At a certain point a manager or owner will need to have a difficult conversation with a staff member that ultimately is about accountability. This conversation is often done with a lot of pent up emotion and the stard being applied may or may not have…
These days a lot of coffee shop owners are thinking about how they can add value for the customer. Of course this is a question that should be asked and right now with costs and competition the desire to add value is at an all time high as we seek to…
When we talk about the virtues of hospitality, one of the ones that comes up a lot is kindness. The extension of this grace to others in spite of our mood is a discipline that requires us to find motivation beyond receiving thanks. Today on…
Sorry to break it to you, but literally nobody who matters cares how you define yourself. In our quest to find belonging and quell the voice of our imposter syndrome, we tend to over define ourselves and posture in a way that limits our ability to run…
Now is the time to start redirecting our gaze from competitions and accomplishing greatness on a stage serving judges that do not matter to our shops, and refocusing our attention on the judges that truly matter. Our customers. Today on Shift…
The search for a “superstar” barista seems to never die. It is a desire born from our tendency to attribute success and power to one person in-spite of the evidence around us that pretty obviously points to the opposite. But oh if we just hire a…
We all know that in order for a business to be sustainable, it has to be profitable. We need financial margin in order to deal with the unexpected expenses and events, provide opportunities for others, fund growth as needed, and yes, pay…
As most of you know, Starbucks has once again coopted a traditional drink and introduced it to their menu as a part of their “Back to Starbucks” campaign. The cortado, a 4 oz espresso and milk drink originating in Spain, has been a staple menu item in…
There is no doubt about it, having a training lab is a wonderful asset to have for elevating the quality of your training…until it isn’t. Truthfully, much like any tool, it depends on how it is used and whether it is part of a bigger picture. Today…
The title of today’s episode sounds like a no brainer, but you may or may not be surprised to know that it is way easier than you think to be this way when traIning baristas. It is not something that we set out to do, but is born from a confluence of…
