Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders SPECIAL! Interviews from Coffee Fest NYC 2025: Antoine Franklin, Mo Hashmi, Caroline Bell, and Maria Sinatra!
We are back with anew round of show floor interviews from Coffee Fest! This time we were in NYC at the Keys to the Shop booth and got four wonderful presenters and experts to chat about training, entrepreneurship, and trademarking law!
First up to talk about effective barista training strategies we have our friend Antoine Franklin!
Antoine Franklin (better known as “Twizz”) born and raised in Cleveland, OH has 19 years of experience working in the coffee industry. Having many different job titles from barista to operations partner, to wholesale manager, LAWCO judging panel he’s got a ton of experience and knowledge doing almost everything in the industry.
Instagram: @Twizz_3seas
Next we are chatting about training across multiple cafes with Mo Hashmi!
Mo Hashmi works at Hidden Grounds Coffee as their Director of Coffee & Education. Since beginning his career in coffee, Mo has trained countless baristas in advanced coffee brewing techniques across New Jersey and New York. Currently Mo leads the roasting operation of Hidden Grounds Coffee and is in charge of sourcing, profiling, and quality control. In 2023, Mo received his SCA Roasting certification.
https://www.instagram.com/momakescoffee/
Now we get to dive into the history and lessons learned from one of the founders of famed NYC coffee company, Cafe Grumpy!
Caroline Bell is the Co-Founder and CEO of Café Grumpy, a specialty coffee company founded in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, in 2005. A Certified Q Grader and PCQI, Caroline leads the green coffee buying and fosters relationships with coffee producers, with a focus on Central America. Since its launch, Café Grumpy has expanded to 11 locations across New York City, Miami, and New Jersey. Passionate about quality, sustainability, and community, Caroline is dedicated to building a supportive team and fostering a positive work environment. Through her continued work, she is helping to shape the specialty coffee industry—one cup at a time.
https://www.instagram.com/cafegrumpy
Lastly we get into the land of trademarks and the legal protections your brand needs with Maria Sinatra!
Maria Sinatra focuses her practice on offensive and defensive Lanham Act and Copyright Act litigation in federal courts throughout the country. Maria has experience with disputes involving anti-counterfeiting actions, trademark and trade dress infringement actions, trademark dilution claims, false advertising issues, and copyright infringement litigation. She regularly advises clients on brand management issues, including how to secure, protect, and police trademark rights.
Reach out to and follow Maria on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-sinatra-86b851163/
All these interviews took place at Coffee Fest and you should a trade sho you should seriously consider attending!
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
of book a free call now:
https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min