Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

I have talked to many clients as well as Key Holder Coaching Group members who employ seasonal staff. There is a big challenge when looking to hire, train, and manage them since the term of their employment is short and they are either new, or they have had 6 months or more off from the cafe. In today's Shift Break we will be talking about some strategies to use when hiring, training, and managing seasonal staff that takes away the liabilities you might worry about and creates more a better likelihood  of uncompromising standards and a great experience for the staff as well!  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    

The landscape of retail is cluttered with messages, distractions, gimmicks, and desperate bids for scraps of customers attention. After a while, it all starts to look, sound, and feel the same. How do you stand out for the right reasons and engage with your customers and future customers in ways that provide something sustainable and unique?  In today's episode we will be discussing some great ways that you can be engaged with your customers, and the community around you so you solidify your relationship and reputation with your existing customers, and are better positioned to gain new ones as you go!   Listen to these related episodes! 215 : Communication and Marketing Master Class w/ Spencer M. Ross, PH.D. 282 : How to Listen to your Customers 443: Want Impactful Messaging? Keep it Simple! w/ Author Ben Guttmann 433: Winning Staff and Customer Loyalty   KEYS TO THE SHOP 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      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  

It's Founder Friday! Today we are chatting with the professional Rugby player turned specialty cafe owner, Jake Heenan of Burra Bristol! Jake has played professional rugby for over 13 years and started Burra, an antipodean café in Bristol, while still playing full-time. It’s grown to three sites and won multiple awards - shaped by the same principles of culture, teamwork, and performance that he has lived in sport. The kitchen, known for it's amazing brunch, is headed by Michelin starred chef Toru Yanada and the cafe has focused its energy on high standards of hospitality, community, and quality. Today we talk with Jake about his career in rugby, the founding of Burra, and the leadership and performance lessons that have come from sports to help build Burra Bristol into the exceptional hospitality experience it is today.  Jake's journey from rugby to hospitality How resilience and teamwork are essential lessons learned from sports that apply to running a coffee shop. Why creating a welcoming atmosphere in a coffee shop is as important as the product itself. Hiring the right people as the crucial focus for building a successful team in hospitality. Developing empathy in leadership to foster a positive work culture and enhance team dynamics. Why continuous improvement is key to success in the hospitality industry. The art of communication and feedback as essential for team development and performance. Balancing food and coffee offerings  The journey of building a business and why you need patience for growth. Links:  https://burrabristol.co.uk/ @burrabristol Related episodes: 472: Why Technical Skill as a Leader is Not Enough w/ Jonathan Raymond, Refound, Author: Good Authority 355: Baristas! 6 Essential Qualities to Get Yourself Hired 430 : Embracing “Unreasonable Hospitality” w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference 310 : Founder Friday w/ Jelynn Malone and Beverly Magtanong of Mostra Coffee 287 : Learning to Shift your Mind w/ Brian Levenson 258 : Prioritizing your Mental Health in the New Year w/ Dr. Lara Pence 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence INTERESTED IN 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  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  

If you are a manager or leader on shift, or the owner of the cafe, how you spend your time really matters. You have been given authority as a tool to help those you serve and they are counting on you to be organized and purposeful in the use of your time, energy, and focus. Today on Shift Break we are going to be covering some advice for how you can better organize your time so you go from being reactive to proactive and can offer confidence and clarity to your staff and team as a result of having it yourself!  Related Episodes: 489: Tips for Creating a Resilient Cafe 545: Breathing Life Into Your Coffee Shop SHIFT BREAK: Adjusting Our View of Labor Cost SHIFT BREAK: Rest and Meaningful Work Focus on These Areas in the New Year Thankfulness and Giving Energy to the Positive 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  

In this ever cluttered world of tips, tricks, methods, eqipment, and tools it can be hard to know what to employ in the cafe to really make a difference. I am of the opiniion that the best tools are not necessarily physical, but are frameworks and ideas that help guide our presence, work, and relationships in the work.  In today's episode we are going to be diving into what I believe are some of the most important tools a coffee shop can and should have in order to really see the cafe sing!    Listen to these related episodes! 475: Essential Tools for Cafe Management 487: Think Fast and Talk Smart in the Cafe w/ Matt Abrahams 424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides 415: The Best Lessons On How to Listen w/ Listening Expert, Oscar Trimboli 329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff KEYS TO THE SHOP 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      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  

"If you're not growing, your dying", phrases like this tend to drive us pursue a path of growth that often prevents us from slowing down or finding margin in which we can see that something, or even we ourselves, need to stop. Today on Shift Break we are going to be talking about how to see entrepreneurship as not just a one time thing, but as a cyclical practice that helps you enter into needed change to either maintain, add, or take away. Related Episodes: 399: Encore Episode! How to Change Things in the Cafe     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  

Have you ever walked into a shop and noticed right away, this place is different. The hospitality, the quality, the feel, the energy, and the comfort and confidence you and the staff feel together is a synergy born from purposeful work behind the scenes. It is a work not just to assemble people and equipment under one roof and call it done, but work to tend to the things that animate, sustain, and breathe life into it.  In today's episode we are going to be exploring some of the ways you can bring your coffee shop to life in a way that is truly a singular thing. Not born from R+D around trends, financial management, or logistical prowess, (although you do need those) but from an embrace and pursuit of the relationships between people, their work, and the place the work is done that creates remarkable moments and experiences for all. Listen to these related episodes! 430 : Embracing “Unreasonable Hospitality” w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge 165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli 329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff   KEYS TO THE SHOP 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      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  

Signature beverages and seasonal drinks are a huge part of what rounds out the cafe menu and, if done well, can make you stand out for all the right reason.  Of course, it stands to reason, that if they are done not so well, you stand out for the wrong reasons. How can you go beyond TikTok trends and the latest viral sensations and create something that is both good for your culture and good for business?  Today on Shift Break we are talking about how you can approach creative drink making in a way that is fun, sustainable, and meaningful. Your customers want excellence and excellence is born from intentionality. Let's make some great drinks!  Related episodes:  274 : Crafting Specialty Drinks in your Shop w/ Matt Foster” 432 : How to Win in Specialty Retail Coffee 276 : Six Ideas for Increasing your Revenue 424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides 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

Coffee. We love it so much! However, in spite of our love for coffee, we have all been burned by taking in just a little too much caffeine as we sip, cup, and enjoy. As technology and methods around decaf coffee have improved and evolved, so too has the demand for having more control over the stimulating effects of the beverage.  This is where Caffeine Control Coffee comes in to educate us on caffeine and provide options for people who want to love coffee but stave off the less desirable impacts of it.  Beginning in 2003 as a barista in college, Pete Licata fell in love with both coffee and the industry behind it. As he worked in various cafes he took on leadership positions as well as roasting he also became deeply involved in competitions leading to his 2x US Championship titles and finally winning WBC in 2013.  Pete is a longtime coach and mentor for world class baristas and founder of Licata Coffee Consulting.  In 2019 he took on R+D and eventually the role of Head of Coffee work in Australia for Nomad Coffee Group  In 2025 Pete, along with his wife Maria, opened Caffeine Control Coffee. A business focused on bringing clarity on caffeine in coffee with a focus on wellness to the masses with products designed to control how much and when their customers drink caffeine. We discuss:  The Evolution of Decaf Coffee Quality and Consumer / Professional Perception of Decaf Intentionality in Coffee Blending The Rise of Conscious Consumption and Health The Issue of Traceability in Decaf Coffee Exploring Caffeine's Impact on Health Navigating Caffeine Levels Brewing Techniques for Decaf Eye Opening Caffeine Content Myths What The Future Holds For Caffeine Awareness  Links: https://caffeinecontrol.coffee/ @caffeinecontrol.coffee    Related episodes: 154: Decoding Decaf w/ Mike Stumpf of Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee 168 : How to get the Best from your Coffee w/ WBC 2013 Champ, Pete Licata 350 : The Physics of Filter Coffee w/ Jonathan Gagné 003: The Role of Mentorship in Specialty Coffee w/ Pete Licata 452: Championing the Customer Experience in Coffee w/ 3x SA Barista Champion, Winston Douglas Thomas of Cedar Coffee   KEYS TO THE SHOP 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      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 the busy cafe we tend to want to power through the work and in the process we rush the customer. The average cafe guest can feel as though they are simply being handled or herded instead of welcomed and served.  Today on Shift Break we are talking about how and why we need to fight against the urge to rush the customer and what it looks like to help them truly connect with and experience our unique offerings and hospitality. Related episodes:  340 : Encore Episode of “10 Reasons to Love the Customer”! Ignoring the Customer Are You Open? Slow is Fast? Speed is not the Goal 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