Exclusivity is a Bad Strategy

Chris DeferioPodcast

“We are the only coffee shop in our town that serves this!” I will bet that you have thought or said this, or some version of this phrase, yourself as you have planned or run your business. Being the only one to have something is exhilarating at…

Passive-Aggressive Management

Chris DeferioPodcast

Confrontation and difficult conversations are things we tend to avoid. One of the outcomes of this is an increasingly passive-aggressive style of management that seeks to take care of the issue without having to face it.  Today on Shift Break we…

Do You Need Experience to Open a Coffee shop?

Chris DeferioPodcast

This question gets brought up often when people are discussing their plans to open a coffee shop. The answer, as you might expect, is not as easy as saying yes or no. Ultimately we need to explore what is behind the question. Why is it being asked and…

308 : A Conversation w/ Italian Brewers Cup Champion, Alessandro Galtieri

Chris DeferioBarista Craft, Podcast, Training

Italian 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 coffee experience. At the heart of that movement is Aroma Caffe todays guest, Alessandro Galtieri. Alessandro has owned and …

ROR #8 How Post-Harvest Processing Impacts Flavor w/ Siva Subramanian and Byron Holcomb of Olam Food Ingredients

Chris DeferioPodcast

How 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 what these methods contribute to the coffee as well as their impact on the environment, and the industry is critical. …

You Can’t Automate Quality

Chris DeferioPodcast

It seems like we as an industry want two conflicting things. On the one hand we want baristas to create excellent drinks and to come to work with the mentality that they will not just be on autopilot and phone it in. On the other hand, we have a…

307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop

Chris DeferioBusiness, Podcast

Our 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 over time can be and is felt by both your staff and your customers. Today …