Episodes

  • SHIFT BREAK! Engaging in the Right Conversations (or how not to accept undue guilt)

    SHIFT BREAK! Engaging in the Right Conversations (or how not to accept undue guilt)
    Nov 20 2024

    Did you know that, in spite of all the work you do for others, the sacrifices you make to run your business and do what you can for your staff, plus the positive impact on your community, the you are ACTUALLY evil and/or complicit in the demise of coffee and the people in coffee?

    Well, if you listen to the conversations, articles, and headlines being created about you by people who don't know you and the details and nuances of the work you do, you'd be tempted to take on that accusation and guilt as statement of fact and forget about the good work and proof to the contrary in a bid to chase social standing among people whose job it is to find fault above all else. Not a great idea.

    Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why it is critical that you choose to participate in and give energy to the right conversations so we can create virtuous cycles instead of downward spirals.

    I am thankful for you all and the good you do for people through coffee everyday!

    Related episodes:

    • Faithfulness and Honesty
    • SHIFT BREAK: Minding Our Business
    • Thankfulness and Giving Energy to the Positive
    • Your Peers are not Your Customers
    • Priorities and Deep Thankfulness
    • 485: Your Shop vs The Industry - How to Free Yourself From Dependency

    INTERESTED IN CONSULTING AND COACHING?

    If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email

    chris@keystothshop.com

    of book a free call now:

    https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min

    Thank you to out sponsors!

    Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/

    The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com
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    16 mins
  • 508: Fighting Exploitation and Human Trafficking Through Coffee w/ Jenny Barber and Jake Jiron of Talitha Coffee Roasters!

    508: Fighting Exploitation and Human Trafficking Through Coffee w/ Jenny Barber and Jake Jiron of Talitha Coffee Roasters!
    Nov 18 2024
    Coffee brings people together for all sorts of reasons. One of the beautiful ways coffee is used is as a vehicle for change in areas of our world that desperately need it. Nowhere is change more needed than in the realm of human trafficking and exploitation. I am thrilled to talk with a couple of professionals on the front lines of this fight. We are talking with Jenny Barber and Jake Jiron of Talitha Coffee Roasters! Jenny Barber, Cofounder of Talitha Coffee Roaster has spent the past 14 years becoming an expert on the topic of Human Trafficking. Determined to make a positive difference after witnessing the devastating, intergenerational impact of the issue from a young age Jenny founded Talitha Coffee Roasters. Their mission is to end Human trafficking and support survivors, one sip at a time. They do this By creating job opportunities, providing support for survivors of human trafficking, and partnering with experts as well as individuals and organizations seeking to benefit others. Jenny herself is a survivor of childhood exploitation. Today, she’s a mother of 6, college graduate, business and non-profit leader, and tireless advocate. Jake Jiron, originally from Bakersfield, CA, began his journey in specialty coffee in 2016 after graduating from San Diego State University. Starting as a farmer's market pop-up coordinator, he quickly expanded his roles to include admin tasks, invoicing, delivery driving, and ultimately transitioned into sales. Over the past seven years, Jake's focus has been on selling coffee and managing wholesale customers, turning his passion into a dedicated career. Inspired by the mission and vision of the company, he knew he wanted to be part of something bigger that made a tangible difference in people's lives. Believing he could use his skills to support those in need of employment and opportunity, he made the decision to join Talitha Coffee. In this conversation we discuss: Building a Business with Purpose: The Talitha ModelCreating Employment Opportunities for SurvivorsThe Importance of Quality in Coffee and Mission AlignmentNavigating Relationships with Wholesale AccountsTraining and Supporting Survivors in the WorkplaceEmpowering Survivors Through Care PlansOnboarding and Workforce ReadinessCelebrating Growth and Skills DevelopmentFostering Long-Term RelationshipsPartnerships for Impact and Support Links: www.talitha.com Instagram: @talithacoffeeroasters Related episodes: 106 : Changing Lives Through Coffee w/ Pamela Chng of Bettr Barista Founder Friday! Youth, Foster Care, and Human Connections Through Coffee | w/ Miah Sommer of Astute Coffee in Omaha, NE 334 : How to Approach Deescalation w/ Melissa Tucker of Mind Over Matters and Pathways to Peace180 : A Conversation with Rugid Grind Founders, Brian Washington and Averett Barksdale192 : Freedom through Coffee w/ Esther Hope-Gibbs of Manumit Coffee Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, and brick needs! www.arto.com Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick .... and tell them Chris sent you!
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    53 mins
  • SHIFT BREAK: With or Without Experience? Hiring the Best Baristas

    SHIFT BREAK: With or Without Experience? Hiring the Best Baristas
    Nov 14 2024

    Ah the age old debate.

    Should you hire someone who is experienced working in coffee? On onhand they have skills that may be helpful and on the other they might have bad habits you need to address.

    Or should you hire someone without experience? Their first exposure to coffee will be at your shop and you get to train them up on your standards from the start. At the same time they ma take longer to train and could experience bore inertia getting used to the work a coffee shop requires

    Today on Shift Break we will be talking all about how to decide between potential employees with varied experience backgrounds so you have the best chance of hiring the right person for the role.

    Related episodes:

    • SHIFT BREAK: Minding Our Business
    • SHIFT BREAK: Hiring based on Staff Preference vs Business Needs
    • SHIFT BREAK: Wrong Fit For the Role, or Wrong Fit For Your Business?
    • Raising Your Hiring Standard

    INTERESTED IN CONSULTING AND COACHING?

    If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email

    chris@keystothshop.com

    of book a free call now:

    https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min

    Thank you to out sponsors!

    Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/

    The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com
    Show more Show less
    16 mins
  • 507: How High-Level Systems Help Your Cafe Thrive w/ Preston Lee, The 30% Rule

    507: How High-Level Systems Help Your Cafe Thrive w/ Preston Lee, The 30% Rule
    Nov 12 2024
    When you think about the things that make the biggest difference in culture, hospitality experience, staff morale and the profitability of your coffee shop, you would be forgiven for being overwhelmed. There are so many moving parts in food and beverage operations it's hard to know what lever to pull to make a difference. Well the good news is that, according to today's guest, when you apply focus and systems to the most critical 30% of those areas that make up you cafe, you will transform the business and go from striving, to thriving! I am very pleased to welcome to the show, Preston Lee of The 30% Rule! With over 20 years in the business and being a part of 25 restaurant openings, Preston is on a mission to help independent restaurant owners gain the knowledge and best practices on how to best train, lead, and nurture their staff to build a robust culture. Ultimately leading to the highest level of consistency and customer retention. Today we talk with Preston all about how some hard lessons learned early on in his carrier shaped him and what he does now to help hospitality businesses with their culture, sales, training, and quality. This is a really motivating talk that I hope focuses you on the right areas to make the biggest difference in your coffee shop. In this conversation we layout the plan for: The Importance of Training and Development Systems and Structure in Hospitality Setting Expectations and Accountability The Importance of Systems for Job Security Focusing on the 30% That Matters Expectations for Turning Around Operations Training as the Key to Change Links: Instagram: @the30rule Instagram: @the_30_rule www.the30percentrule.com Related episodes: 330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop 430 : Embracing “Unreasonable Hospitality” w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference453 : The Craft of Operations 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, and brick needs! www.arto.com Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick .... and tell them Chris sent you!
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    53 mins
  • SHIFT BREAK! Should You Up-Charge for Alternative Milks?

    SHIFT BREAK! Should You Up-Charge for Alternative Milks?
    Nov 7 2024

    In recent weeks Starbucks has announced it will no longer charge for plant-base alternative milks. This comes after efforts from activists claiming discrimination. Starbucks aside, the conversation about up-charging for alt milk has been going on for a while now with people who feel strongly on either side of the topic.

    Today on Shift Break we will be talking about whether or not you should be charging for alternative plant based milk options, how to approach this from a practical business perspective, why it's not a great idea to be so obsessed with what major retailers do, and how not to be bullied or guilted into conforming but rather make sound decisions.

    Related episodes:

    • 184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak
    • 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge
    • 223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll
    • 136 : Nourishing the Barista’s Soul: A conversation w/ Deb Kaminski of Pacific Natural Foods
    • 485: Your Shop vs The Industry - How to Free Yourself From Dependency

    INTERESTED IN CONSULTING AND COACHING?

    If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email

    chris@keystothshop.com

    of book a free call now:

    https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min

    Thank you to out sponsors!

    Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/

    The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com
    Show more Show less
    15 mins
  • 506 : Critical Workflows Every Coffee Shop Needs

    506 : Critical Workflows Every Coffee Shop Needs
    Nov 5 2024

    The way customers and staff experience our cafes is based many experiences and moments taken together to form what they know as our culture or brand. Each experience can be broken down into many different parts that happen within even one visit and the smart operator knows that unless there is a plan set up ahead of time for how we want those moments to go, then we will provide less than stellar service. The customer loses out on experiencing our best, and we lose out on keeping good customers and good staff.

    Today we are going to be talking about a few critical workflows I believe every coffee bar needs to have detailed nd trained on in order to serve people very well every day. Take this episode as an assignment and go create these for your shop as soon as you can! Include the staff and launch these as guiding processes so your coffee shop will thrive.

    In this conversation we layout the plan for:

    • Menu Workflows
    • Change workflows
    • Customer Experience workflows

    Related episodes:

    • 399: Encore Episode! How to Change Things in the Cafe
    • 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop
    • 291 : What to do if Your Baristas Wont Listen to You
    • 191 : Retraining your Staff on new Standards
    • 424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides
    • 421: Encore Episode: Simple, Powerful, Hospitality w/ Philip Paul Turner
    • 058 : Holiday Hospitality

    Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee

    The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

    Want a beautiful coffee shop?

    All your hard surface, stone, and brick needs!

    www.arto.com

    Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick ....

    and tell them Chris sent you!
    Show more Show less
    37 mins
  • SHIFT BREAK: The Best Way for Every Shop to Train Baristas

    SHIFT BREAK: The Best Way for Every Shop to Train Baristas
    Oct 31 2024

    Training your staff is easily one of the most important things to get right if you want to set them up for success and make sure your customers are getting a great experience every time. Every place has their own way of doing training and most of it is cobbled together from different sources in a desperate bid for a positive outcome. The result if all to often a staff that is under prepared, frustrated leadership, and guest experiences inconsistent standards.

    Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the absolute best way that every coffee bar should be training their staff in order to bring provide excellence day in, and day out.

    I know that seems like a big statement. All coffee shops? Yes, I truly believe and have seen time and again, that if you apply this approach in your shop you will see a real and substantial improvement in morale, consistency, and quality

    Related episodes:

    • 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff
    • 296: Holistic Barista Training w/ David Castillo of Go Get Em Tiger , Los Angeles
    • 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence
    • 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces
    • 191 : Retraining your Staff on new Standards
    • 178 : Training Masterclass w/ Emma Haines of London School of Coffee and Caffeina Consulting
    • 130 : Anne Nylander | Training Principles for Specialty Coffee Professionals
    • SHIFT BREAK: Detail Oriented Staff Starts With You
    • You Need to Prioritize In-House Training!

    If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email chris@keystothshop.com of book a free call now:

    https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min

    Thank you to out sponsors!

    Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/

    The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com
    Show more Show less
    12 mins
  • 505: Maintaining Excellence in the Everyday Work of Coffee Shops w/ Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood

    505: Maintaining Excellence in the Everyday Work of Coffee Shops w/ Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood
    Oct 28 2024

    Innovation and an obsession with what is "new" has long been a primary force capturing the imagination of coffee pros and entrepreneurs. Trouble is that the novel and new, while it may be good at grabbing or capturing attention, is not great at keeping and sustaining us, or our businesses for that matter. In fact, innovation and constantly looking for something have the opposite effect than what it seems to promise.

    Enter the idea of maintenance over innovation and everyday excellence. I recently came across a post from today's guest on linkedIn detailing his thoughts on this and I knew immediately we needed to bring him back on the show to talk this out!

    I am thrilled to welcome back to the show Maxwell Colonna- Dashwood!

    This will be a very conversation that will illuminate the path that I believe all of us need to be walking in the coffee shop space. As always, Maxwell's keen insights serve as a guide and a resource to better shops and better coffee.

    In this conversation we discuss:

    • Innovation vs. Maintenance in Coffee
    • The Importance of Hospitality in Coffee Shops
    • Understanding the Value of Consistency
    • Important Shifts in Innovation Perspectives
    • The Role of Personal Identity in Coffee Innovation
    • Why we need to focus on the fundamentals in coffee shops
    • Navigating Staff Dynamics + Customer Experience
    • Balancing Innovation and Consistency in Coffee Shops
    • Customer Engagement in Hospitality
    • Long-Term Vision in Coffee Shop Operations

    Links:

    www.maxwelldashwood.com

    @mcolonnadashwood

    Related episodes:

    • 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces
    • SHIFT BREAK: Defining Excellence and Success
    • SHIFT BREAK: Pull Out The Fridge
    • 480: Focus on What Your Customers Love
    • Three Questions for Better Cafe Decisions
    • SHIFT BREAK: Don't Focus on Coffee

    Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee

    The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

    Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, and brick needs!

    www.arto.com

    Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick ....

    and tell them Chris sent you!
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    1 hr and 4 mins