Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Well now! Today we are going to get an inside look into one of the biggest and most successful coffee brands in the nation! We are talking with the Co-Founder of Biggby Coffee, Mike McFall! Biggby Coffee was founded in 1995 in Lansing, Michigan a fast-growing $100-million-dollar coffee franchise with 250+ locations across the Midwest and quickly expanding into the East Coast in 2020. Biggby is one of the largest coffee chains in the USA. Having originally started with Biggby in 1996 as a minimum wage barista, Mike has since held every subsequent position within the company, including his current title as co-Founder and co-CEO (May 2016). Mike believes his time in each of his previous roles has allowed him to form a bond with his employees based on understanding, credibility, and respect. Two decades later, Mike also wrote and published the Inc. Original book, Grind, with the mission to help founders and entrepreneurs take their business concept and turn it into a positive cash-flow business. In the book Mike shares his personal experiences having led Biggby through survival mode, stability, and aggressive growth. In our conversation today we will be hearing the story of both Mike's and Biggby's development from concept to present day and all the failures, lessons, and success in between. This is a very insightful interview and Mike truly hits on some crucial keys to success that apply to everyone from coffee shops with 1-2 spaces to a large chains with hundreds. We cover: The beginnings of the business The journey from barista to co-owner Mission and vision Catalyst for changing problematic leadership and management styles What is "Love in the workplace"? Commitment to support Why they chose the franchise model Selecting franchisees Biggby's keys to a successful store Why people are not the problem Self-awareness Your impact on others is paramount Links: www.biggby.com https://grindthebook.com Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

All of us want to wake up, look around, and be happy with where we are and what we're doing. How we accomplish that is often thought to be in the "big breaks" and in exclusive opportunities. But in most cases, who we become and what we are able to do is based on the daily decisions we make that pave the way. Today we will be talking about how we can most effectively build our careers by embracing this mindset. Related Episodes: 243 : Encore Episode! "The Sleepwalking Barista (Owner)" Laziness and the most important Decision Work Alchemy "It's not my Job" & Self-Sabotage Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected] Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

How does your shop address and interact with the homeless community? If you are like most people, the answer is not very defined and born more from fear and misunderstanding than empathy and informed policy. As we provide spaces to serve the community, it is important that we focus in on how we interact with every person within it, including the homeless. To help us rewrite the narrative and bring some understanding to the conversation on home we and our businesses treat the homeless we are going to be talking with the Executive Director of Louisville Coalition for the Homeless, Natalie Harris. Natalie Harris joined The Coalition for the Homeless in April of 2010. The Coalition is a nonprofit organization committed to advocacy, education and collaboration on the issues of homelessness. It is member agency of over 30 homeless shelter and service providers serving Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. They have a staff of twelve. Natalie was responsible for working to create Rx:Housing/Louisville and effort to end both veteran and chronic homelessness in Louisville. Natalie was also the Chief Executive Officer of Miami Valley Housing Opportunities, a nonprofit supportive housing provider in Dayton, Ohio. Natalie also served as director of the Specialized Housing Resources Department at Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC), the state housing finance agency. There, she was responsible for development, implementation and coordination of policies and procedures relating to special needs housing. She has served as a consultant to the U.S. Census Bureau, Corporation for Supportive Housing, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Urban Institute on issues related to rural homelessness and supportive housing. In this conversation Natalie gives us insight into the factors contributing to homelessness and helps give us practical and actionable steps to take to equip ourselves and our staff with the mindsets and tools to really connect with and help the homeless community in meaningful ways. Please look into the links provided here to learn more. We cover: Systems that create homelessness Profit over people Segregation Blaming the person Broadening your perspective Listening and connecting Coffee shops role Gaining more information Communicating with your staff Links: https://louhomeless.org email: [email protected] https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/take-a-course/ Related Episodes: 180 : A Conversation with Rugid Grind Founders, Brian Washington and Averett Barksdale 182 : Founder Friday w/ Alec Tod of Indie Coffee Roasters 106 : Changing Lives Through Coffee w/ Pamela Chng of Bettr Barista 183 : Exploring Diversity w/ Phyllis Johnson 139 : Founder Friday w/ Kusanya Cafe Co-Founder, Phil Sipka Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

In the relationship between wholesale coffee roaster and client, there are things that do not get talked about as much as they should. Largely this is based the desire to maintain the relationship and any harder or awkward conversations present themselves in the course of business are subsequently ignored, often util they reach a critical point. Today we are going to be discussing why honestly should be the cornerstone of this professional relationship and how it benefits both you and your client. Related episodes: 246 : Selecting a Wholesale Coffee Provider 133 : 5 Keys to Successful Wholesale w/ Sarah Richmond 233 : A Conversation w/ Anthony Ragler, Black and White Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected] Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

When we set up a manager in the cafe we are not just delegating authority and freeing up some of our time, we are setting up the business for failure or success. All of it boils down to how we manage and lead them in their responsibilities and roles. Today we are going to explore the basics of managing your managers and cover many aspects that get over looked. As I have said plenty of times in on this show, managers are one of the most important, if not THE most important role in the cafe. We need to determine to invest in their success from the beginning in tangible and consistent ways. I hope todays conversation will help you do just that. Be sure and listen, or re-listen to the recommended episodes below. Related episodes: 028 : Why it's Ok to be the Boss w/ Bruce Tulgan 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap 013 : Leadership & Management Master Class w/ Eva Attia : Leadership | management | hiring | career 109 : Leadership Abandonment Syndrome : Lack of development in senior staff and what to do about it 141 : The 27 Challenges Managers Face w/ Bruce Tulgan Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

We love to talk about coffee! So much so, we often fail to give people the information they need to be successful on the bar. If you have ever gone off on a tangent about extraction science and esoteric processing methods with a new hire (I think we all have) then this episode is for you! Today we will talk about training TMI and how we should be approaching the communication of information if we want baristas to be successful as a result of their time in the training process. Related episodes: 4 Tips for training your staff Shifting the Shadow Shift 025 : Mastering the Art of Training w/ Dave Stachowiak Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected] Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

Sometimes everything will seem to suggest that leaving our job or career in pursuit of something better is the best option. But is is always the best option? What if the job we have now is actually the perfect one for us? What might we be missing out on if we leave and how do we get clarity to make these kinds of decisions in the first place? Today we are going to be exploring these questions with returning guest, Scott Anthony Barlow of Happen to your Career. Scott Anthony Barlow is the Founder and CEO of Happen to Your Career. He's been featured on CNBC, Yahoo, CareerBuilder, Fast Company and Huffington Post and various Colleges and Universities as a top expert on Career Happiness. He gets way excited about careers, coffee, and helping people take control over their life and work. In our discussion today we cover specific mindsets, frameworks, and questions to ask yourself in order to gain career clarity and truly know that you should either stay or go. We cover: Reasons people leave jobs The danger of missing out on what your current job has to offer Questions to ask yourself to determine your values 7 Needs we have at work Contextualizing those needs Using the power you have to change your current circumstance Good stress and bad stress Wants vs needs Links: www.happentoyourcareer.com www.happentoyourcareer.com/8day Related Episodes: 077 : How you can Happen to your Career w/ Scott Anthony Barlow : A frame work for finding the right work 073 : How to be Awesome at Your Job w/ Pete Mockaitis 121 : Working from Your Strengths w/ Strengths Finder Guru, Lisa Cummings 125 : Confidence in Conflict w/ Kwame Christian : A framework for Compassionate Curiosity Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Your customers are not just in the shop. They are not even just in your city. They are anywhere your digital footprint treads and how you manage that experience will determine the quality of the experience people have with your brand. Today we are going to be chatting about the importance of digital hospitality and why it needs to of equal importance to in person service. Related Episodes: 120 : Social Media 101 w/ Jenn Chen 227 : Connecting with Hearts and Minds 234 : Actions and Strategies to Improve your Messaging w/ Garrett Oden 215 : Communication and Marketing Master Class w/ Spencer M. Ross, PH.D. Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected] Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

We have created a monster. Over the years our quest to please the customer has turned toxic as it ignores the well being of our staff and enables entitled, rude, and even abusive behavior. All this in the name of the miss guided notion that "The customer is always right". In today's episode we will be exploring this toxic customer service culture, what is behind it, what its impacts are, and how to begin the process of replacing it with a heathy culture of boundaries and support that create a great experience for both staff and customers alike. Link: Food and Wine article Related Episodes: The Customer service pro is not Always Right 151 : How to Respond and React to Negative Feedback : 5 Step Process 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees 019 : 10 Reasons to Love the Customer w/ Chris Deferio Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Welcome to the new series produced in partnership with Roast Magazine, "Rate of Rise: Elevated conversations on Roasting"! Every first Friday we will be interviewing roasting experts from around the world to discover wisdom and insights that will help you thrive in your roasting business. In this inaugural episode we are going to be talking with the amazing Anne Cooper or Equilibrium Master Roasters! With over 25 yrs working in the Coffee Industry, Anne is an Australian Roaster who has gained extensive experience in many areas of the coffee industry as Barista, Café Owner/Manager, National Barista Trainer & Assessor, Head Roaster/Roasting Production Manager at both a National & International level. A certified Q Grader, Anne regularly attends, volunteers, competes in & judges coffee competitions in Australia, USA & Brazil. With her consulting company, Equilibrium Master Roasters, Anne continues to develop her extensive roasting skills & knowledge with exposure to a wide range of roasting companies & machines and various roasting techniques / industry relevant processes & protocols - she is really passionate about passing on skills & knowledge to the next generation of flame keepers. In our conversation we focus on setting yourself up for success through data, equipment knowledge, establishing solid protocols, and balancing the use of software and tools with a deep sensory understanding of the roasting process. There is a ton of fabulous information here to help you kick of 2021 the right way! We cover: What's changed in roasting perspectives over the last decade Barrier to entry in the roasting profession The balance of software and sensory as tools to achieve flavor Data collection and decisiveness The importance of palate preference Are you roasting the coffee or the software? Finding your palate preference Getting to know your specific machine Common misconceptions of new and experienced roasters Why sharing roast curves is not really helpful Identifying human error before equipment error Links: Equilibrium Master Roasters Roast Magazine Audio Articles Related Episodes: 152 : Essential Advice for Starting a Roastery w/ Jen Apodaca 063 : What Your Roaster Wants you to Know w/ Rob Hoos, Author, Modulating the Flavor Profile of Coffee 078 : Exploring Green Buying and Sensory Analysis w/ Amanda Juris 082 : Knowledge and Flavor w/ Cosimo Libardo This episode is brought to you by Roast Magazine! Visit them and subscribe over at: www.roastmagazine.com

Last Shift Break of 2020! As this year wraps up and we set our sights on the next there are a few things I believe we would greatly benefit from focusing on in order to build resiliency and a thriving business. Today we will be discussing a few of these things and why focusing on them can transform your shop for the better! Related Episodes: Systems as Care Bridging the Values-Action Gap 004: Leadership in the Cafe : 10 Steps to Being a People First Leader 257 : A Conversation w/ Morgan Eckroth of MorganDrinksCoffee! 170 : Why your Inventory Counts w/ Albert Amar and Pierre-Francois Rio of SwiftCount 223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll 202 : Mastering your Finances and Accounting w/ Keila Hill-Trawick of Little Fish Accounting Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected] Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

This year has been a mental and emotional test of endurance like no other. Add to the pandemic the already existing stresses and pressures in the cafe as customer face professionals and you get a perfect storm of both feeling the need for mental health wile simultaneously feeling helpless to actualize it. Even though mental health has been top of mind, it can be hard to move it from a "Should" to "Must" and as we look forward to the new year at the close of this incredibly challenging one, resolving to prioritize our mental health will make a monumental difference both for us personally and the people we lead. To help guide us in this pursuit we are going to be talking with Dr. Lara Pence! Dr. Pence attended graduate school at Widener University where she obtained her Doctorate Degree in Psychology (PsyD) and her Masters in Business Administration (MBA). In 2010, she opened her own private practice, Chief Mind Works, in Dallas, TX. Early in her career she worked primarily with individuals suffering from eating disorders, anxiety, and depression both through individual work as well as intensive group workshops. She later branched out to work more specifically with entrepreneurs who were looking to elevate their leadership skills and execute more efficiently at work, and professional athletes who needed support in understanding the mind/body connection and its impact on performance. In 2018, Dr. Pence began consulting for Spartan Race, the largest endurance racing organization in the world to implement a curriculum that provides a mental pathway to change and transformation, and began hosting a weekly video series, Spartan MIND. Dr. Pence also works at the Unbeatable Mind Coaching Program alongside Mark Divine, and has recently launched her own product – LIGHFBOX – a tool used to strengthen mental health and wellness. She also began a new podcast, Curious Minds with Dr. L, where she and her guests use curiosity as the cure for stagnation. She has served on the Board of Directors for various non-profit organizations, and has been featured in various publications, media outlets, and podcasts, including Good Morning America, the BBC, Glamour, Vogue, WebMD, Psychology Today, and the Huffington Post. In today's conversation with Dr. Pence we are going to explore many absolutely critical topics that will set us up to prioritize our mental health in the new year. This is the perfect way to end the year and I hope you get a lot out of this episode! We will be covering: Why dont we prioritize our mental health Taking stock of our relationships Making mental health practices stick How knowing our values guides our success Self and situational awareness The masks we wear Matching values to circumstance What are common things that degrade our mental health Setting boundaries The value of hard conversations Negativity bias Checking in with ourselves and others Links: www.drlarapence.com Instagram Related Episodes: 201 : Igniting your Curiosity w/ Cody Gough 213 : Coping with Corona using Emotional Intelligence w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab 176 : Harnessing Emotions at Work w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab 095 : Dealing with Stress in the Cafe w/ Wellness Counselor, Joe Sanok 111 : Self Care 101: Taking care of yourself while taking care of others Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Connection with our audiences has never been more important. How do we go about truly delivering value and building a strong community that resonates with or message all while staying true to our core "why" ? Well, today we are going to be talking with and learning from someone who has cultivated all of those things and has created the largest online coffee following in the world as a result. Today we get to have a conversation with Morgan Eckroth of MorganDrinksCoffee! Morgan is a barista and content creator, having worked in the specialty coffee industry for 3.5 years. With over 5 million followers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, she shares her love for coffee through comedic customer service sketches, vlogs about her job, and educational videos. Morgan also released a line of coffee in collaboration with Wrecking Ball Coffee in December 2020 and is working to continue creating a link between baristas and their customers through a shared love for coffee and a dash of humor. In this conversation we will be exploring Morgans beginnings in the industry as a barista and competitor, then diving into the story of how MorganDrinksCoffee was born, how it has grown, and the insights and lessons Morgan has learned along the way. When we look into what the future holds for hospitality, we need to fully embrace our distributed online audiences and create for them a specialty experience just like we do for those who frequent our in-person shops. Morgan shares a great deal of wisdom to help get us where we need to be as an industry. We cover: The evolution of MorganDrinksCoffee Managing both cafe life and the social platform Creating a message that connects people Lessons in marketing Community inspiration Attracting the younger generation Balancing and curating the message at scale How to approach digital hospitality Not using celebrity as leverage Balance of sales and story in marketing Quantity of fillers vs quality Advice to baristas and owners Links: https://morgandrinkscoffee.com Instagram TikTok Morgan Recommends these IG accounts: Glitter Cat Erica Escalante Umeko Motoyoshi Related Episodes: 242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann 222 : How to have Difficult Conversations about Race and Justice w/ Kwame Christian COVID-19 Focus : Erica Escalante, The Arrow | Acting Quickly, Leading Well, and Fighting for Connection 097 : Founder Friday w/ Erica Escalante of The Arrow Coffeehouse (Now Cafe Reina) 215 : Communication and Marketing Master Class w/ Spencer M. Ross, PH.D. 210 : The Future of Retail w/ Doug Stephens | CEO of The Retail Prophet Need consulting? Reach out! [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

One of the most counterintuitive ways to make progress in the right direction just may be slowing down your decision making and response time. We are bombarded with pressure everyday from all sides to make decisions about a myriad of subjects both large and small. Often we will resort to making quick decisions in the moment that we might regret later. In today's Shift Break we will be talking about why slowing your your response time can create a greater likelihood for good decisions down the road. Related Episodes: 184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge 252 : Founder Friday w/ Klaus Thompson of the Coffee Collective, Denmark 253 : Mindsets that Sabotage Success Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! [email protected] Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

It's Founder Friday! Today we are visiting the wonderful city of Bangkok, Thailand as we have a very interesting and inspiring conversation with Varat Vichit-Vadakan. On top of being the 2014 barista champion of Thailand, Vichit or "Tae" as his friends call him, is the founder of Roast Coffee & Eatery and Roots Coffee Roaster in Bangkok, Thailand. Over the years he has expanded to many other food and beverage concepts but always with the coffee at the center. At Roots Coffee Roaster they source 100% Thai coffee and they are heavily invested in creating a virtuous circle from farmer to consumer through their direct relationships. In our conversation we get to hear about the early years where many important and hard lessons were learned that informed how they conduct business today. This is a fantastic conversation that shines light not only on the great work of Varatt and his team, but also on what is happening more and more at origin as consuming markets in coffee growing countries are gaining momentum. After this I m sure you will want to pay a visit to to Bangkok and taste the awesomeness for yourself. We discuss: Beginnings in coffee from a marketing career Hard lessons form early failures Tapping into success through listening Coffee culture in Bangkok Evolution of Thai coffee Building a customer base over time Expanding and evolving form past experiences The keys of service style and consistency The consumer market in Thailand Complete circle value chain in Thailand Sourcing and serving Thai coffee Meeting your customers where they are Links: www.rootsbkk.com Instagram The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Making decisions on the way things go on the bar can seem like a pretty easy thing to do once you are convinced as the leader or owner. The trouble is when you do not make your decisions with empathy and deference to the barista and how they will perceive it or how they are even able to accomplish it. This lack of regard and impatience produces a lot of stress and bad blood that can be avoided. Today we will talk about the difference that deference can make when we make decisions that impact the lives of those we employ. Related episodes: 080 : Changing things in the Cafe : A workflow for Refinement Good baristas are not born, they're made Your Employee Handbook is Worthless The Broken Chair Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

When we talk about equity we often we are just scratching the surface of what is going on deep in the structure of the coffee industry. Today's guest, Phyllis Johnson has dedicated much of her career to bringing to light the deeper generational inequities that hold people back. Her new book, "The Triumph: Black Brazilians in Coffee" profiles two families whose inspirational stories are rewriting the narrative for future generations of marginalized people in coffee farming. Phyllis Johnson is the President and co-founder and CEO of BD Imports, and In addition to owning and operating a social enterprise over the past 16 years, has served as lead international consultant to the United Nations International Trade Centre, Women in Coffee Program. In addition Phyllis founded The Coffee Coalition for Racial Equity, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to build greater racial diversity and equity in the U.S. coffee industry. In our conversation today we will be discussing her new book but also diving into the issues that were a catalyst for this book. As we enter into a new year after such a strained and tumultuous 2020, our sights, more than ever, should be on how we can use our positions in the industry to help others, like those featured in this book, rewrite the narrative and create more opportunity, visibility, and representation across the whole spectrum of our global coffee community. Among many things, we discuss: How we see black people in coffee The importance of landownership Creating space Interrupting the pattern Visibility and opportunity Representation Choosing coffees based on story and support Using our buying power for good Links: https://www.bdimports.com https://coffeeforequity.org Related Episodes: 183 : Exploring Diversity w/ Phyllis Johnson 153 : Exploring the Peace Trade in the Congo w/ Mighty Peace Coffee 116 : Understanding Gentrification w/ Dr. Stacey Sutton 139 : Founder Friday w/ Kusanya Cafe co-founder, Phil Sipka 245 : A Conversation with the World's Youngers Q Grader, Frankie Volkema, Founder of Joven Coffee COVID-19 Focus: Perspective form Burundi w/ Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, JNP Coffee Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Oooh boy - This is a phrase frequently used often in coffee to determine whether or not an employee is exceptional or not. It is also a mentality that we use on ourselves to determine if what we are doing is worthy of praise or earning our keep. Going above and beyond may be a nice and generous thing to do, the problem though is when becomes a tool to unfairly judge employees and to unfairly judge ourselves. I and many others have suffered under unreasonable standards that have been both imposed by bosses and self-imposed out of insecurity. Today we will be discussing how this manifests and what to do to avoid "going above and beyond" to the detriment of yourself and others. Related Episodes: 200! : From Tragedy to Triumph! Navigating Change w/ Talor Browne of Talormade, Oslo, Norway 253 : Mindsets that Sabotage Success 074 : The Life Changing Power of Good Authority w/ Jonathan Raymond 221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin 095 : Dealing with Stress in the Cafe w/ Wellness Counselor, Joe Sanok Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

This is an especially important time of the year for coffee shops. The holidays are where our hospitality skills are put to the ultimate test. In the midst of COVID lockdowns and never before seen strains on small businesses, the holidays are a great opportunity for us to more deeply establish our commitment to each other and to the customers through how we show up in the cafe. In today's episode we will be discussing some important points to consider as we enter into this season of holiday hospitality and how they will give you, your staff, and your customers the best chance at having a wonderful holiday season in spite of the present circumstances. We will cover: Empathy based action The gift significance Self-care, planning Organization and planning Attention and connection Honoring guests Checking in with and listening to staff Related Episodes: 058 : Holiday Hospitality 045 : Simple, Powerful Hospitality w/ Philip Turner 084 : Crushing the Rush : Tips and Best Practices for Busy Times 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 Episode 32: Making Order Out of Chaos Episode 57: SOPs FTW Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Sometimes, when we are convinced that something needs to change in how we do things, the biggest obstacle is the pain of the change process. In effect it is the discomfort of detoxing and introducing something new or better that prevents us from seeing any substantive change take root. Today we are talking about this problem and how pain in the process a necessary apart of helping us make positive change. Related episodes: 200! : From Tragedy to Triumph! Navigating Change w/ Talor Browne of Talormade, Oslo, Norway 228 : Cracking the Leadership Code w/ Alain Hunkins 224 : Essentialism: Focusing on what truly Matters w/ Greg McKeown 176 : Harnessing Emotions at Work w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

Actions are the products of mindsets and not all mindsets are beneficial. In fact, there are a few very common and very dangerous mindsets that will actually sabotage your success without you even knowing it. We will call it fate, the universe, circumstance but in actuality it could just be a problem in our minds. In today's episode we will going over what I believe are some of the more pernicious mindset traps we fall into that I have seen sabotage progress isn success. I have personally experienced all of these over the years and also seen the havoc they create in cafes. In addition to pointing out these thinking traps we will discover the mindset to replace it with in order to help you succeed and thrive. So let's dive into these mindsets with an open mind and start the process of fixing how we think to fix how we act. We will cover: Image vs. Substance Fast vs. Right Perfect vs. Good For power vs. From power Approval vs. Service Links: 067 : 6 Truths About Power : The Responsible Approach to Power Dynamics in the Cafe 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017 Your peers are not your Customers Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

I am thrilled to present this amazing conversation w/ Klaus Thompson to you all today! The Coffee Collective is at the top of a very short list of the world's best and most influential roasters. Today's guest, Klaus Thompson, is not only a Danish barista champion but is also the 2006 World Barista Champion. In 2007 Klaus, along with his co-founders Peter N. Dupont and Casper Engel Rasmussen, founded the Coffee Collective with a mission to build a different kind of coffee business from the ground up. One the focused on sustainability and hospitality both at the farm and in the cafe. For the last 13 years they have been growing the company slowly, responsibly, and are what many consider the vanguard of direct trade, transparent business practices, and the epitome of quality from seed to cup. Today they have a thriving wholesale business, global web store, and 6 amazing retail locations, and continue their positive impact on the specialty coffee industry. Of course, you don't get to this level without challenges, grit, determination, and lessons learned along the way. In this conversation we get an inside look into the story of the Coffee Collective from the first day until now and Klaus truly delivers some great insights and wisdom that we would do well to follow. We discuss: What it took to get started The goal of transforming the way coffee business is done Challenges in the early years Site selection and lessons from failures The value of starting small How retail fueled wholesale Creating a practical and personalized space Scaling the business and engaging customers Becoming more professional Prioritizing areas of the business Approach to sustainability Become a B-Corp Their long term goal and why it is never about profit Links: www.coffeecollective.dk Coffee Collective on Instagram Coffee Collective Youtube channel Related Episodes: 242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann 196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano 118 : Founder Friday w/ Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters founders, Phil Robertson and Sebastian Sztabzyb 145: Founder Friday w/ Red Rooster Coffee Roasters co-founder, Haden Polseno-Hensley Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

It is very easy for us to slip into a place where we start to seek approval from employees through trying to just be "one of the gang". Put another way, we want to be likes and as a result we become ineffectual bosses creating relational messes in the cafe. In today's episode we will talk about how you are NOT just one of the gang, why that is a good thing, and how to pull yourself out of that state if you have already gone down that path. Related Episodes: 141 : The 27 Challenges Managers Face w/ Bruce Tulgan 028 : Why it's Ok to be the Boss w/ Bruce Tulgan 226 : The Art of being Indispensable at Work w/Bruce Tulgan 229 : 7 Tips for New Managers Sponsors! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

How coffee is processed after the harvest is integral to whether or not it reaches its full flavor potential. Farmers depend on their crop's quality and consistency but all too often what happens during processing produces inconsistency and a less than full realization of that coffee's potential. Enter today's amazing guest, Lucia Solis! Lucia, specializes in "microbial demucilagination", or the use of microbes to process coffee following pulping. Born in Guatemala and raised in San Francisco, Lucia studied Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis prior to working in the wine industry in Napa Valley. In 2014 she started at Scott Laboratories and traveled to Central America applying commercial yeast strains at coffee mills to modulate flavors coming from the tank. Today she is an independent consultant working directly with coffee producers in origin countries to improve processing practices to increase quality. In her work she is able to help farmers control the variables in processing their coffee in order for them to efficiently produce consistent high quality coffee that opens up more opportunity for them to scale and thrive. In today's conversation we will be learning about her work and its implications for the future of farming. Additionally we will be discussing our role as retailers, roasters, and consumers in how we have communicated with and influenced the farming community in ways that have been potentially damaging and some helpful mindsets to adopt going forward that create a better chance of success for all parties. We will cover: The role of microbes and fermentation coffee production Why fermentation has been undervalued Bridging the gap between consumer and farmer Creating efficiency and scale Do microdots really help producers? Romance vs exploitation Where do processing traditions come from How we shape production How consistency is key to quality Links: www.luxia.coffee Instagram Related Episodes: 072: Taking an Origin Trip w/ Kim Elena-Ionescu : How to go to origin in a mutual beneficial way 060 : Serving the Coffee Plant w/ Hanna Neuschwander, World Coffee Research 020 Joe Marrocco : Transparency, Origin Knowledge,and Your Shop : How to approach and apply coffee origin information to enhance, not detract, from the cafe experience 140 : A conversation w/ Erika Vonie, Director of Coffee at Trade Coffee 153 : Exploring the Peace Trade in the Congo w/ Mighty Peace Coffee 138 : Joseph A. Rivera on Organic Acids and the Importance of Coffee Science Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

We all have a collection of little things the annoy us, and the customers in our shops. What we don't talk about very much is the result of all of the little problems accumulating over time and what it would be like if they were not there. Today we will be discussing how your shop can benefit from the impact of absence. Related Episodes: Working clean Fix the small stuff "It's not my Job" & Self-Sabotage The Customer Service Pro is not Always Right 2nd First Impression : Tips for Welcoming Customers Back Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

These days community and connection are needed more than ever. There can be many hurdles to creating opportunities for having events whether in-person or online, but how we go about planning and execution those events does not have to be one of them! For 6 years The Barista League has been at the forefront of what it means to produce a community driven and community connecting event in specialty coffee. Today we will be talking with the founder of The Barista League, Steven Moloney. Steve Moloney is a two-time Swedish Barista Champion and founded The Barista League in 2015. Since then, his team has grown The Barista League's original coffee competition concept into a global brand across three continents. Whether it's throwing wild coffee parties, producing reality competition shows or running barista competitions, every project that The Barista League creates follows their three core values of Accessibility, Sustainability and Community. Steven is also the author of the organization's brand new book The Barista League's Guide to Planning Better Events - a practical guide of how to run coffee events for your community. In todays discussion with Steven we will be talking about how things have evolved over the years and in response to COVID, plus we will dive into some of the most important points in this new book. We wil cover: How they have grown and pivoted in 2020 Connecting the barista community Producing a great event in-person and online Balancing entertainment with content Breaking down and focusing on the details Focusing on who you are serving Keeping everyone's attention Communication Staffing and delegation Links: www.thebaristaleague.com Instagram Related Episodes: 163 : Lessons from Crush the Rush w/ Josh Little Field 195 : Organizing the Community w/ Espresso State of Mind founders Javier Alvarez and Joseph W. Gonzalez 146 : How to Host a Throwdown w/ Justin Shepherd of Spencers Coffee, Bowling Green, KY Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

There comes a time in every service encounter where we need to decide to take the high road. Re-making a drink when there is a mess-up is one example of many that highlight an attitude we need to have toward service that will produce the best possible experience. Unfortunately, we (myself included) can sometimes default to pettiness rather than advocacy and generosity. On today's shift break we will be talking about re-making drinks and the motive and the mindset that drives good in-the-moment hospitality decisions. Related episodes: 030 : Casey Underkofler : Matching Your Service to Your Quality : How to Manage and Control the critical details of service so both the experience and product are excellent 016: Raising the Bar on your Customer Experience w/ Michael Butterworth 045 : Simple, Powerful Hospitality w/ Philip Turner 058 : Holiday Hospitality 084 : Crushing the Rush : Tips and Best Practices for Busy Times Visit our amazing sponsors!!! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

When we think about cooperative ownership related to the coffee shop we tend be fairly unsure what to think of it. Even though we tend to fear it as an unknown, it is actually a viable option to help secure your business and also to generate stability for your employees. In today's episode we are going to explore this operating model by talking with Christopher Feran and Shane Hinde of Phoenix Coffee in Cleveland, OH. After years of planning and research they just transitioned the business to being a worker owned cooperative. The values of Phoenix Coffee have always been to create a democratic and equitable company that supplies stable middle-class jobs to their employees. This is the latest step in many they have taken to pursue that. In this conversation we will be exploring their experience in this process and what it means for the company going forward. You will definitely learn a lot from this talk and perhaps you will be inspired to pursue this model for your own shop. We discuss: Values based operating culture Navigating the impacts on the business Establishing equity and driving commitment Beginning the process of becoming a coop Challenges in the process How their cooperative model works What changes now? How are decisions made? Developing skill sets and competencies How collective leadership looks Coops as an option to exit as an owner Links: www.phoenixcoffee.com Evergreen Coops in Cleveland Related Episodes: 237 : Thoughts on Post -COVID Coffee Bridging the Values-Action Gap 6 Truths about Power Starting a shop -or- want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

As the saying goes, "The grass is always greener on the other side." We all know this to be true in one or more areas of our lives. In the coffee bar we can tend toward always comparing our selves against what others have or have accomplished with their careers or their shops. In today's Shift Break we are going to dive into this idea further as I give you some thoughts I had while pondering professional accomplishments and my neighbor's tree. Related episodes: You are not your Competition 046 : Death by Comparison : How we practice it and ways to avoid getting caught up in it Episode 08: Finding Joy in Coffee / Nathanael May Visit our amazing sponsors!!! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

The main job of leadership is to give people the resources they need to do the work. Generally speaking, I have simply stated that staff need the tools to do the job. Today I want to go a little deeper and cover 5 elements of resourcing that must be in place for your cafe to work well. If any one of these thing is out of whack it will show up big time in the final product and experience. We will cover: Planning Time Information Tools Training Related episodes: 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees 158 : A Management Masterclass w/ Jon Felix Lund, VP of Operations for Coava Coffee Roasters / Portland, OR Starting a shop -or-want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Part of the work we do entails some pretty gross things. In today's episode I will be reading 8 selected stories submitted by listeners about the grossest things they have experienced while working to bring great coffee to the people. Story order: Dropping the Load Backed Up Bar Clean up in Everywhere Isle Elbow Room French Roach "Take Out?" Coffee Rabid Fire When Urine Trouble Links to related episodes: Working Clean Reasons to love the Customer Other resources: Resource 1 Resource 2 Resource 3 Resource 4

The best Kenyan coffee tends to be exported to other countries. Spring Valley Coffee flips this on its head by sourcing, roasting, and serving the best for themselves and the local Kenyan community. Today we are going to be exploring this wonderful company's history, evolution, and impact as we talk with Ritesh Doshi! Ritesh is the CEO of Spring Valley Coffee, Kenya's oldest premium coffee roaster, a business he acquired in 2018. Having introduced the Flat White to Kenya, Ritesh wanted to combine his passion for coffee and his sense of purpose with his need to control his own supply. Prior to Spring Valley Coffee, Ritesh founded Naked Pizza Kenya, a company he sold to Pizza Hut. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Ritesh worked in international finance in the US, Europe and Middle East for financial institutions such as Credit Suisse & HSBC. In this conversation we not only get the overview of Spring Valley Coffee but we also explore how rites came to the company, the values and goals they are pursuing, why scaling, relationships, and integrity are cornerstones of success and much more. I love the work they are doing at Spring Valley and I know you will as well! In this episode: The coffee culture of Kenya Building resiliency and scaling Sourcing and serving Kenyan coffees Impact of relationships Challenges of politics Setting goals for the business Adding value in-origin The value of doing the right thing Kenyan coffee history Why company culture matters Links: www.springvalleycoffee.com Instagram @springvalleycoffee Related Episodes: 171 : Founder Friday w/ Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters in India 236 : Founder Friday! w/ Meil Castagna-Herrera & Curtis Herrera of Cafe Corazon! 108 : Founder Friday w/ Dorian Bolden of Beyu Caffe in Durham, NC 134 : Founder Friday w/ Jeremy Zhang of M2M Roasters & Uni Uni Coffee in Nanjing ,China Starting a shop -or-want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Stay in coffee long enough and it will happen to you. The assumptions and dogmas we make when we first get into coffee are challenged or destroyed, and we are sent into a dark place of wondering who we are, and what we really even know about coffee. Today we are talking about how this moment every professional goes through is critical to maturity and should be more common for the health of the industry. *Stay tuned for a Halloween special where I read the grossest cafe stories sublimed by KTTS listeners! Recommended episodes: Taste the Rainbow 242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann Curbing their Enthusiasm Our amazing sponsors!!! Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

Your business is built on partnerships. One of the most critical is the relationship between you and the coffee roaster you select. Entering into this relationship needs tp be done pretty methodically and the decision should be based on more than on just branding and your personal taste. Today we are going to go over 10 things to consider when deciding on a wholesale coffee provider that will help you have the best chance at finding one that fits what your business and your customers need for the long term. We cover: Values Cost Forecasting and capacity Variety Regional tases vs personal Flexibility Support Feedback Checking references Taking your time Recommended episodes: 152 : Essential Advice for Starting a Roastery w/ Jen Apodaca 063 : What Your Roaster Wants you to Know w/ Rob Hoos, Author, Modulating the Flavor Profile of Coffee 026 : What Your Roaster want you to Know w/ U.S. Roasting Champion, Mark Michaelson, Onyx Coffee Lab 196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano 217 : Should you roast your own Coffee w/ Joe Marrocco of List & Beisler Building an Accessible Coffee Menu w/ Joe Marrocco Starting a shop or want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

BOGO! 10% off! Get any item of equal or lesser value free! We love to offer promotions and discounts in the coffee retail space. When numbers are down we go for deals, offers, and discounts... maybe a little too often. Combine this with the fact that most of the time these offers are executed sloppily and create more confusion than excitement and you turn that BOGO into an OHNO. (sorry, not sorry) In todays shift break we will talk about how you can approach promotions in an organized and clear way that actually benefits your business. Related episodes: 080 : Changing things in the Cafe : A workflow for Refinement You need SOPs Introducing Chaos Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

What an interesting and inspirational episode this was! Frankie Volkema, at just 14 years old, is the world's youngest Q Grader and the founder of Joven Coffee, an organization that sources, roasts, and promotes coffee from young farmers around the world! We are also joined by her father Tim Volkema, who is the CEO of Schuil coffee, Michigan's first specialty coffee roaster. Schuil also owners the boutique brand Sparrow Coffee. In this conversation we discuss the backstory of how Frankie came into coffee, her road to becoming a Q Grader, and the founding of Joven Coffee. Tim also adds operational perspective as to how Schuil Coffee works with Joven Coffee. This was a great conversation and one I hope will inspire you to support Joven Coffee, look into supporting young farmers through your business, and take big steps to create change where it is needed. Enjoy! In this episode: The challenge young farmers face How Frankie became the worlds youngest Q grader Founding Joven Coffee The relationship between Joven and Shuil Coffee Having big goals as a young person Partnering with existing organizations on the ground Related Episodes: COVID-19 Focus: Perspective form Burundi w/ Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, JNP Coffee COVID-19 Focus : Impact on the Supply Chain w/ Ricardo Pereira , COO, Ally Coffee 020 Joe Marrocco : Transparency, Origin Knowledge,and Your Shop : How to approach and apply coffee origin information to enhance, not detract, from the cafe experience 180 : A Conversation with Rugid Grind Founders, Brian Washington and Averett Barksdale 106 : Changing Lives Through Coffee w/ Pamela Chng of Bettr Barista 153 : Exploring the Peace Trade in the Congo w/ Mighty Peace Coffee Starting a shop or want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

"I wish they would just get it!" Does this sound familiar? Whether you have said this out loud or just ruminate on this and similar ideas, the frustration is very real. In today's episode we will explore this thought that pits a quick learner against a slower one and why letting this attuned go unchecked may be holding your business back. Interested it consulting? Reach out! - [email protected] Related episodes you should listen to: 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff 178 : Training Masterclass w/ Emma Haines of London School of Coffee and Caffeina Consulting 130 : Anne Nylander | Training Principles for Specialty Coffee Professionals 123 : The 10 Essentials of a Barista Manual 119 : Barista Training Masterclass w/ 2009 WBC Champion, Gwilym Davies 066: Shaping and Developing your Team w/ Beth Garrison 025 : Mastering the Art of Training w/ Dave Stachowiak : Coaching, Leadership, education , and how to communicate your coffee and barista knowledge so it sticks 121 : Working from Your Strengths w/ Strengths Finder Guru, Lisa Cummings Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

Now ore than ever coffee shops should be building stable and resilient teams to give them the best chance at success in an unstable market. Unfortunately there are many needless problems and practices that plague cafes and are catalysts for unnecessary turnover. Today we are going to cover what I believe are the top 10 reasons why we lose employees and what we should be doing to fix these problems. If we address these 10 things well then we will be on our way to creating an environment where staff never want to leave. Links to related episodes: 221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap 067 : 6 Truths About Power : The Responsible Approach to Power Dynamics in the Cafe 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 Bridging the Values -Actions Gap Need consulting? email me: [email protected] The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

The truth can hurt. In our minds, when we thing about "keeping it real" we are usually about to engage in some form of uncomfortable, confrontational interaction. In today's episode we will be exploring this idea and how an alternative way of approaching it will actually help us really keeping it real. Related episodes to explore: The Affirmation Vacuum Stop Lying Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

I am excited to re-share this oldie with you. Mainly because it has a ton of very useful insights that I think we all need to ponder these days. Life (aka 2020) won't let up and the 7 things I talked about back in November 2017 could not be more relevant. In many ways, we spend a lot of our energies reinforcing self-sabotaging behaviors and habits. Thing is, even though I originally broadcast this as being for baristas, you can just as easily see these 7 things in your life as a business owner. So on behalf of the Chris of 2017 and the Chris of 2020, I hope you enjoy this blast from the past! Links to recommended episodes: Main Episodes: 135 : Stay Motivated in the midst of Difficulty 083: 6 Essential Books for your Professional Growth 008 : Finding Joy in Coffee w/ Nathanael May 207 : Hope in Difficult Times w/ Kathy Turiano of Joe Bean Coffee Roasters Shift Breaks: Patience & Passivity : Career Advice for the Long Game 2 Qualities of Quality Baristas The Barista Slump Your Peers are not your Customers The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

One of the main ways that coffee shops fail has a lot to do with the level of self awareness leaders. So many issues we experience can be traced back to this skill. It is a skill we need to practice in order to set up everyone in the business for success. Today will be chatting about self-awareness and the critical role it plays in running a coffee shop and, more importantly, leading people. Related episodes: 242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann 239 : 5 Best Practices for the Best Small Business w/ Henry Lopez Selfish Self-awareness 067 : 6 Truths About Power : The Responsible Approach to Power Dynamics in the Cafe The Broken Chair 165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli 121 : Working from Your Strengths w/ Strengths Finder Guru, Lisa Cummings Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer

OK! Today we get to talk with coffee legend James Hoffmann! On top of being the 2007 World Barista Champion and Co-owner of Square Mile Coffee Roasters, a renowned roastery in London, James is also the author of the World Atlas of Coffee, and runs one of the world's most popular and fun coffee YouTube channels where he dives deep into everything from coffee equipment, coffee science, brewing, extraction, agronomy, taste, and really anything to do with coffee. In essence, James is a purveyor of ideas for and about coffee that, over the years, have helped us all to better navigate the landscape of specialty coffee either as enthusiasts or professionals. James is an excellent teacher and has a gift for clearly articulating his thoughts and ideas around topics and his approach to questions that can be at first a bit confusing, both disarms and welcomes people into the world of coffee. In this fantastic conversation we get into a number of those questions that are at the heart of what we do in specialty coffee and the cafe. I believe James' thoughts here will be of great value as we seek to build a better industry and better businesses into the future. We cover: What makes specialty coffee special How accessible should it specialty be What it means to be inclusive of customers What are good mindsets to have for business The role does the cafe plays When differentiators become a barriers Winning the trust of customers The problem of low barriers in starting a coffee business How cafes have contributed to problems in the industry Good business models post-COVID Links: www.jameshoffmann.co.uk Subscribe to James' You Tube Channel www.squaremilecoffee.com James on Instagram Related Episodes: 206 : The Emotional and Social Impact of the Cafe Space w/ Noa Berger 138 : Joseph A. Rivera on Organic Acids and the Importance of Coffee Science 223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll 082 : Knowledge and Flavor w/ Cosimo Libardo 198 : The Evolution of the Coffee Shop w/ Prof. Jonathan Morris 085 : How we Ruin the Specialty Experience 022 : Founder Friday w/ Colin Harmon of 3fe Coffee, Dublin Ireland & Author of the new book, "What I know About Running Coffee Shops" The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Today on Founder Friday we get to explore the Coffee Maverick himself, David Morris! David J. Morris is Founder and Co-CEO of Dillanos Coffee Roasters, based in Sumner, Washington. Dillanos sells wholesale coffee and other supplies to specialty coffee retailers across the U.S. and several countries. He is a serial entrepreneur, leadership expert, and commercial real estate investor. David, along with his brother Chris Heyer, have several business interests in hotels, apartments, office buildings and various other business ventures. David is also the co-author of several books including The Rolling Desk. Dillanos has been in business for 30 years and has become the iconic brand it is today from the humble beginning of a small coffee cart in Sumner, Washington. Dillanos Coffee Roasters is consistently roasting some of the best coffees in the world, and is well known for their motto, "Help people! Make Friends! Have Fun!" In this conversation with David we are getting a detailed and candid look at the very beginnings and evolution of Dillanos' three decades of operation. We the challenges, the secrets to their longevity, the lessons learned in relationships and business, and much more. I hope you draw a lot of inspiration from today's discussion. Enjoy! We cover: Early growth and challenges Becoming only a roaster Scaling the business Knowing your strengths Following the vision The Evel Knievel connection Hiring standards Supporting + communicating w/ staff Impact of COVID Evolution their approach to coffee Curating the message and communicating the right things. Establishing customer expectations and delivering excellence Biggest lessons from the past Links: www.dillanos.com David on: Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Related episodes: 118 : Founder Friday w/ Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters founders, Phil Robertson and Sebastian Sztabzyb 081 : Founder Friday w/ David Schomer of Espresso Vivace 204 : Founder Friday w/ Jeff Taylor of PT's Coffee Roasting Co. & Bird Rock Coffee! 232 : Founder Friday w/ Blew Kind of Fanny Lou's Porch The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Performance reviews have become a place where we tend to unload on the barista all the issues we have been seeing over the past months. They tend to be frustrating because they include some surprising bits o feedback that are news to the barista and generally end up being disheartening in stead of encouraging and motivating. Today we will be talking about the what we need to be doing before the performance review to really make it effective and and create the positive impact on performance it can have. Related episodes: The One-on-One 172 : Why Tracking Performance is a Must! Being the point of Clarity Communicate, duplicate, repeat Tips for Great Staff Meetings Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Solid, cafe quality espresso for an accessible price: www.flairespresso.com

Designing a coffee bar requires a lot of forethought and attention to detail. Unfortunately, it is often he case that bars are designed for looks and not functionality. This creates a huge amount of problems down the road with the way you baristas work, the speed of your drink prep, the way customers feel when ordering, and much more. In today's episode I am sharing a few tips that I use with clients whose bars I have helped design that will help you to build a functional bar from the very beginning. Even if you have already built your bar, these principles will help you rearrange it where you van, or build a better bar in store #2. We will cover: Barista Workflow The role of the menu Customer order flow Ergonomics Designing with cleaning in mind Health department/ Regulations Need help designing (or redesigning) your bar? KTTS Consulting can help! Email me: [email protected] Related episodes: 175 : How to Keep your Cool : A Fridge, Cooler, and Ice Machine Masterclass w/ Luke Peterson of The Maintenance Department! 169 : Designing the Guest Experience w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman 042 : Supplying and Selecting Equipment w/ Steve Rhinehart: Prima Coffee The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

Here we go! Stories from the Ground is a series of interviews that are designed to give you insights and guidance on how to thrive in the midst of the COVID crisis by hearing from amazing cafe owners and learning from their stories and experiences dealing with the shutdowns, caring for their staff, serving their customers, and keeping their businesses going. In this 3rd and final installment of "Stories from the Ground" we are going to be talking with the co-owner of the Coffee Project NY, Chi Sum Ngai! Chi Sum (Sum) Ngai is the co-founder of Coffee Project NY. Coffee Project NY, founded in 2015, has three locations, including their latest addition in Long Island City facility that includes a café, roastery and the only Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Premier Training Campus in New York State. At the Campus, Sum and partner Kaleena Teoh teach certified classes to coffee industry professionals seeking to further their education and career opportunities. Sum herself is a certified Q grader and roasting championship competitor who oversees the company's roasting program. Their starting goal was simply to share their passion for coffee with the neighborhood. They quickly received recognition for brewing delicious pour overs and deconstructing lattes to elevate the coffee experience; paying tribute to the craftsmanship of the professional barista. Coffee Project NY has grown from a two-person-team to a team of professionals specializing in different facets of the industry Sum gives us a shinning example of what it means to be a people-first organization and offers so many incredibly helpful insights in this conversation. A perfect way to cap off this series ! Enjoy! * IMPORTANT! Be sure to down load the "Take Aways" for this episode at the link below! "Stories from the Ground" is brought to you by Ground Control. Visit them to learn more about their amazing Cyclops Brewer. www.Vogacoffee.com Download the "Take Aways" from this episode. A PDF of all the takeaways and major points made by our guest! Visit Coffee Project NY's Website Instagram

It can sometimes be hard to find qualified employees and when we see great baristas at other shops we "can't help" thinking of offering them a job in our place. But there is a bit of an ethical problem here. When we cross a certain line, we are violating an unwritten rule. We are, in fact, poaching. It's not black and white though, and in today's shift break we will chat about some of the nuances of this issue and offer some insight to help you avoid crossing the line and clarity to help you make peace with hiring decisions you've made where you think you might have crossed that line, but did not. Related Episodes: 221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin My #1 Interview Mistake My Favorite Interview Question The Right People? Need consulting or coaching? Let's talk [email protected] Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Solid, cafe quality espresso for an accessible price: www.flairespresso.com

The sheer number of things we need to focus on in small business is overwhelming. Amidst the sea of tips, tricks, and tools we know we "should" utilize there are a few things that are absolute musts. Today we are going to hear from one of the world's leading voices in running a successful small business, Henry Lopez. Henry has over 35 years of diverse business experience, including successful careers in the information technology industry, sales, sales training and business ownership. He is currently the Managing Partner of Levante Business Group (supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners and producers of The How of Business podcast), co-owner of iTopIt (a self-serve frozen desserts restaurant in Colorado Springs), co-owner of L3 Destinations (a Travel Agency co-founded with his wife), and a minority partner and investor in Office Evolution of Plantation (an executive suites and co-working business center franchise location). Henry currently resides in a suburb of Dallas, Texas with his wife Pam. He has been directly involved in over 11 different small businesses since purchasing his first business in 1991. He has developed and launched his own businesses, and has bought and sold businesses as well. Henry also serves as a volunteer SCORE Mentor. In this conversation Henry lays out the 5 things he believes are absolutely essential for a small business to do in order to have the best chance at thriving. We dive into the details of each one and let me tell you, there is a LOT of great insights that result form this interview. We discuss: Systems and delegation Working on not in your business Keeping systems simple Hiring for the benefit of your businesses future Empowering staff Managing your money Prioritizing your profit The business owners mindset Taking action boldly Enjoying the journey Redefining what success and happiness Links: www.thehowofbusiness.com Facebook: TheHOBPodcast LinkedIn YouTube Related episodes: 184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak 211 : Straight Talk from the Retail Doctor, Bob Phibbs 223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service

We are back! Stories from the Ground is a series of interviews that are designed to give you insights and guidance on how to thrive in the midst of the COVID crisis by hearing from amazing cafe owners and learning from their stories and experiences dealing with the shutdowns, caring for their staff, serving their customers, and keeping their businesses going. In this second installment of Stories from the Ground we are going to be talking with the owner of the amazing 392 Caffe, Jay Sanders! 392 Caffe was established in 2011, in Clinton, IA. The concept was conceived in/for Hollywood, CA by Jay & Jenna as they compared coffee shop visit notes in attempts to derive the "perfect" coffee shop setting. Two very different coffee shop consumers, individually they were seeking aspects of the coffee shop experience they'd have to create... namely, outgoing/engaging hospitality, upbeat vibes, a consultative sales - style ordering process, and an intangible takeaway of a new real-life relationship. 392 has become a brand that stands for love, inclusivity, and community. They challenge their customers to aspire to greatness and "Be the Light" through art in their cafes. They understand that a growing/thriving community is their only chance for long-term growth/success, so they give-to/nurture/feed it constantly. One of their slogans, #DrinkBetterCoffee challenges people to find a better product, but also leans on the underlying message to aspire for greatness in all you do. I love this conversation with Jay. His intense passion for his team and the mission of their business is inspiring and is a great example of what it looks like to put values into action even in challenging circumstances! Enjoy! * IMPORTANT! Be sure to down load the "Take Aways" for this episode at the link below! "Stories from the Ground" is brought to you by Ground Control. Visit them to learn more about their amazing Cyclops Brewer. www.Vogacoffee.com Download the "Take Aways" from this episode. A PDF of all the takeaways and major points made by our guest! Visit 392 Caffe's Website Instagram

When we onboard new baristas we usually schedule them for a "Shadow Shift". he intent is that they are to learn the ropes, observe and absorb how things are done, which will help prepare them for work on the bar. That's the hope. In reality it often turns out to be chaotic, stressful, and produces more confusion than clarity. Today we will be discussing how to approach the shadow shift with what I call "Structured Shadow Shifts" and how they can deliver the amazing value for you and the new hire. Related Episodes: 172 : Why Tracking Performance is a Must! 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff Your Employee Handbook is Worthless Need consulting or coaching? Let's talk [email protected] Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Solid, cafe quality espresso for an accessible price: www.flairespresso.com