of the best owner/operators around in the Founder Friday series. In this episode we go through from the beginning and listen in to some key points made by each of our superstar guests. Looking back at ...
064 : A Look Back at the Lessons of 2017
Barista Craft, Career, Leadership, Podcast, UncategorizedWell 2017 is pretty much in the bag and it has been a year filled with great guests, great topics, insights, information, inspiration, and tools to help us grow. In this episode we go over some of the best lessons learned this year. It i...
063 : What Your Roaster Wants you to Know w/ Rob Hoos, Author, Modulating the Flavor Profile of Coffee
Barista Craft, Podcast, Roasting, Supply Chain, UncategorizedThere are a ton of factors that influence the flavor of coffee. Some of the most significant factors happen during the roasting process. Todays guest, Rob Hoos is author of the book Modulating the Flavor Profile of Coffee, a book that br...
062: World Barista Champion 2017, Dale Harris, Has Bean Coffee
Barista Craft, Career, Leadership, Podcast, Uncategorized2017 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 ...
061 : You Don’t Know Beans about Brazil w/ Kelly Stein, Coffea Podcast
Barista Craft, Podcast, Roasting, Supply ChainWhen 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, hel...
060 : Serving the Coffee Plant w/ Hanna Neuschwander, World Coffee Research
Barista Craft, Podcast, Supply Chain, UncategorizedWithout 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...
059 : Founder Friday w/ Joshua Boyt, Metronome Coffee
Career, Founder Friday, Leadership, Podcast, UncategorizedJoshua 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. About Joshua Boyt Th...
058 : Holiday Hospitality
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingHoliday 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 w...
057 : SOP’s FTW! Success through Standard Operating Procedures
Management, Podcast, Training, UncategorizedSOPs 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 arou...
056 : The Sleepwalking Barista
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, Training, UncategorizedSleepwalking 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...
055 : Personal Growth & Development w/ Jared Truby, Cat & Cloud Coffee
Career, Leadership, Management, Podcast, UncategorizedPursuing 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 ...
054 : Founder Friday w/ Nathan Quillo, Quills Coffee
Founder Friday, Leadership, Podcast, UncategorizedWelcome 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...
053 : Training, Trust, and Community w/ Reggie Elliott
Barista Craft, Career, Leadership, Podcast, TrainingAs 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...
052 : Solving Coworker Conflict w/ Tom Henschel
Career, Leadership, Management, Podcast, Training, UncategorizedConflict 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...
051 : The Power of Design in Coffee w/ Liz Chai
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, UncategorizedElizabeth Chai built her Graphic Design career as a coffeeshop dweller and coffee consumer. After a Design Director stint with Octane Coffee, her passion for advancing the industry convinced her to focus her design, branding, illustratio...
050 : Baristas Speak Vol. 2 : Five Interviews from the Kentukiana Coffee Champs pre-lims 2018
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, Training, UncategorizedIt’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...
049 : Founder Friday! w/ Jason Card,
Founder Friday, Podcast, UncategorizedAre 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 ...
048 : How to taste coffee w/ U.S. Cup Tasters Champion, Steve Cuevas!
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, Training, UncategorizedSteve 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 emp...
047 : Mastering Latte Art : Some of the worlds best latte masters weigh in!
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, Training, UncategorizedAh 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 wit...
046 : Death by Comparison : How we practice it and ways to avoid getting caught up in it
Barista Craft, Career, Leadership, PodcastIn 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...
045 : Simple, Powerful Hospitality w/ Philip Turner
Barista Craft, Leadership, PodcastProviding 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 man...
044 : Navigating Mistakes and Failure : Best Practices for overcoming the problems we bring with us to the cafe
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, UncategorizedEven 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 ...
043 : Founder Friday w/ Kathy Turiano: Joe Bean Coffee Roasters
Career, Founder Friday, Leadership, Management, Podcast, UncategorizedThis 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 ba...
042 : Supplying and Selecting Equipment w/ Steve Rhinehart: Prima Coffee
Barista Craft, Leadership, Management, Podcast, UncategorizedThere 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...
041 : Standing for the Art of Coffee w/ Luke Adams, Standart Magazine
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, Supply Chain, UncategorizedSTANDING FOR THE ART OF COFFEE 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, Stan...
040 : Pour Over & Batch brew pt 2 w/ Ryan Soeder
Barista Craft, Management, Podcast, TrainingPour 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 ...
039 : Lessons from the Restaurant Industry w/ Eric Cattiatore : The 6 traits of the most successful restaurant professionals
Barista Craft, Career, Leadership, Management, PodcastEric 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 in...
038 : Founder Friday / Narrative Coffee Part 2 w/ Maxwell Mooney : His experience after opening his first brick and mortar
Career, Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastHe’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 openin...
037 : Chocolate & Coffee w/ Brian Beyke : Understanding Craft Chocolate
Barista Craft, Podcast, Supply Chain, TrainingChocolate and coffee seem to be made for each other! Whether you are having a simple well made mocha or pairing a bar with a single origin espresso, chocolate can compliment, enhance, and make more accessible the specialty coffee we ser...
036 : A conversation with WBC ’14 champion, Hidenori Izaki
Business, Career, Podcast, TrainingThis week we get to chat with 2 time Japanese Barista Champion and 2014 World Barista Champion, Hide Izaki! We talk about his path to the WBC, the distinctive traits of the Japanese coffee culture, what has he learned and experienced...
035 : The Consumer Revolution w/ Kevin Sinnott
Hospitality, Podcast, Supply Chain, TrainingKevin Sinnott is the author of the books The Art and Craft of Coffee and Great Coffee, blogger at CoffeeCompanion.com, producer of Web TV series Mission Coffee Can and creator/host of CoffeeCon, the Consumer Coffee Festival. He’s appea...
034 : Pour Over & Batch Brew w/ Ryan Soeder
Barista Craft, Coffee Tech, Podcast, TrainingPour over coffee is often seen as a sign that you take coffee seriously. It implies a level of quality not usually reserved for plain ol’ batch brew. Batch brew is seen as a bit more pedestrian. Customers may even assume that, compared t...
033 : Founder Friday w/ Katie Startzman / Owner of Native Bagel Co. Berea, KY
Founder Friday, Leadership, Management, PodcastKATIE STARTZMAN Click to SUBSCRIBE! Katie Startzman was raised in the northeast but has called Berea, Kentucky home for more than 20 years. Before founding Native Bagel Company, she worked in the nonprofit world, organized a large commu...
032 : Making Order out of Chaos : Dealing with Groups Ordering in the Cafe
Barista Craft, Hospitality, Management, Podcast, TrainingFear, frustration, stress…we all have experienced one or more of these feelings when we deal with groups in the cafe. Be they a family, friends, or study group we can sometimes have trouble managing the group dynamic and the chaos that ...
031 : Essential Advice for New Baristas : Tips to help you successfully navigate and thrive in your new coffee career
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastClick here to SUBSCRIBE! Being a new barista can be both very exciting and very stressful. There is an almost never ending list of policies, recipes, practices, and rules that make up this new work of cafe service you are now immersed...
030 : Casey Underkofler : Matching Your Service to Your Quality : How to Manage and Control the critical details of service so both the experience and product are excellent
Podcast, UncategorizedIn coffee service we pour over the details of the coffee’s quality in great detail. Often though we can over look the details that make up a complete coffee experience. The way customers experience our coffee, in no small part depends o...
029 : How the newly formed SCA Benefits Retailers: A conversation with SCA Vice President Heather Perry
Business, PodcastHeather Perry, Vice President of the SCA, is also a 2 Time U.S. Barista Champion and 2nd Place world Barista Championship finalist. She is Vice President of Klatch Coffee, a 20 year old California based roaster/retailer and has served in...
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
Business, Leadership, Management, Podcast, TrainingWWW.RAINMAKERTHINKING.COM brucet@rainmakerthinking.com RELATED/MENTIONED EPISODES: KTTS 021: How to Leverage Your Performance Review KTTS 003:Pete Licata:The role Of Mentorship in Specialty Coffee Resources: www.keystotheshop.com About...
027 : Founder Friday w/ Chelsey Walker-Watson of Slate Coffee Roasters
Founder Friday, Leadership, Management, PodcastIt’s Founder Friday #5 !!! Today we get to talk with Chelsey Walker-Watson, co-owner of Slate Coffee Roasters / a family owned roaster/ retailer in Seattle, Washington. We discuss her amazing 2nd place U.S. Brewers Cup Competition routi...
026 : What Your Roaster want you to Know w/ U.S. Roasting Champion, Mark Michaelson, Onyx Coffee Lab
Podcast, RoastingRoasters are the heart beat of specialty coffee. They transform the fruit of so many peoples labor into the coffees we know and love. Today we get to hear from none other than the new U.S. roasting Champion himself, Mark Michaelson! Mark...
025 : Mastering the Art of Training w/ Dave Stachowiak : Coaching, Leadership, education , and how to communicate your coffee and barista knowledge so it sticks
Barista Craft, Career, Leadership, Podcast, Training, UncategorizedDave Stachowiak (STA-HOW-VEE-AK) is the host and founder of Coaching for Leaders, a top 10 careers podcast on iTunes downloaded over 200K+ times monthly. Coaching for Leaders was recently selected by Inc. Magazine as one of the 12 Podcas...
024 : Chermelle D. Edwards, The Coffeetographer : Documenting Art and Culture Through the Lens of Specialty Coffee : Barista Culture, Consumer Experience, Movements in coffee culture
Career, PodcastCheremelle D. Edwards, Founder of “The Coffeetographer” joins us today to talk about all she has learned and observed through her work documenting arts and culture through the lens of specialty coffee. We talk about the critical role of...
023 : U.S. Barista Champion, KYLE RAMAGE! We chat with Kyle about his recent victory, details of his presentation, thoughts on specialty coffee, and lessons he’s learned on the road to winning the title
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast, TrainingFresh off his victory in Seattle, Kyle Ramage of Mahlkonig USA took some time to talk with us about the competition. We get into the details of his routine, his drinks, his presentations message, his dry ice frozen coffee and the challen...
022 : Founder Friday w/ Colin Harmon of 3fe Coffee, Dublin Ireland & Author of the new book, “What I know About Running Coffee Shops”
Business, Founder Friday, Leadership, PodcastColin is a 4 time Irish Barista Champion, 4th place World Barista Championship finalist, and Owner/Founder of 3fe Coffee, one of the world’s most innovative and progressive specialty coffee shops located in Dublin, Ireland. Colin is al...
021: How to Leverage you Performance Review : 7 Tips for how Baristas can the Most out of the Review Process
Barista Craft, Career, Management, Podcast021: How to Leverage you Performance Review : 7 Tips for how Baristas can the most out of the Review Process Reviews can be a great experience. They can also be frustrating and challenging. They key is in how you go into the review and...
020 Joe Marrocco : Transparency, Origin Knowledge,and Your Shop : How to approach and apply coffee origin information to enhance, not detract, from the cafe experience
Podcast, Supply ChainThere is a lot of farm information available to us today in coffee. The question is how do we use that information & what is the line between overloading the customer and enhancing their experience? What purpose does all this knowledge s...
019 : 10 Reasons to Love the Customer w/ Chris Deferio
Hospitality, Leadership, Management, Podcast, TrainingKTTS 019 : 10 Reasons to Love the Customer w/ Chris Deferio CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! What do you think of when you think of “The Customer”? All too often it brings to mind annoyance, challenges, irritation, and even anger. I recently r...
018: Hiring, Culture, and the Future of your Shop
Business, Leadership, Management, PodcastCLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! The future of your shop depends one more than just the coffee you serve, it depends on the people you hire and how you engage and lead them. This determines how they care for each other, your customer, and yo...
017 : Founder Friday w/ Jonathan Rubinstein of Joe Coffee: Entrepreneurship | Coffee Business | Hiring | Barista Culture | Growth
Founder Friday, Leadership, Management, PodcastJonathan Rubinstein Bio CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! Jonathan Rubinstein, President & Founder of Joe Coffee in NYC and Philadelphia joins us on the show today to talk about coffee business, Hospitality, the keys to their success in growing ...
016: Raising the Bar on your Customer Experience w/ Michael Butterworth
Hospitality, Management, Podcast, TrainingEpisode 16: Raising the Bar on your Customer Experience w/ Michael Butterworth CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! The customer experience can make or break your cafe. There are so many seemingly small things that can derail the customers enjoym...
015 : What to do if You don’t Advance w/ Anne Nylander : How to take the next step in your barista/coffee career
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastCLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! Sometimes, in spite of doing all the right things and taking all the right steps, advancement just does not happen. Today we talk with Anne Nylander about how to navigate the tricky terrain of leaving your job...
014 : A Barista’s Guide to Advancing: How to take full advantage of where you are and set yourself up for success in coffee
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastKTTS 014 : A Barista’s Guide to Advancing: How to take full advantage of where you are and set yourself up for success in coffee CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! We all want to make progress and be fulfilled in our work. For many of us though f...
013 : Leadership & Management Master Class w/ Eva Attia : Leadership | management | hiring | career
Business, Leadership, Management, PodcastEp: 013 / EVA ATTIA: Leadership & Management Master Class CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! So you want to be a better leader or manager? Have we got a show for you! On this episode Eva Attia, the Director of Retail Operations for Portland...
012 : Lauren Airola of Onyx Coffee Lab : A Journey Into Management & Back
Barista Craft, Career, Management, PodcastKTTS 012 : Lauren Airola of Onyx Coffee Lab : A Journey Into Management & Back CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! Going from barista work to take on a management role can be a tough transition. It can also be a very rewarding one both personally ...
011 : Founder Friday w/ Maxwell Mooney, Narrative Coffee : hospitality / building relationships / coffee quality
Business, Founder Friday, Leadership, Podcast, UncategorizedIt’s the second edition of Founder Friday and today we get to hear the story and learn from the experiences of Maxwell Mooney who owns Narrative Coffee in Everette, WA. We discuss how he got started in coffee, his driving vision for Narr...
010: How Are Competitions Relevant? w/ Jess Steffy: Barista competitions / Coffee Shops / Employee engagement / Professional growth
Barista Craft, Career, Podcast010: How Are Competitions Relevant? w/ Jess Steffy: Barista competitions / Coffee Shops / Employee engagement / Professional growth Are barista competitions relevant what I do on the bar every day? How does my business benefit from s...
009 : How to Approach Data and Metrics w/ Simon Ouderkirk : Simon shows us how we should be thinking of numbers and their relation to our shops, baristas, and businesses
Business, Management, PodcastData, Metrics, Measurements…they play a critical role in the success of your shop. But how we approach the information available to us will determine how well we use it. Today Simon Ouderkirk a former coffee professionalwho now works wi...
008 : Finding Joy in Coffee w/ Nathanael May
Career, Hospitality, PodcastKTTS 008 : Finding Joy in Coffee w/ Nathanael May CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! Joyfulness in our work is something we all would like more of. Nathanael May joins us to discuss how we can cultivate joy in our work in coffee. Being a barista ...
007 : The 4 Keys to an Effective Checklist
Business, Management, PodcastKTTS 007 : The 4 Keys to an Effective Checklist CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! If you work in coffee you use a checklist. Some lists are effective and others…not so much. In this episode we explore the 4 keys to making an effective...
006 : Founder Friday #1! Taylor & Shem Doupe of Soleil Cafe in Syracuse, NY
Business, Founder Friday, Leadership, Podcast, UncategorizedKTTS 006 : Founder Friday #1! Taylor & Shem Doupe of Soleil Cafe in Syracuse, NY CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! This is the first in a monthly interview series highlighting founders of great cafes on the last Friday of each month. This month ...
005 : Baristas Speak! Barista Interviews from Coffee Champs Knoxville
Barista Craft, Career, PodcastEp: 005 Baristas Speak! Barista Interviews from Coffee Champs Knoxville 2017 CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! This weekend I got to go to Coffee Champs in Knoxville, qualifying event for the United States Coffee Championships. While at an even...
004: Leadership in the Cafe : 10 Steps to Being a People First Leader
Business, Leadership, Management, PodcastEp:004 : Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to Being a People First Leader CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! In this episode you and I get to discuss some practical leadership practices for the shop to help you keep people first. There are 10 thin...
003: The Role of Mentorship in Specialty Coffee w/ Pete Licata
Career, Leadership, Management, PodcastCLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! We get to talk about mentorship with 2013 World Barista Champion, Pete Licata. In this conversation we discuss what mentorship is, what are the benefits of its one-on-one nature -vs- other learning methods, and...
002: Master Your Workflow w/ Ryan Soeder
Barista Craft, Podcast, TrainingIn this episode I discuss with guest Ryan Soeder a cornerstone of any great cafe…Workflow. Ryan will break down the ins and outs of good workflow, why it is critical, and 5 ways you can improve. Resources: www.sunergoscoffee.com...
001: Intro & What to Expect
Barista Craft, Leadership, Management, PodcastGreetings! In this episode I get to formally introduce myself and what you can expect here at Keys to the Shop. Plus I discuss the philosophies and values that drive the show. WELCOME!!!...
