How we care for people through our work should be the primary focus. From healthy and strong relationships and systems the help support them, we get healthy and strong businesses and a real chance at a long term sustainable operation. Today we will be talking about some substantive ways that you can care for yourself, the staff, and your customers …
Do you feel the pull, the itch, the compulsion to add more, buy more, and create specials and new things for your customers all the time? You are not alone. The industry is filled with cafe that are stuck in a never ending cycle of making, buying, and adding new things so they do not fall out of favor or …
I love an origin story where the pluck, confidence, and unwavering belief of the founders for each other and their idea is met with the support, enthusiasm, and positive feedback of the community they set out to serve. They say your calling is where your talents intersect with what people need and today we get to talk with people who …
A listener asked me a question recently about how to approach operating a coffee shop in a rural setting versus a larger city. After a short exchange over email I decided it was some thing that we should probably chat about here on the show. After all, specialty coffee shops are popping up more and more in suburban and rural …
The life of your business is going to be determined by how easily and frequently you and your staff can identify, during the workday, behaviors and events that represent the values of your company. The problem is that because we are so busy with the tasks of the work, it makes it difficult for us to identify those times in …
Many owners struggle to make a profit and to pay themselves. This inevitably will lead to burn out and disillusionment and sadly for many closing down the shop before ever really seeing what it’s potential could have been. Making money in your cafe has a lot to do with how well you track and manage what you already make. Enter …
You read this kind of question mostly from nervous owners who are glued to their screen and anxiously review every data point with bloodshot eyes. Like a nervous flyer, ever bump on the plan is a sure sign of an imminent crash, but here’s the thing, it’s not. Today on shift break we will be talking about why these kind …
For the last 10 years The Barista League has been putting on competition/events that tap into the culture of the working barista and offers a fun environment that also showcases and celebrates the skills of the people who serve customers globally. In the current landscape where competition is increasingly isolated from reality and can easily be seen as a place …
If you want to run a great coffee shop, loving people is one of the most important things to have at the foundation of all you do. It is also sometimes the hardest and requires intentional pursuits of a visions and a tenacity that always seeks out ways to improve communication, service, hospitality, and quality to make sure both staff …
It is that time of year here in the U.S. where many will reflect on what they are thankful for. In this current age where bad news and reasons to despair abound, it is even ore important to fight for and seek out the good and positive in our lives. But even for those of us who see value in …
