Coffee 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 coffee provider that, as of now, acts as the sole supporter and funder of The Oneighty Project, a nonprofit dedicated …
175 : How to Keep your Cool : A Fridge, Cooler, and Ice Machine Masterclass w/ Luke Peterson of The Maintenance Department!
When 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 technician, Luke Peterson of The Maintenance Dept. The point of this conversation today is to give …
174 : Saying Yes to Business Opportunities w/ Kyle Wells of Torpedo Coffee & Close Quarters
How 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 it can be challenging to see the next step clearly. Today we are getting …
173 : 5 Areas of Focus for Retailers
To 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. Today we are going to be talking about five areas that are critical …
171 : Founder Friday w/ Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters in India
The Indian specialty coffee market is growing by leaps and bounds. Today’s guestsĀ Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata AsthanaĀ and their company, Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, are part of theĀ reason why Indian people are switching from instant and drink more amazingĀ Indian coffee at home and in cafes.Ā From humble beginnings working shoulder-to-shoulder packaging their roasted coffee in a home’s 2 spare rooms – …
170 : Why your Inventory Counts w/ Albert Amar and Pierre-Francois Rio of SwiftCount
What 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 either our own personal knowledge of what we can see on our shelves or on very rudimentary …
169 : Designing the Guest Experience w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman
The 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 absolutely critical. Today we are going to learn about the specific physical and social dynamics that guests …
165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli
When 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 what can be perceived and as a result our personal and business relationships fall short of …
164 : Six Tips for Cooler Cold Brew w/ “The Cold Brew Chick”, Rachel Dillon
For 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 helps showcase to them the vast possibilities of specialty coffee. Well, today we …
161 : Founder Friday Drive-Thru Edition w/ Jasmine Diedrich Wilson of Diedrich Espresso
Drive-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 talking with a real drive-thru success story, Ā Jasmine Diedrich Wilson, Owner of the Diedrich Espresso! Jasmine started the company at 19 years …
