A 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 that manifest themselves either immediately or down the road. Instead we need to prioritize the …
Even though you might want to, you can’t just chuck items in the garbage willy-nilly. I have been there, done that, and suffered the wrath. There is a better way to keep the menu fresh and get rid of items humanely and with deference to…
How 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 of value on the table when we don’t embrace critique and use it to our advantage. Today we are …
In conversation with employees we are often too quick to accept the first answer or the first explanation of and issue. In order to help we need to have the right information. Unfortunately, often due to the power difference between boss and employee,…
Welcome 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 in Corinth, Texas! James Combs founded…
Welcome 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, Texas! James Combs founded Combs‘ Coffee in 2013 by visiting East Africa on a sourcing mission with a …
How 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 that compound when scaled. It is not as easy as simply introducing a new flavor, choosing the right …
When we serve coffee, who are we serving? If you were to listen in on many conversations about coffee over the counter you would think we are just serving ourselves based on the narrow range of coffees we tend to favor as professionals. We serve both…
Welcome 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 his business partner Edward are 1st generation immigrants who for the past 6 years have worked diligently to create Pause …
Welcome 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 in Sacramento California, Paul Magda! Paul and his business partner Edward are…
