Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

It happens all the time. We create and conduct training sessions, programs, and systems that contain a lot, but do not produce a lot. We end up with staff that are ill equipped for handling the day-to-day work and challenges that await them and as a result the customer receives an inconsistent experience. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about the number one way we create ineffective training programs and what we should be investing into in order to properly train and prepare ours staff and business for long term success Please listen to these related episodes: 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces 313 : Coffee Education and Training w/ Michael Phillips of Blue Bottle Coffee 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence 296: Holistic Barista Training w/ David Castillo of Go Get Em Tiger , Los Angeles 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff 130 : Anne Nylander | Training Principles for Specialty Coffee Professionals 119 : Barista Training Masterclass w/ 2009 WBC Champion, Gwilym Davies Like the episode? Subscribe, share, and rate the show! Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

How we perceive something impacts the decisions we make when buying or selling it. That in turn shapes consumers perceptions and then the market. Tea has long been a part of the coffeehouse, but has suffered from a severe lack of attention and intentionality. As a result the way we represent tea in many cafes has a negative impact of the tea farmer in effectively disappearing their work and craft. These are the types of issues that today's guest has sought to address. After leaving her corporate job Annie Xiang founded Volition Tea. As an Asian American owned business is core to how Volition operates with every decision centering around serving their community and the farmers whom we have the privilege to know. Instead of focusing on transparency and direct-trade for the sake of marketing, Volition shares the stories of tea farmers to cultivate empathy across communities. Through their intensive focus, highly curated offerings, and education Volition is making a real impact. In this interview we will be talking with Annie all about how Volition began, its values, and the practical ways we can adjust our mindsets and practices to usher in a better future for tea and tea farmers through our cafes. We discuss: Starting volition How tea farmers are unique Telling their story Breaking down the Types of tea How to curate your menu Getting staff exited about tea Tapping into the tea market True transparency in tea Training people in tea Tips for selecting, storing, and using Re-steeping Sourcing and relationships Links: www.volitiontea.com @volitionteaco on IG Related Episodes: 282 : How to Listen to your Customers How to talk to Customers about Coffee 361: Managing Roastery Relationships and Logistics w/ Corey Turner of Andytown Coffee Roasters Eliminating menu items Humanely 080 : Changing things in the Cafe : A workflow for Refinement 002: Master Your Workflow w/ Ryan Soeder Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

How do you measure the impact of you business? We talk about metrics mostly related to finances and judge success accordingly. But the deeper and more fulfilling impact a coffee shop can have is based in relationship. You may ask yourself the question, does what I am creating or have created have "heart and meaning"? If your answer is yes and you stick to it long enough, you might end up with a legacy similar to our guests today, Cindy and Cary Arsaga In 1992 Arsaga Coffee was founded in Fayetteville Arkansas and this month marks the 30 year anniversary of Arsaga's. Cindy and Cary have been serving generations of people through their unique, warm, and welcoming shops. Their goal has always been to provide a space that fosters true community, connection, and the positive life change that results. Today they are pillars in the North West Arkansas community and continue to serve great coffee in authentic spaces with simplicity and integrity. Arsaga's was the first coffee house I was a regular of and where I first learned to love coffee and the coffeehouse as a dynamic space. I was not only the catalyst for my career but it was the force that inspired innumerable lives. Needless to say this a really special episode to me. So today we get to hear the story of how Arsaga's was born from an, how it grew organically and with soul, how they took on bigger projects such as baking, food, and roasting, all while staying true to their roots of "Heart and Meaning". We cover: How coffee basically saved Carries life The epiphany Goals for creating community Beginning the journey and finding their way Early inspiration and creating energy and a community space Staying true to yourself Fostering connection Learning how to operate a public space The journey of roasting and scaling without losing culture Hiring the right people Creating magic in peoples lives Going from organic growth their intentional development / being organized Working with family Challenges, lessons, and proud moments Links: www.arsagas.com Instagram @arsagascoffeeroasters Related Episodes: 329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff 018: Hiring, Culture, and the Future of your Shop Bridging the Values-Actions Gap 208: Building a Company that Cares w/ Kyra Kennedy of Baratza 166 : Founder Friday! (Special Curated Edition) : Four Awesome Perspectives on Caring for Staff from past Founder Friday Episodes 139 : Founder Friday w/ Kusanya Cafe co-founder, Phil Sipka 232 : Founder Friday w/ Blew Kind of Fanny Lou's Porch 279 : Founder Friday! w/ Daniel Brown and Nephthaly Leonidas of Gilly Brew Bar 305 : Founder Friday! w/ Andrew Sinclair of MadLab Coffee, Los Angeles, CA Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

Thankfulness, positivity, affirming others, and seeking out the good can easily be things that get pushed aside in favor of the problems, stresses, and challenges of this life. As a result we develop a lob sided perspective in reality. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about how we can pursue thankfulness and seek out the positive in the midst of the challenge to have a full and truer view that actually gives life. Related episodes: Priorities and Deep Thankfulness Thankfulness : The key to joy in the journey 317 : Encore Episode: Death by Comparison Skewing Positive The Affirmation Vacuum Like the episode? Subscribe, share, and rate the show! Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

Communicating hard things is hard! The good news is that is does not have to be ineffective or worse yet, turn into something problematic or toxic. There are ways to deliver necessary feedback to employees (or anyone for that matter) that will not only show that person respect but also allow you your dignity as well. I wanted to re-share this old episode today with our friend Tom Henschel because there are many of us who are struggling with communicating to our staff regarding their performance, behaviors, expectations, etc. In this conversation Tom outlines a simple 4 step process that you can use to deliver difficult feedback well. Tom Henschel is an expert in workplace communications and executive development. Over the past 25 years, he has helped hundreds of senior leaders achieve The Look & Sound of Leadership.TM In addition to coaching executives, Tom facilitates team events and delivers highly interactive trainings in the areas of effective communications, presentation, and influence skills. Tom's popular podcast, The Look & Sound of Leadership, airing since 2008, is consistently cited as "What's Hot" in the business podcasts on iTunes. Links: Tom's Company: www.essentialcomm.com Tom's Podcast: The look and Sound of Leadership 4 Step Feedback Model PDF — Keys to the Shop Related Episodes: 363 : Setting Boundaries in the Coffee Shop w/ Tom Henschel 052 : Solving Coworker Conflict w/ Tom Henschel 221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin 165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

"Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good" This quote from Voltaire has been passed around a lot over the years, even still it seems we always find ways to procrastinate on starting things because we either want it to be perfect, feel fear of looking bad, don't think we have the time, or perhaps we jus don't feel the urgency. On today's shift break we will be talking about how embracing the practice of taking imperfect action can radically transform you and your coffee shop. Related episodes: Make Your Problems More Specific Managing Expectations in Systems Doing What You Want -vs- Doing What is Needed Making a Decision Pipeline Turning Radius Like the episode? Subscribe, share, and rate the show! Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

It is easy to assume that a managers main role is only to take on basic administrative tasks. At least this is the way I would argue most shop treat the role of manager. It is too often a "set and forget" scenario that inevitably leads to managers being in the dark, ill equipped, and frustrated. Ultimately this is all due to a lack of development and a failure of ownership to play an active role in it. On todays episode we will be talking about five key areas that need to be developed in managers consistently as the primary way to facilitate their success, and in turn, the success of your business. We will cover: Admin tasks Leadership skills Accountability to Standards Cafe evolution Clarity, communication, and being informed Maintaining a constant focus Avoiding misuse of your authority Related episodes: 028 : Why it's Ok to be the Boss w/ Bruce Tulgan : A guide to defining and fighting the under management epidemic in your cafe so you can be the manager your staff need 261 : The Basics of Managing Managers 229 : 7 Tips for New Managers 373 : The Owner's Role: 5 Behaviors for Effectiveness Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

It's wild to me that this still exists in coffee. The idea that we can throw a new hire in to the mix of a shift in a new cafe and expect that they will prove themselves as being valuable based on if they fail or thrive. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about why this "sink or swim" mentality is glorified laziness, culturally dangerous, and what we should be doing as leaders to train our people. Related episodes you need to hear: Unofficial Trainers & Fair Compensation 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence 296: Holistic Barista Training w/ David Castillo of Go Get Em Tiger , Los Angeles 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff Like the episode? Subscribe, share, and rate the show! Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

Photography and coffee seem to just go together. There is something about creating moments and capturing moments that is a common drive where we can see the beauty in the mundane and get a whole new appreciation for our work and world. Today we are going to chat with of one of our industries great photographers, Rob Sykes. Rob Sykes lives in Houston, TX with his wife and daughter. H practices Zen meditation, writes haikus, and works full time as a PICC RN at North Cypress Medical Center. In addition to this, Rob is a serious coffee and street photographer and content creator who you can catch around the Houston cafe scene, roaming the streets of major metropolitan areas, and of course capturing magic at Coffee Fest's Latte Art World Championship Open. In this conversation we talk about Rob's journey into coffee, photography, and how he sees the world through those lenses. We cover: Getting into photography through coffee Mindfulness and intentionality Zen meditation and coffee shops Capturing culture The beauty of the mundane Knowing what to shoot and why Staying aware of your surrounding Focusing on community Links: Instagram @layman_rob Related episodes: 352: Music, Culture, and Coffee w/ Hip Hop Artist, Propaganda 365 : Spilling the Beans on Global Coffee Culture w/ Lani Kingston 199 : Founder Friday w/ Mario Jimenez of Banana Dang Coffee, Oceanside, CA 024 : Chermelle D. Edwards, The Coffeetographer : Documenting Art and Culture Through the Lens of Specialty Coffee : Barista Culture, Consumer Experience, Movements in coffee culture Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

The coffee shop is a can be a stressful place. There are no shortage of challenges big and small that confront us daily whether you are a barista of cafe owner. The trouble we run into is when our confirmation bias kicks in with every challenges and our emotions run away with us and we start telling ourselves a story about what is happening that may not be true but certainly feels true in the moment On today's shift break we will be talking about how we can combat overthinking and negative emotions through pursuing objectivity, truth, and growing in confidence as a result. Related episodes: Getting Over Guilt 224 : Essentialism: Focusing on what truly Matters w/ Greg McKeown 111 : Self Care 101: Taking care of yourself while taking care of others 176 : Harnessing Emotions at Work w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab Professional Distance (Blog) When Going Above and Beyond Goes too Far 258 : Prioritizing your Mental Health in the New Year w/ Dr. Lara Pence Make Your Problems More Specific Like the episode? Subscribe, share, and rate the show! Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co Want clarity, perspective, and solutions? Sign on for KTTS Consulting coaching calls today! Email [email protected]

Some interviews we have on the show touch on so many deep, important, and impactful subjects that it is hard to stop the conversation. This was one of those. I wanted to talk about our guests' career and then see where it led us and indeed we ended up discussing an assortment of issues that are sure to inspire and spark curiosity in you as you listen. Today we sit down with the great mat North! A seasoned veteran with over two decades experience, Mat's career has taken in the full gamut of the of the industry. Stints with both national and local chains as well as time in the consumables and engineering side of the business have given him a well rounded view of the coffee world. In 2013 Mat opened Full Court Press, a small specialist multi roaster coffee shop and now Nano- roastery in the heart of Bristol. His knowledge, passion and attention to detail ensured FCP quickly became a forerunner in the city's scene. It is FCP's excellent customer service, coupled with the team's ability to articulate their extensive knowledge in an approachable way that has ensured Full Court Press not only serve exceptional coffee, but have sparked an interest in specialty coffee among their customers. Having sold FCP in 2021 he's moved into the green side of the industry as part of the European office for Raw Material, a not for profit social enterprise working in all aspects of the supply stream. He is also the author of the acclaimed book, Coffee - A Modern Field Guide, and recently served as National Coordinator for the UK chapter of the Speciality Coffee Association. As we chat I hope you take notes and continue to pursue the subjects discussed. From Mat's career evolution and lessons learned through business ownership - to his take on how the industry has evolved and what is key for us to prioritize in the future, this conversation is loaded with value and insights from start to end. We discuss: Learning through early retail experiences Discovering what coffee could be Abandoning a phd in physics to pursue coffee physics and engineering training helping with coffee How to be inspired by unknowns and learn Starting his shop Full Court Press Curating a multi roaster program Feedback loos in QC Water in coffee Writing a coffee book Quantifying the art of coffee Marketing vs true innovation How consumers are leading the way in quality coffee Evolution of specialty retail The priority of price equity and leaving efficacy based models Links: www.matnorth.com Instagram @mat_north Related episodes: 242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann 374: Opening a Coffee Shop: Fantasy vs Reality (w/ bonus commentary)" 349 : Talking About 21st Century Coffee w/ Kenneth Davids Sustainability Series #2 : Importing & Roasting 333: Bridging the Professional and Home Barista Gap w/ Lance Hedrick of Onyx Coffee Lab Learning -vs- LEARNING Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

I am so happy to share with you this Founder Friday episode that takes a hard look at what is possible when you want to offer excellence at scale in a cafe setting. I am joined by the founder of the iconic and standard setting company, WatchHouse, Roland Horne. Roland founded WatchHouse in 2014 after extensive experience running small-to-medium-size businesses, including luxury aquarium design consultancy Aquarium Architecture. He holds directorships with property development funds Verum Domus and Coutts & Partners and has a MSc in Economic History from the London School of Economics. Roland is currently pursuing his Executive MBA at the University of Oxford. Over the past seven years WatchHouse has grown from one cafe on London's iconic Bermondsey Street to ten sites, and in August celebrated the one-year anniversary of the WatchHouse Roastery at 36 Maltby Street. A CEO with formative experience outside the speciality coffee sector, Roland has a unique and ambitious perspective on the sustainable expansion of the brand throughout the London and beyond. In today's conversation we get to hear the story behind WatchHouse and how Roland has grown this brand through values and a desire to keep integrity of service and quality front and center. I think you will get a great deal from this chat. We discuss: From luxury aquariums to coffee Defining modern coffee and evolving Focusing on your unique value proposition Why you need to focus on the MLP Big concept in an initially small space Making hard financial decisions and listening to customers Beginning to roast Scaling and customizing for the community Living wage and following through on delivering value Getting better as you get bigger Staff structures Overcoming the assumption that big is bad Providing spaces for Happiness Links: www.watchhouse.com Instagram @watchhouse Related episodes: 320 Founder Friday! w/ Francesco Sanapo of Ditta Artigianale, Florence, Italy 171 : Founder Friday w/ Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters in India 348: Founder Friday! w/ Benito Burmudez of Cafe Unido, Panama City, Panama! 263 : Founder Friday w/ Mike McFall, Co-Founder of BIGGBY Coffee! 017 : Founder Friday w/ Jonathan Rubinstein of Joe Coffee: Entrepreneurship | Coffee Business | Hiring | Barista Culture | Growth Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

It is that time of year where cafes are all but expected to have the ubiquitous PSL in their menus. But there is so much more. Beyond this staple drink specialty cafes around the world have developed both wonderful signature creations and others that don't really resonate. Today on shift break we will be chatting about signature drinks and I will be offering some tips on how to approach curating and creating your specialty drink menu so your beverages are more likely to succeed. Related episodes: 274 : Crafting Specialty Drinks in your Shop w/ Matt Foster" 317 : Encore Episode: Death by Comparison 282 : How to Listen to your Customers Taste the Rainbow! : Menu knowledge, tasting, flavor, coffee cupping approach to your offerings Don't fall into FOLO! (Fear of Limited Options) Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

Should you open a coffee shop? How hard could it be anyway? Thousands of people around the globe have a dream to open a cafe. Once open however that dream can quickly become a nightmare. I am thrilled to have been able to collaborate with fellow podcasters over at the Adventures in Coffee podcast to put together an episode that deals with this subject head on. In this episode you will hear from several aspiring, and experienced entrepreneurs as James harper, Scott Bentley, and myself take you through the 3 major areas of inspiration and focus cafe owners need to be aware of. The money, the scene, and the dream. This was awesome to get to be a part of and i hope you enjoy this very important and entertaining show! Links: Adventures in Coffee Slate article: My Coffee Shop Nightmare By Michael Idov Related Keys to the Shop episodes: 283 : 5 Bad Reasons to Open a Coffee Shop 223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll 239 : 5 Best Practices for the Best Small Business w/ Henry Lopez 141 : The 27 Challenges Managers Face w/ Bruce Tulgan Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

How long should you let your coffee age after roast? Is freshest always best? How can we ensure our customers get the coffee at its peak? These are some of the questions that we explore around the topic of ideal resting times for roasted coffee, the myths around freshness, and the best practices for managing your coffee's flavor life cycle. In this episode of RoR from Roast Magazine we are exploring the new data associated with ideal resting times for coffee based on a study recently conducted and written about in Roast and the implication it has for you, the customer, and the farmers. We are talking with the person who conducted this study, President of Cafe Kreyol, Joey Stazzone. Joey Stazzone is the President (and Chief Coffee Hunter) of Cafe Kreyol. In 2012 Stazzone took his experience with chemistry, cross breeding, and backyard botany, and began working in developing countries with the goal of creating sustainable employment, through specialty coffee. Through a decade of hands-on experience working with producers, he has become an expert in fermentations and post harvest processing. Stazzone has been a licensed Q Grader since 2015, and became a CQI Lecturer on Quality Evaluation in 2022. He has been on the international jury for the Bolivia Quality Cup Presidential Tournament 4 times, and has given dozens of lectures on Direct and Transparent Trading as well as Fermentations and Post Harvest Processing. Through his work at Cafe Kreyol, he provides consulting to hundreds of producers a year, conducting experiments on coffee fermentations, pH testing, and post harvest processing, in order to help them develop the best possible product. Recently his company completed a scientific study on post roast resting times, and the impact on sensory evaluation which can be found HERE In our conversation we cover: Standard understanding of resting a degassing Relaying accurate information Cafe Kreyol's experiment and results Tools and methods for evaluation How to use resting data in your Roastery Surprising results of long term degassing Roasting fast or slow and the impact on degassing How does this work with blends? Freshness and Marketing Subscribe to Roast Magazine! Use code "ROR" to get $5 off Links: www.cafekreyol.com www.roastmagazine.com Related Episodes: RoR #1: A Conversation w/ Anne Cooper of Equilibrium Master Roasters RoR #2: Exploring Quality Control w/ Spencer Turer of Coffee Enterprises RoR #3: Making Contingency Planning a Reality w/ Andi Trindle Mersch of Philz Coffee RoR #4: Practical Thermal Dynamics w/ Candice Madison of Royal Coffee / The Crown Oak RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind" RoR #6: Buying Less and Doing More w/ Ever Meister RoR #7 Illustrative Sample Roasting w/ Mike Ebert of Firedancer Coffee Consultants ROR #8 How Post-Harvest Processing Impacts Flavor w/ Siva Subramanian and Byron Holcomb of Olam Food Ingredients RoR #9 Inside the Roaster's Tool Kit w/ Kat Melheim of Black and White Coffee and The Coffee People Zine RoR #10 : What Your Broker Wishes You Knew w/ Scott Merle of La Minita Coffee RoR #11 : Exploring Scent w/ Sandra Elisa Loofbourow RoR #12 : Inside Coffee Packaging w/ Ever Meister RoR #13 : The NORM ROAST Protocol w/ Dave Baxter RoR #14: How to Roast New Processing Methods w/ Mike Ebert RoR #15 : Managing LTL Freight and the Nuances of green Shipping w/ Evan Gilman of Royal Coffee

The work of running a cafe seems to never be quite complete. While we know that chasing " perfection" is not the goal, we would do well to embrace the idea of dial in and refinement in our work. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about what a summer woodworking project from years ago taught me about refining what we do in our cafes. Related episodes: Higher Degrees of Imperfection 373 : The Owner's Role: 5 Behaviors for Effectiveness Feedback Culture : Making feedback a part of what you do not just something you sometimes do 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge Turning Radius Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

The coffee shop is made up various tasks and roles that all work together to create something magical. Wen those roles are not clear or followed through on then the we lose the magic and gain frustration. No role in the cafe is as important than that of the owner (arguably managers but that's another topic), yet we rarely see owners having job descriptions let alone a schedule organized according to both the administrative / financial needs AND the areas of operations, quality, and people. In today's episode we will discuss the 5 behaviors that are necessary for owners to successfully and effectively lead and manage those 3 areas so they can facilitate and create a thriving coffee shop. We cover: Operations, People, and Quality The need for detailed scheduled work Constant curiosity Tension as needed structure Honesty at all costs Using problems to discover and institute solutions Crafting systems needed for operations that serve the people Related Episodes: 314 : The 6 Essential Qualities of Coffee Shop Leaders 368 : Walking the Line Between Leadership and Friendship 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop 253 : Mindsets that Sabotage Success 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

Finally. It is time to get meta and have a Shift Break conversation about...shift breaks. We all go to work with a finite amount of energy to use on that days tasks and responsibilities. Trouble is that we also tend to work well beyond the point at which we have used up our energy and subsist on coffee and fumes. The shift break is supposed to be something that allows for some respite in the midst of a busy day but is often more an idea than a regular and well resourced practice. Today on Shift Break we will talk about the shift break, its role in the cafe, the reality of how we tend to minimize it, and why making it a reality for your staff is a critical part of caring for them and your business. Related episodes: Shift Break: Four Steps to Inspiring Your Staff How to Talk to Each Other The Importance of Debriefing Reasonable Expectations Main 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

Every day on bars across the globe baristas are using milk to create amazing drinks. For almost as long as coffee has been served in coffee shops, milk has been a staple ingredient. Yet, in spite of its ubiquity in coffee culture, we tend to focus (understandably) more on understanding and crafting coffee than we do the milk that today makes up such a. large portion of our menus. Today you are in for a treat. We will be diving into the subject of milk from both a scientific perspective and a craft perspective. To do this we talk with two establish authorities on the subject, Morten Munchow and Emilee Bryant. Morten Munchow is the Founder of Coffee Mind a coffee roasting academy, research, and consultancy company based in Denmark. Morten is a scholar of biology who through over ten years of intense practical and scientific research and application gained a unique insights that have pushed the specialty coffee industry forward worldwide. He is a sought after speaker and presenter having published several papers in scientific journals. Emilee Bryant is a long time award winning barista, latte art champion, internationally revered coffee content creator, and trainer with Counter Culture Coffee in NYC. When it comes to breaking down the craft of coffee, milk steaming and latte art, Emilee is second to none in effectively communicating concepts that lead to consistently great results. In both conversations we get very technical and specific about the how what and why of milk as a product and then the practical steps needed to craft that milk into a beautiful texture to add to our coffee. I hope you listen deeply and leave this episode with more clarity, understanding, and confidence regarding the science and craft of milk! Links: Morten: www.coffee-mind.com Instagram Emilee: Youtube @emstagrim Related episodes: 047 : Mastering Latte Art : Some of the worlds best latte masters weigh in! 333: Bridging the Professional and Home Barista Gap w/ Lance Hedrick of Onyx Coffee Lab RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind" 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces 119 : Barista Training Masterclass w/ 2009 WBC Champion, Gwilym Davies Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

I got a great question in from a listener. "How should managers be appraising staff?" I love it because it gets beyond the trope of the holy trinity of delegation (Schedule + Inventory/ordering + Shift coverage) and assumes correctly that a manager should be involved in the development of their team. So today on Shift Break we will be talking about the how of apprising staff as manager as well as the preparations necessary to be effective with your coaching, feedback, and reviews. Don't miss this one! Related Episodes: 243 : Encore Episode! "The Sleepwalking Barista (Owner)" The Difference of Deference to your Staff Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

We all are susceptible to the siren song of trying to fix a place or a person to our own detriment. In the moment it seems like the right move and there is a sense higher calling an nobility pushing us forward. The reality though is that for certain cafes and bosses, there is no reformation only resistance and a dedication to the ways that will eventually drive you into the ground. On today's episode we will be discussing why you should not try to be a hero at the expense of your own well being and what you can do to use this current circumstance you may find yourself in for your long term betterment instead of a desperate bid save a pace and sacrifice yourself in the process. Related episodes: 162 : Discussing "Baristastainability" w/ Jenna Gotthelf of Counter Culture Coffee 031 : Essential Advice for New Baristas : Tips to help you successfully navigate and thrive in your new coffee career 363 : Setting Boundaries in the Coffee Shop w/ Tom Henschel 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge Shift Break: Creating a Feedback Culture Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

I am excited to present to you another great interview with an inspirational founder! This time we get to hear the story of the founding an development of a business that has long been a pillar of specialty coffee in the U.S.. We are talking with Tony Dreyfuss, Co-Founder of the award winning Metropolis Coffee Company! Tony started Metropolis Coffee with his Father Jeff Dreyfuss in 2003 and they continue to own and run it to this day. In the span of 2 decades Metropolis has established itself as both an iconic specialty coffee roaster and shop, winning many awards for its coffee and overall business, but also as a pillar of the community it serves in Chicago. The values and passion for of diversity, quality, and locally rooted service are the foundations that make Metropolis as effective and successful as they are. Today we will be diving into the story of Metropolis as we talk with Tony about everything from his first exposure to coffee and getting hooked on the scene- to founding and growing Metropolis with all the high and low points along the way. We cover: Discovering coffee and becoming a coffee guy Experiences at Pete's and planning his own shop First steps into coffee as a career and then as an owner Working with family and building the brand Using experience + Learning new business lessons Coffee offerings then and now Inclusivity model and hiring nice people Cultural diversity and a people first approach Learning from mistakes and embracing authenticity Thoughts on the industry shift toward accessible offerings Most important issue in coffee right now Links: https://www.metropoliscoffee.com/ Metropolis Coffee Instagram @metropoliscoffeeco Related Episodes: 366: A Conversation w/ Chris Baca of Cat and Cloud Coffee 204 : Founder Friday w/ Jeff Taylor of PT's Coffee Roasting Co. & Bird Rock Coffee! 075 : Founder Friday w/Jill Killen of Cloud City Coffee, Seattle Washington 329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff 282 : How to Listen to your Customers 367 : Designing Your Coffee Shop for Community w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman Your Peers are not your Customers Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

One of the top questions I get asked is about how to improve employee morale. As someone who has conducted and sat through his fair share of meetings designed around this issue, I can tell you with a fair degree of certainty what does not work. On todays Shift Break we will be talking about the wrong way to improve employee morale as well as the right way to begin truly fixing the problem instead of throwing a lot of meetings and initiatives at it. Please listen to these recommended and related episodes: Fix the Small Stuff! : Management, Morale, Coffee Bar Culture The One-on-One : How one meeting can dramatically impact your coffee shop's culture and morale. Four Steps to Inspiring Your Staff Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway - first impressions matter a lot! When a customer enters your business the person that sets the tone for them is usually the barista working the cash register. With this fact in mind you'd think most bars would then invest heavily in training and equipping their staff to work this station with the same or even greater finesse than a barista. But you'd be wrong. Mostly we tend to under equip and push to the side this area and it shows. On today's episode we will be revisiting an old episode that deals directly with this topic and will give you 6 skills that are needed to do a wonderful job at the cash register. Please also listen to the recommended episodes below to dive deeper into the subject and let it motivate you to take action on improving the experience your staff and customers have at the POS. Recommended episodes: Up-selling and Hospitality: Helping Customers Make Good Decisions 271 : Why the Cash Register Controls Everything 085 : How we Ruin the Specialty Experience 045 : Simple, Powerful Hospitality w/ Philip Turner Empowering Staff to make the right Call Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

There is always a general sense of anxiety present when it comes to running a coffeehouse. Part of the reason for that is that problems are always popping up and we need to then deal with them. The other reason for why this anxiety seems perpetual has to do with the fact that for most operators, problems are not specific enough to do anything about. On today's Shift break we will be exploring how digging into the problems you experience and making them more specific, will give you a far great chance of finding peace of mind and solutions amidst the challenges of running a cafe. Related episodes: Slowing down your Response Time The Miracle of the Mundane: How curiosity helps our sustainability 125 : Confidence in Conflict w/ Kwame Christian : A framework for Compassionate Curiosity 052 : Solving Coworker Conflict w/ Tom Henschel 165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

We have a problem. There are plenty of people in leadership positions but many of them are afraid to step into their role and opt instead to try to avoid the difficulty by being friends with everyone. I'll bet you know a manager or owner like this and I'll also bet it was not necessarily an endearing quality. In an environment where community, teamwork, and close quarters are constants, it is natural to feel the tension between leadership and friendship. Today we are going to be hashing out why this tension exists, how it has led to some bad situations, and what to do to make sure you are and trusted, respected AND effective leader in the coffee shop. We cover: Why we try to run form authority Futility of friendship alchemy Bias and toxicity Avoidant behavior and Self awareness Embracing your role and authority for good Using the difference Keeping your distance while connecting Related episodes I think you will enjoy: 074 : The Life Changing Power of Good Authority w/ Jonathan Raymond 067 : 6 Truths About Power : The Responsible Approach to Power Dynamics in the Cafe Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

When we promise our customers a specialty experience in our shops they would logically assume that promise of quality might extend to the bathroom. Alas, it is not so. Not at least for many shops. On today's Shift Break we are going to be talking about how the way you care for you cafe bathroom is a direct reflection of how you care for you guests and why we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. Related episodes: 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop Spiders and Customer Service 175 : How to Keep your Cool : A Fridge, Cooler, and Ice Machine Masterclass w/ Luke Peterson of The Maintenance Department! 367 : Designing Your Coffee Shop for Community w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

It goes without saying that most of us want our shops to be a place that attracts and fosters community. The question though is how exactly to we intentionally build our spaces to accomplish that. If we are honest, probably not as much thought or effort get put into setting up a space to purposely create community as is necessary. Well you are in luck! Today we are talking with returning guest and expert on interior design and how to create community conducive spaces, Dr. Lisa Waxman! Dr. Waxman, Ph.D. is a professor and chair of the Interior Architecture + Design department at Florida State University. Her research includes topics related to the design of spaces that foster community, sustainable design, and design for special populations. She is an NCIDQ certificate holder, a LEED-AP and a licensed interior designer in Florida. Dr. Waxman has served in many capacities on the board of the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC), including president-elect, president and past-president from 2010 until 2013. She was honored as a Fellow of IDEC in 2008. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). Her teaching expertise includes environment and behavior, design issues, sustainability and studio. Dr. Waxman has authored an incredible number of scholarly works and has won many awards for her work. In our interview today we will be discussing her new book "Designing Coffee Shops and Cafes for Community" and diving into the practical ways we can build great 3rd places for our communities. We cover: Perspective of community and the 3rd place Biological roots of out need for connection Balance of community success and commercial success. Familiar stangers Key components of place attachment How are our cafes counteracting community Values, mission, and identity reflection Branding and un-branding Thinking about Lighting, texture, sound, and smell Working around space restraints Community with mobile operations? Welcoming and serving a variety of demographics Service is critical Links: BUY: Designing Cafes and Coffee Shops for Community Mentioned resource: Together Book Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

It is critical to pay baristas and staff from a place of generosity. We like to say "Pay what you can, not what you can get away with". In many cases though there is a lack of knowledge of how to manage income once it is paid. If we want to pay our staff a living wage then I believe we should also help provide some help on how to manage it. On today's shift break we will be talking about the issue of financial mismanagement of wages and how operators can equip their staff have a healthy view of and handle on their income leading to a better quality of life. Related episodes: 160 : The Smart Way to Approach Money w/ Jill Schlesinger 223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll Reach out for one-on-one consulting and coaching! Book a 90 minute consulting Call now! Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

We all want leadership and cafe culture that inspires. Through personal and professional development we can learn how to create an environments where our values and core beliefs are lived out in real time. In spite of the inevitable challenges, set backs, and failures that come with entrepreneurship and leadership, when we bring our true selves to work in good faith with others, magic happens. This is what today's guest, Chris Baca has accomplished at the globally celebrated shop and roastery, Cat and Cloud Coffee. Chris Baca is the co-owner of Cat and Cloud and inspires thousands around the world through his YouTube channel and writing at www.chrisbaca.com where he focuses on finding joy in your work and putting ideas into action. Over two decades he has carved out a consistent people and hospitality focused career where ever he was working. Through the founding and growth of Cat and Cloud he has learned an incredible amount about himself, the nature of cafe leadership, and how to cultivate a culture that truly leaves every person they it touches in a better place. He believes we all have gifts to share, and that the world would be better off if we are brave enough to share those gifts. In our conversation today we dive deep into development, leadership, overcoming challenges, and creating a dynamic culture of clarity and mutuality in the cafe We cover: Developing skills and his career The fear and challenge of leading the first groups of staff The gravity of leadership and urgency about the right thing The reason for starting cat and cloud Empathy and self compassion Living by Values and core beliefs. Communicating clearly Enrollment vs enforcement Finding magic in the mundane Challenging yourself Boss and staff Striving to understand each other Next steps to building a culture of care Links: www.chrisbaca.com www.catandcloud.com Chris on Instagram @realchrisbaca Related episodes: 055 : Personal Growth & Development w/ Jared Truby, Cat & Cloud Coffee 341: How to Think About Success 018: Hiring, Culture, and the Future of your Shop 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017 303 : Create Authentic Partnerships w/ Marc Gessler of Cat & Cloud Coffee Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

There has been a lot of publicity around the phrase "Quiet Quitting" in the last few weeks. In short this is explained as employees doing bare minimum and as giving up on their jobs without explicitly quitting. It would be easy to chalk this up to some generational quirk or attribute of the modern age but what is really happening may be deeper. Today on Shift Break we will discuss quiet quitting, what is behind it, and how to move forward together in a way that will reengage both employees and leaders in the coffee shop. Related Episodes: When Going Above and Beyond Goes to Far Specific Expectations and Due Dates Being the Point of Clarity Helping Managers Avoid Burnout Please Clarify: Making sure you and your boss are on the same page Reach out for one-on-one consulting and coaching! Book a 90 minute consulting Call now! Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

Coffee is more than just a drink. It is an expression of cultural values and a vehicle through which we experience many different facets of this rich life. No matter where you are from, it is easy to think only of the our own way of enjoying coffee and then to never really explore how deeply rooted and significant coffee is around the world in cultures different from our own. Well today we are going to balance the scales a bit and broaden our worldview of coffee by talking with the author of a new book all about global coffee culture, Lani Kingston! Lani Kingston is a food consultant, author, and founder of F&B agency, Four Seasons of Food. Her first book, How to Make Coffee: The Science Behind the Bean, was released to international acclaim in 2015 and has since been translated into several languages. Her third book on coffee, Spill The Beans: Global Coffee Culture was released by international publisher gestalten in February 2022. Lani has written extensively about food and drink for varied publications and developed F&B products and brands around the world. Armed with a Masters in Food Studies, a Masters in Education, pastry chef, and barista qualifications, she's spent the last 15 years working the breadth of the industry: she helped set up and ran the European offshoot of MAST Chocolate; led a food-waste-powered cooking school in Australia; set up a coffee company in Singapore; and worked with renowned chef Dan Barber at his prestigious farm-to-table upstate New York restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns. You can follow her adventures in food and coffee on Instagram @lanikingston, read more about her work at lanikingston.com, or get help with your f&b business at fourseasonsoffood.com. In our conversation with Lani we will explore how her experiences in writing, the culinary world, and coffee have influenced and shaped her pursuit of giving readers not just information about coffee, but an understanding of it through exploring its meaning and the story of its expressions globally. We cover: Initial career and experiences in the food industry Discovering coffee through writing Immersion into the culture of coffee Writing t give understanding Exploring global coffee culture Unfurling the true coffee story and inspiring wonder Expanding our view of what good coffee is How culture and history deepens our understanding Allowing your understanding of culture to evolve Favorite recipes from the book Links: www.Fourseasonsoffood.com Lani on Instagram @lanikingston Related episodes: 022 : Founder Friday w/ Colin Harmon of 3fe Coffee, Dublin Ireland & Author of the new book, "What I know About Running Coffee Shops" 349 : Talking About 21st Century Coffee w/ Kenneth Davids 297 : Making Coffee Education Fun w/ Suneal Pabari of Leaderboard Coffee 198 : The Evolution of the Coffee Shop w/ Prof. Jonathan Morris 196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

I am so excited for this month's Founder Friday! Today we are talking with someone who has not only taken a passion and turned it into a thriving business that serves her community and culture with excellence, but has done so in the face of cultural challenges that, as a woman in Saudi Arabia, forced her to be creative in this pursuit. We are talking with the founder of Hjeen Coffee, in Saudi Arabia, Sarah Alakeel! Sarah has been trained in and worked as a manager and founder of tech and e-commerce businesses before she discovered coffee and started her blog www.hjeen.com in 2016. The passion that she developed for coffee mixed with her business savvy came together to created what Hjeen is now, a growing and bustling roastery and wholesale business as well as with two cafes. Sarah has been making waves in coffee for a while now and in our conversation with Sarah we will get to hear her story and how she has grown this business and the lessons she has learned along the path. We cover: First taste of great coffee Beginning in the business of coffee Breaking cultural barriers as a woman Accommodating tradition while introducing new ways Establishing a system to serve a variety of tastes Knowing what trends and tools are right for your customers Enjoying the journey Challenges of ownership Hiring the right employees for your culture Embracing the management roles of ownership Related Episodes: 338: A Conversation w/ Martell Mason of The Sepia Coffee Project, Detroit, Michigan 131 : The Strong Women of Coffee w/ Laura Gonzalez 203 : Empowering Women in Business w/ Katherine Knapke 171 : Founder Friday w/ Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters in India Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

One of the most common complaints I hear from owners and managers is related to staff not following policies of the shop. In many cases it is not just a simple mistake but a habitual ignoring of directives. Obviously this kind of thing spreads to other staff and you wind up with a situation where now the culture is combative and try as you might to give chances and show understanding, nothing seems to change. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about this very common, and very unnecessary problem, and why backing up your policies is a must if you want to have consistency and a healthy culture in shop. Related episodes: 123 : The 10 Essentials of a Barista Manual 330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence When Patience is not a Virtue Passive-Aggressive Management Reach out for one-on-one consulting and coaching! Book a 90 minute consulting Call now! Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

Working in a coffee bar means working in close quarters with your fellow baristas, managers, and owners. In this daily work we will eventually begin to feel the tension and start to wonder about how we can set boundaries for ourselves so we can continue to work and still take care of ourselves. The subject of boundaries may be ruminated on but we often do not have a framework to help us organize our values, collect our thoughts, and actually take the first step in communicating with others. Today I am thrilled to welcome back to the show frequent guest, Tom Henschel, who will guide us through how to accomplish all this and more. Tom Henschel is an expert in workplace communications and executive development. Over the past 25 years, he has helped hundreds of senior leaders achieve The Look & Sound of Leadership.TM His expertise as a communications coach has taken him into executive offices at companies such as Amgen, CitiGroup, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, City of Hope, Dole, HP, Intuit, Mattel, Raytheon, Sony Pictures, Toyota and Warner Bros. In addition to coaching executives, Tom facilitates team events and delivers highly interactive trainings in the areas of effective communications, presentation, and influence skills. Tom's popular podcast, The Look & Sound of Leadership, airing since 2008, is consistently cited as "What's Hot" in the business podcasts on iTunes. Tom is a delightful persona and deeply wise coach and his insight on boundaries here on KTTS will add a ton of value to you and your buisness. We cover: What are boundaries? Why do we not set them? The risk of not setting boundaries Spectrum of boundaries Preparing, thoughtfulness, and communicating Self care and weighing options Getting over upsetting others What is our responsibility Corporate vs personal Incremental thinking First steps to take in setting boundaries Links and Resources: www.essentialcomm.com PDF for setting boundaries Related Episodes: 052 : Solving Coworker Conflict w/ Tom Henschel 104 : How to Deliver Difficult Feedback w/ Tom Henschel 334 : How to Approach Deescalation w/ Melissa Tucker of Mind Over Matters and Pathways to Peace 221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin 165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli 259 : Solving Toxic Customer Service Culture 258 : Prioritizing your Mental Health in the New Year w/ Dr. Lara Pence Shift Break: The Agreement Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

As we all experience increased costs in the coffee shop the cost of our drinks and products will also need to increase. The major worry that many of us have is how customers will respond to this. On today's Shift Break we will talk about how customer experience has replaced coffee quality as the main deciding factor for whether a guest will accept higher cost and how we can facilitate this increase to our experiential value. Related episodes: 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop 356 : 5 Barriers to Progress in Your Coffee Shop Spiders Fix the Small Stuff! : Management, Morale, Coffee Bar Culture 045 : Simple, Powerful Hospitality w/ Philip Turner Reach out for one-on-one consulting and coaching! Book a 90 minute consulting Call now! Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

How you run things in the beginning of your cafe business cannot remain the same as you get busier and grow over the years. Many shops rely on what they have always done when confronting new challenges brought on by growth and the business of success. In the end, if you don't iterate and evolve your approach you will add needless stress, drop the ball, and miss out on the joy a growing business properly managed brings. Today you and I get to talk about some keys to successfully handling the changes a new and growing business goes through so that you can enjoy the ride instead of being taken for one. We cover: Amping up communication Role clarity Pay scale Identity and delegation Caring for staff and managers Pre-emptive problem solving Related episodes and links: Communicate, Duplicate, Repeat : Key habits that make information stick Don't Just Do It! : Delegation, Burnout, facilitating skills development, mistakes coffee shop managers make, teaching and coaching for future return 267 : The Power of Delegation 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team Systems as Care Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

How our coffee gets to us after purchase can sometimes be a confusing thing. These days, with global supply chain issues abounding, the need to understand, track, and finesse all aspects of logistics is at an all time high. One of the main areas to be aware of is LTL freight as well and planning for any issues that may come up as your coffee moves from farm to forklift. This episode of RoR from Roast Magazine is designed to help us wrap our heads around LTL freight and the other issues of shipping that impact our roasteries as we talk with Evan Gilman of Royal Coffee. Evan Gilman is an avid generalist and coffee lover. His 20 years in the coffee industry have taken him from barista, to trainer, to Q Arabica Grader, Q Assistant Instructor, and SCA-Licensed AST. Evan spent time in Southeast Asia getting to know the specialty coffee supply chain, from Sumatra, Bali, Flores, and Sulawesi in Indonesia, to Northern Luzon in the Philippines. His passions range from Balinese gamelan to heavy metal, from photography to communications design, and from baking to brewing. As Creative Director at The Crown: Royal Coffee Lab & Tasting Room, he manages community events and outreach, and curates the Gallery at The Crown. He is also the chief editor of the blog at royalcoffee.com, and curator of the Gallery at The Crown. In our conversation we cover: Ltl freight and your responsibility Managing logistics Tracking your coffee Developing relationships Hospitality ot vendors Contingency planning Managing your time to stay connected working with importers vs importing yourself Rate expectations Claims and planning for problems Subscribe to Roast Magazine! Use code "ROR" to get $5 off Links: www.royalcoffee.com www.roastmagazine.com Related Episodes: RoR #1: A Conversation w/ Anne Cooper of Equilibrium Master Roasters RoR #2: Exploring Quality Control w/ Spencer Turer of Coffee Enterprises RoR #3: Making Contingency Planning a Reality w/ Andi Trindle Mersch of Philz Coffee RoR #4: Practical Thermal Dynamics w/ Candice Madison of Royal Coffee / The Crown Oak RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind" RoR #6: Buying Less and Doing More w/ Ever Meister RoR #7 Illustrative Sample Roasting w/ Mike Ebert of Firedancer Coffee Consultants ROR #8 How Post-Harvest Processing Impacts Flavor w/ Siva Subramanian and Byron Holcomb of Olam Food Ingredients RoR #9 Inside the Roaster's Tool Kit w/ Kat Melheim of Black and White Coffee and The Coffee People Zine RoR #10 : What Your Broker Wishes You Knew w/ Scott Merle of La Minita Coffee RoR #11 : Exploring Scent w/ Sandra Elisa Loofbourow RoR #12 : Inside Coffee Packaging w/ Ever Meister RoR #13 : The NORM ROAST Protocol w/ Dave Baxter RoR #14: How to Roast New Processing Methods w/ Mike Ebert

This week on KTTS was basically "Logistics Week". When we talk about logistics and systems we naturally think about forming rules for how work is done that others can rely on for a predictable outcome. Trouble is, change is always needed to keep systems relevant, and being flexible or even training your team to be flexible is not an easy task. On today's Shift Break we will discuss how to build in flexibility alongside our systems so we can respond to challenges quicker with more grace and not worry about change as a threat but embrace it as a natural part of the process. Related episodes: 361: Managing Roastery Relationships and Logistics w/ Corey Turner of Andytown Coffee Roasters 330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces 267 : The Power of Delegation Sustainability Series #2 : Importing & Roasting Reach out for one-on-one consulting and coaching! Book a 90 minute consulting Call now! Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

From the perspective of the cafe, the world of the roastery seems to be shrouded in mystery. Indeed, as we have said on the show before, roasting is practically its own business with its own ecosystem of relationships and systems. Todays guest is someone who began in the cafe and then dove in to that world and has since been creating intuitive solutions for both systems and the people they serve in the roastery. We are siting down to talk with Corey Turner Corey (They/She) has done it all in 8 years of working in coffee. Barista, trainer, roaster, technician just to name a few. After moving to San Francisco from rural Virginia to pursue an MFA in poetry, Corey began work in coffee and has not stopped since! Currently working for Andytown Coffee Roasters in San Francisco, California as director of coffee production & logistics, Corey works with an amazing team where they help scale the coffee menu, production, and wholesale. In our interview today we cover a lot of different topics related to perspectives of managing relationships, building systems, and keeping on top of the inputs that drive the daily work. This was a lovely conversation and I hope you enjoy! Links: www.andytownsf.com Corey's Instagram @cor_tado Interested in consulting? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call! Related Episodes: 152 : Essential Advice for Starting a Roastery w/ Jen Apodaca RoR #9 Inside the Roaster's Tool Kit w/ Kat Melheim of Black and White Coffee and The Coffee People Zine 156 : Founder Friday w/ Lauren Crabbe, Co-Founder of Andytown Coffee Roasters, San Fransisco COVID-19 Focus w/ Lauren Crabbe of Andytown Coffee Roasters 166 : Founder Friday! (Special Curated Edition) : Four Awesome Perspectives on Caring for Staff from past Founder Friday Episodes 285 : Better Systems, Better Connections w/ Jon Ewald of RoasterTools Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

"I just want to make coffee!" That thought has crossed all our minds at some point in our barista careers. In fact I remember clearly being reprimanded for my hyper-focus on the espresso machine at the expense of pretty much everything else. In reality, there are tasks and areas of the shop that require excellence just as much as the coffee we serve Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how we can foster a mindset of excellence toward the things we hate so the whole cafe is cared for and we get to keep doing what we love. Related episodes: 085 : How we Ruin the Specialty Experience 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop The Impact of Absence The Currency of Urgency Working Clean : Tips for keeping the bar looking and working well while you work Reach out for one-on-one consulting and coaching! Book a 90 minute consulting Call now! Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

In the shop we serve people the product of our own training and understanding. We also sell them ideas of what coffee can be and our customers will frequently be frustrated at the gap of quality between the shop and their kitchen. This is where consumer coffee classes come in. Before the pandemic we were already seeing a rise in consumer education, but now it has truly gone from novel pursuit to an absolute necessity. I believe every shop should have some form of coffee class for their customers to help equip them to brew your roasted coffee well and also to deepen their appreciation for what you do every day. In this encore episode from January of 2018 (the infancy of this show) we dive into this topic and I give you 7 tips for how to set up and conduct great coffee classes. Please listen to the related episodes below for more on the importance of consumer education! Related episodes: 092 : Tony "Tonx" Konecny of Yes Plz : Consumer Accessibility, roasting, 3rd wave, subscription 297 : Making Coffee Education Fun w/ Suneal Pabari of Leaderboard Coffee 349 : Talking About 21st Century Coffee w/ Kenneth Davids 333: Bridging the Professional and Home Barista Gap w/ Lance Hedrick of Onyx Coffee Lab 035 : The Consumer Revolution w/ Kevin Sinnott Sustainability Series #4 : Consumer BLOG: The Customer of Tomorrow Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

It's Founder Friday once again and I am thrilled to shine a light on someone who has built their business on a heart for people, relationships, and an offering of accessible quality coffees. Today we are talking with the founder of Drip Coffee NYC, Nigel Price! Nigel left a career in finance to pursue opening his own coffee shop. Once he was immersed in the industry he realized there was much more to doing this successfully than just having a good business would prepare him for. He spent 10 years working in great coffee bars learning and growing his perspective, skills, and concept. He launched Drip Coffee Makers NYC 3 years ago as a focused mobile multi-roaster cart popping up all over the city. From there he opened his first brick and mortar in 2020, thrived in the pandemic, and now has a fleet of 4 stores and a growing community of committed customers and fan across the city and the industry. Nigel has a calm and clear passion for people and coffee that has been at the heart of Drip and it's success and today we are going to hear the story of how this all came to be along with some very important insights into entrepreneurship that you will be absolutely key to your own success and fulfillment in coffee. We cover: Starting in coffee from finance Early false assumptions The real challenge of running a shop Prioritizing relationships Paying dues and Finding your voice Starting as a pop up multi roaster shop From mobile to brick and mortar Dealing with transition from barista to operator It's about the people and their experience What the future holds Related Episodes: 145: Founder Friday w/ Red Rooster Coffee Roasters co-founder, Haden Polseno-Hensley 108 : Founder Friday w/ Dorian Bolden of Beyu Caffe in Durham, NC 305 : Founder Friday! w/ Andrew Sinclair of MadLab Coffee, Los Angeles, CA 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017 314 : The 6 Essential Qualities of Coffee Shop Leaders Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com

"We don't speak Starbucks" I cannot tell you how much damage phrases like this have done over the years. More than just creating hostility at the register with customers who don't speak the same "coffee language" as us, it also sets the stage for more hostility and misunderstanding with customers whose culture, language, or abilities are literally different from our own. In today's shift break we will be discussing the importance of fostering a desire to serve through understanding and how we can overcome language barriers of all kinds with the right mindset and resourcing. Related episodes: 122 : How to be a Cash Register Hero : 6 Essential Skills 282 : How to Listen to your Customers 165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli 196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano Up-selling and Hospitality: Helping Customers Make Good Decisions Reach out for one-on-one consulting and coaching! Book a 90 minute consulting Call now! Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

The system works exactly the way it was designed to work...and it needs to be broken. This is the goal of a new model of coffee trade introduced by Andy and Nanelle Newbom through their company Torque Coffee. Andy and Nanelle Newbom are life long coffee professionals who have been foundational in helping establish the standards for transparency and excellence we know today. With their iconic roastery and retail company Barefoot Coffee they helped pioneer Direct Trade, Andy was a founding member of the Barista Guild, and they both have been work in roasting / importing companies since then where they are consistently pursuing equity and systemic change for an industry who's distribution of value is drastically lopsided. Recently they have launched a new model of trade based the idea of what they call "Proportional Pricing" with their company Torque Coffee. In this model they seek to give to break the system and replace it with a framework that pays the farmer a set percentage of the coffee's retail value upfront. It really is a great idea and in today's conversation we will get the inside scoop on how this came about, how it works, and what you can do to adopt this model in your roastery. We discuss: Iterating models to address the issues Leaching value from farmers Double standards The Torque model: Proportional Pricing Starting at the ceiling You don't have as many coffees as you think Building the system and relationships needed Taking the risk off the producer unintentional impacts on producer Play to pay sucks The practice of tracking all your costs Links: www.torquecoffees.com Instagram @torquecoffees Related episodes: Sustainability Series #2 : Importing & Roasting 335: A Better Business Model for Coffee Farmers w/ Thaleon Tremain of Pachamama Coffee 328 : Relationships and Resiliency w/ Xavier Alexander of Metric Coffee 294 : At Origin Roasting Revolution w/ Luis Fernando, founder of Amor Perfecto! 288 : The Truth behind Cheap Coffee w/ Karl Weinhold Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

Welcome to part two of a live series of interviews conducted on the show floor of Coffee Fest Chicago in June of 2022! In these interviews I sit down with stellar presenters and lecturers to dig deep into a range of relevant and important topics that will help make you and your coffee business better. Today we will be talking with Marissa Childers, co-founder (along with Ethan Darla) of Tanbrown Coffee, a roastery dedicated to re-writing the narrative about Asian coffee and Asians in coffee. In our chat today we dive into the topic of the current narrative regarding asian coffees and other marginalized origins, and how roasters and shops can help make a difference through highlighting the nuances and complexities those origins have to offer. To learn more about Tanbrown visit: www.tanbrown.coffee Instagram @tanbrowncoffee Next we get to talk with Jess Gulino who wears many hats at La Terza Coffee. One of her focuses is in branding and helping shops create expressions that resonate with customers and the shops values. In this chat we discuss lots of relevant questions you might have when approaching branding and Jess helps us guide us to more clear understanding of what may be right for you. Learn more about La Terza Coffee here: www.laterzacoffee.com IG @laterzacoffee Finally we get to have a conversation with the great Tony Dreyfuss who, along with his father, founded the iconic Metropolis Coffee in Chicago! In this discussion we cover what goes into an effective training program and Tony gives us insight into how they have honed their own program from nearly 20 years of experience. Learn more about Metropolis Coffee here: www.metroploliscoffee.com @metropoliscoffeeco Be sure to tune in to listen to part 1 of this series if you have not already! HEY THERE! If you are looking for resourcing, clarity, inspiration, and just a really fun experience then I would suggest attending Coffee Fest Trades Shows! You can get 50% off your registration by using the code KEYS when registering you and your team at www.coffeefest.com

Welcome to part on of a live series of interviews conducted on the show floor of Coffee Fest Chicago in June of 2022! In these interviews I sit down with stellar presenters and lecturers to dig deep into a range of relevant and important topics that will help make you and your coffee business better. Today we will be talking with Luke Waite of The Lev Co and Pomelo Coffee Consulting all about how roasting operations can increase profitability and clarity around their mission. Learn more about Luke's work here: The Lev Co Pomelo Coffee Consulting Next we chat with Kris Christian who is the founder of Chicago French Press. In our conversation we discuss her story of building a business to make coffee more accessible, black entrepreneurship, and the need for resourcing to continue to see that sector of small business thrive. Learn more about Kris and Chicago French Press here: Chicago French Press IG @chicagofrenchpress Lastly we get to sit down with Mark Calhoun and Jim Starcev of Perfect Cube. Mark and Jim have been on the show before to talk about data and metrics and in this interview we focus on how and where businesses can get started on the right track to financial tracking and health. Learn more about perfect cube here: www.perfectcube.co 302 : Data's Roll in the Success of your Shop w/ Mark Calhoun and Jim Starcev of Perfect Cube Be sure to tune in to part 2 of this series where we talk with another three wonderful coffee minds at Coffee Fest! HEY! If you are looking for resourcing, clarity, inspiration, and just a really fun experience then I would suggest attending Coffee Fest Trades Shows! You can get 50% off your registration by using the code KEYS when registering you and your team at www.coffeefest.com

In coffee, we like to see ourselves making progress and we check our state against certain metrics and goals that we believe, once reached, will transform our business and as bring satisfaction. Today on Shift Break we will be discussing vanity metrics and why some of the feedback and status we seek through them will more likely lead to stress and fear, than joy and fulfillment. Related episodes: 317 : Encore Episode: Death by Comparison Who you are & What you Do Your Peers are not your Customers 253 : Mindsets that Sabotage Success Reach out for one-on-one consulting and coaching! Book a 90 minute consulting Call now! Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co

Communicating, educating, and training boils down to how well you can connect with people to walk with them through information and transformation. If you want to be effective in these areas you need a whole lot of genuine passion and a desire to not just teach, but also to learn. Not many people in the industry embody this as much as today's guest, Michael Tan. Michael is a 13 year industry veteran who rose up in the ranks from barista, manager, trainer, even opening his own coffee shop for a time. These days Michael is hosting events and educating scores of baristas in Malaysia as the wholesale trainer for JWC in Kuala Lumpur. In our conversation today we get to trace Michael's journey in coffee with an emphasis on the lessons he has learned in communication, training, and customer education. We also discuss the importance of language, humility, context, and always learning. Enjoy! We discuss: Rising as a barista Conducting tastings Learning to teach and inspire The importance of language Early mentors Developing training presence and content Relating to your culture and context Ownership experience KISS concept of training 3 P's of wholesale training Passion and staying grounded Soft skills in coffee Links: JWC Roastery Malaysia Instagram: @mike.talks.coffee Related Episodes: 332: Founder Friday! w/ Iman Kusumaputra & Putri Yulandari of Kopikalyan, Jakarta, Indonesia 246 : Selecting a Wholesale Coffee Provider 133 : 5 Keys to Successful Wholesale w/ Sarah Richmond 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces 336: A Cafe Leadership Masterclass w/ Selina Viguera of Blue Bottle Coffee Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com

It happens in cafe all over the world. Baristas are hired on a trial basis to see if they are a good fit for the business. On the surface, this practice seems logical and, no doubt, may yield some positive results. But...I believe the practice of trial basis hiring brings with it more negative results than positive. On this Shift Break I will go over some of my thoughts on why trial basis hiring may be a bad idea and what you might want to practice instead. Be sure to visit the links below to learn more about good hiring and training practices. Recommended episodes: 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence 278 : Making great Hiring Decisions 018: Hiring, Culture, and the Future of your Shop 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff 130 : Anne Nylander | Training Principles for Specialty Coffee Professionals 296: Holistic Barista Training w/ David Castillo of Go Get Em Tiger , Los Angeles Reach out for one-on-one consulting and coaching! Book a 90 minute consulting Call now! Visit these amazing sponsors! The best espresso machines in the world! www.lamarzoccousa.com Custom branded mobile apps for your shop! www.espressly.co