Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Like Pepsi in 1984, coffee is the "Choice of a New Generation"... but maybe not in the same way as we of older generations are comfortable with. The ways digital natives are consuming coffee today may be unique, but as with all coffee consumers before and after, they are seeking the identity, belonging, utility, and promises associated with coffee and the community it has always facilitated.  The question we need to ask is how do we in the world f coffee shops acknowledge, welcome, include, adn understand these very important consumers? To help us explore this we are chatting with friend of the show and deep thinker extraordinaire, Kosta Kallivrousis!  Kosta Kallivrousis has spent over 14 years working across the specialty-coffee supply chain. His unique combination of experience as a barista, licensed Q grader, and in strategic sales at both roasted and green coffee companies has given him a 360°-view of the specialty-coffee world. Kosta is passionate about building equitable sourcing relationships between coffee producers and buyers, challenging industry norms around taste and value, and advocating for greater connection and community in the coffee industry.   Links:  KOSTA ON INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/espresso_patronus/   Other Links: The barista mag piece Kosta wrote about cafe raves The death of a millennial brand with Euguene Healey Postmillennials desire era's and not fixed identities by Eugene Healey How Gen Z expects brands to interact with them by Ogilvy.    Related episodes:  321 : Marketing and Moral Injury w/ Josh Tarlo of Kiss the Hippo 393 : The Tyranny of Taste w/ Kosta Kallivrousis SHIFT BREAK: Quality Still Matters Some Tips on Signature Drinks Menu Simplicity as Hospitality 274 : Crafting Specialty Drinks in your Shop w/ Matt Foster” 548: Cool Ideas For Customer Engagement    Insights into the specialty coffee industry and its challenges. KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS!  Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting?  Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups!  Applications are now open for fall 2025 Cohort: Click below to learn more: APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS   KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS 1:1 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      SPONSORS Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, Tile and brick needs!  www.arto.com Visit @artobrick The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series!  www.pacificfoodservice.com    

Once again it is Founder Friday! The world of coffee encompasses vast regions of taste and culture, all united by the communal cup of coffee. In the Philippines there has been an incredible movement of specialty. Yardstick Coffee stands as one of the original specialty coffee roasters and retailers that has built a solid and growing company that continually pursues new ways to serve people through services of wholesale, roasting, equipment, and more. Today we are going to be talking with one of the founders of Yardstick Coffee, Andre Chanco!  Andre Chanco began his career in IT, working as a consultant for a multinational company before making an unexpected pivot to coffee. While working part-time at Papa Palheta—one of Singapore’s pioneering specialty coffee roasters—he immersed himself in coffee roasting, eventually becoming a full-time apprentice. Over the years, he took on responsibilities in green buying and marketing, setting the foundation for his future in coffee. In 2013, Andre co-founded Yardstick Coffee in Manila with university friends Kevin and Jessica. What began as a wholesale roasting and equipment business has since evolved into one of the Philippines’ leading specialty coffee brands. Today, Andre serves as Head of Product and Brand, overseeing green coffee sourcing and the company’s product development. Founded in 2013, Yardstick began as a B2B coffee roaster and equipment distributor, becoming the official partner of La Marzocco and Rocket Espresso in the Philippines. With just one showroom and training space in Makati, Yardstick offered coffee roasting, SCA certification workshops, and equipment solutions for cafes and restaurants. Following the pandemic, Yardstick shifted its focus to retail, evolving into a customer-led, community-driven coffee brand. Today, Yardstick operates nine stores across Metro Manila, with plans to open two more by the end of 2025. The company continues to roast specialty coffee in-house, with a strong emphasis on quality, accessibility and discovery. Yardstick has also proudly hosted the Philippine AeroPress Championship for over a decade, championing accessibility, collaboration, and growth in the local coffee scene. I hope you enjoy this conversation that takes you all the way from the founding of Yardstick, into the inner workings of their organization, management and philosophies- to today and what their focus is to continue to deliver exceptional experiences in all areas of the company. Links:  https://store.yardstickcoffee.com/ http://www.drinkmorning.com/ http://www.standardsupplystudios.com/ https://www.instagram.com/yardstickcoffee/   Related episodes:  Special! “Thinking Differently” Series | Filipino Coffee w/ Ron Dizon of Teofilo Coffee! 310 : Founder Friday w/ Jelynn Malone and Beverly Magtanong of Mostra Coffee 188 : Founder Friday w/ Jon Allen of Onyx Coffee Lab  Insights into the specialty coffee industry and its challenges. KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS!  Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting?  Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups!  Applications are now open for fall 2025 Cohort: Click below to learn more: APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS   KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS 1:1 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      SPONSORS Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, Tile and brick needs!  www.arto.com Visit @artobrick The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series!  www.pacificfoodservice.com    

In forums, trade shows, and conversations everywhere, people are talking about their problems, and that's not a bad thing! The problem starts when the talk is not productive and starts to warp reality and damages our ability to work, serve and lead well due to the bitterness commiseration tends to produce. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the problems that commiseration brings and how we can recognize and redirect the way we talk so we can be as objective as possible in how we see the world of positives and challenges that surround us.    Here are some related episodes to explore:  Gossip! Who You Are + What You Do   APPLY NOW TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS! Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting?  Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups!  Applications are now open for fall 2025 Cohort: Click below to learn more: APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS   HIRE KTTS 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    

What we believe is often a mixture of what we heard , what we have experienced, and what is convenient for us in the moment. The truth is, we are desperate for certainty and as our desperation grows, our ability to be reasonable and discern goes down. Thats when ideas turn into rules based on nothing more that our desire for getting an answer. Then a myth is born.  This is part one of a 2 part episode series that will break down about a dozen myths that have wormed their way into the minds of owners so deeply that to question them may sometimes seem silly or even dangerous.  Today we will be talking about these myths:  "Automation saves you on labor and training" "Independent cafes deserve support" "Inspiring words create change" "The right people will just get it" "If it works for them, it will work for me"   Related episodes! 373 : The Owner’s Role: 5 Behaviors for Effectiveness 243 : Encore Episode! “The Sleepwalking Barista (Owner)” Breathing Life Into Your Coffee Shop 485: Your Shop Vs the Industry    KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS!  Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting?  Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups!  Applications are now open for fall 2025 Cohort: Click below to learn more: APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS   KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS 1:1 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      SPONSORS Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, Tile and brick needs!  www.arto.com Visit @artobrick The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series!  www.pacificfoodservice.com    

Have you ever made a regrettable decision in the moment that you would have made differently if you had given yourself a bit more time and space to reason it through? I think we have all been there. Many are there right now! Every time we decide something in the present based on desperation, impatience, or fear, the future version of ourselves and other, suffer for it. There have been countless examples of owners deciding on hiring, programs, expansion, menu items etc that seemed like a good idea, until the more reasonable future  Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the importance of considering the the downstream impacts of the bright ideas and brain waves we get so present you won't inadvertently sabotage future you's success.  Here are some related episodes to explore:  184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak 253 : Mindsets that Sabotage Success 414: Secret Ingredients for a Successful Coffee Shop KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS ARE LIVE!  Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting?  Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups!  Applications are now open for fall 2025 Cohort: Click below to learn more: APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS   HIRE KTTS 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    

Becoming a great manager is as much for other people's benefit as it is for your own. In order to do this you have to see it as a practice that incorporates certain mindsets and habits that contribute to developing you into the kind of person who can guide and develop others  Today on the show we will talking about three very important areas that managers should be focused on incorporating and improving as they work throughout the week.  My advice...practice these things intentionally and work at recalling your day and your week every week as you plan the next one. See where you did great and keep it going, or see where you were challenged and improve it next time.  I hope this episode helps jump-start your transformation. Please listen to the episodes below and treat it like a cafe manager mini-university. If you are here and listening it means you already want to get better. I know you can do it and I am thankful for the work you are putting in to serve others well!  Related episodes! 229 : 7 Tips for New Managers 141 : The 27 Challenges Managers Face w/ Bruce Tulgan 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 475: Essential Tools for Cafe Management 472: Why Technical Skill as a Leader is Not Enough w/ Jonathan Raymond, Refound, Author: Good Authority 453 : The Craft of Operations 427 : Encore Episode: What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap 368 : Walking the Line Between Leadership and Friendship 336: A Cafe Leadership Masterclass w/ Selina Viguera of Blue Bottle Coffee 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees 172 : Why Tracking Performance is a Must! Creative Avoidance : Thoughts on Long-game Management   KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS!  Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting?  Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups!  Applications are now open for fall 2025 Cohort: Click below to learn more: APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS   KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS 1:1 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      SPONSORS Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, Tile and brick needs!  www.arto.com Visit @artobrick The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series!  www.pacificfoodservice.com    

Hey everyone! I was sitting at my desk thinking about the various services and means KTTS has created to help coffee shop owners and leaders in the last 8 years.  Seems we have grown a lot!  From a podcast with 1,000+ episodes and 3 million+ downloads, to consulting and coaching 85+ cafes, training barista teams, speaking around the country multiple times per year for 20+years, and the latest addition, the Key Holder Coaching Groups which is in its 5th season!  I wanted to take a moment to chat with you here, pretty informally, to explain these areas of Keys to the Shop and give you some clarity about the why behind them, what they look like, and how they help people like you.  Below are some links that will take you to where you can learn more. But of course, the best way is always to reach out and have a conversation with me. Just email: chris@keystotheshop.com   Service Links:  CONSULTING One-on-one consulting with coffee shop owners and their leadership teams to help improve operations, people, and quality. We also help new owners and their teams open their first cafe.    KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS A curated space where you can bring real challenges to the table, get clear feedback, and grow alongside others who are just as invested in getting better. If you’re looking for community, clarity, and accountability to move your leadership forward, this might be the right next step for you. Click above to apply.    SPEAKING  I have been speaking at trade shows, industry organizations, coffee schools, and conducting workshops for quite a long time. Reach out if you are looking for a focused workshop for your team or need a speaker for your event.    CAFE CLARITY CALLS In these 3 one hour intensive sessions we will tackle your most pressing issues and challenges through discovering root causes, and developing clear solutions and strategies for sustainable success!   Click here to schedule a free discovery call: KTTS Consulting Discovery Call   Social Media Links:  Instagram: @keystotheshop LinkedIn: Chris Deferio  

We like to use the word "creativity" when describing ideal traits in coffee shop staff. In some ways, this is admirable and very useful, for a lot of us though, without exploring and establishing the details behind it and how exactly it looks to be creative, we end up with a lot of confusion, inconsistencies, and dropping the ball on quality service. Do we really want baristas going rouge getting "creative" with core menu items?  Today on Shift Break we will be talking about where and how to apply creativity in the various places in the coffee shop. The goal if that it it never turns into a liability for consistency, or a word used to make up for a lack of training on a standard, but something that adds depth to the whole cafe experience Here are some related episodes to explore:  424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence 191 : Retraining your Staff on new Standards Exceptions to the Rules: Toxic Traditions The Good and Bad of Job Descriptions KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS ARE LIVE!  Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting?  Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups!  Applications are now open for fall 2025 Cohort: Click below to learn more: APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS   HIRE KTTS 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    

What is necessary before opening a cafe? Which is better to prepare you for the challenges and opportunities you will be presented with in your career and as an owner of a coffee shop? This question is asked often by people just getting into the industry and also by those who are experienced already but may want to add something to make sure they are ready.  Today on the show, inspired by this being asked of me by both a prospective client and someone who attended a talk of mine at a trade show, I will be giving you some things to consider when answering this question. Our goal here is to equip you with what you need for where you are and where you are going. So I hope as you consider the incredible number of resources available to you in coffee today, this episode helps you to select and apply well those tools so you and the people you serve have the best chance to thrive.  Related episodes! 287 : Learning to Shift your Mind w/ Brian Levenson 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff Learning vs LEARNING 505: Maintaining Excellence w/ Maxwell Dashwood   KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS!  Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting?  Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups!  Applications are now open for fall 2025 Cohort: Click below to learn more: APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS   KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS 1:1 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      SPONSORS Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, Tile and brick needs!  www.arto.com Visit @artobrick The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series!  www.pacificfoodservice.com    

When a new manager is placed in a cafe, they often will try to change a lot of things in a bid to justify their role and/or create what they believe is the positive change they have long wanted to see as a barista. While both are understandable, neither one should be the first thing a manager takes on as they become established. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how to order your focus as a new manager, first around learning and building trust, then entering into the work of change.  For owners and those responsible for hiring and placing managers, there is wisdom here for you in helping you help managers thrive, as well as how to discern red flags in peoples character and agendas before you rush to promote.  Here are some related episodes to explore:  472: Why Technical Skill as a Leader is Not Enough w/ Jonathan Raymond, Refound, Author: Good Authority 425 : Some Thoughts on Supporting Your Manager SB: Learning vs LEARNING 278 : Making great Hiring Decisions   KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS ARE LIVE!  Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting?  Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups!  Applications are now open for fall 2025 Cohort: Click below to learn more: APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS   HIRE KTTS 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