

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders
Chris Deferio
A coffee podcast providing coffee shop owners and leaders, with insights, inspiration, and the tools you need to grow and advance your coffee business or coffee career. We learn from experts both in and outside the coffee industry as they deliver specific, practical, and actionable advice about ownership, optimization, profitability, barista work, employee culture, management, scaling, leadership, personal development, and anything else that will help you achieve success in the coffee shop.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 4, 2021 • 8min
Commit before you Communicate
Talking about, even announcing to our staff, what we are going to do and what we intend to do is a behavior displayed by leaders under the title of "Casting Vision". The question must be asked though, how many of those plans actually come to fruition and how many end up just being abandoned? Today we will be talking about the power your words have and the necessity to communicate responsibly to those you lead in the coffee shop. Related Episodes: 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees 261 : The Basics of Managing Managers 228 : Cracking the Leadership Code w/ Alain Hunkins Interested in over the phone consultation? Reach out! Chris@keystotheshop.com Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

Mar 1, 2021 • 22min
269 : What to Focus on after you Launch
Starting a coffee bar means you have to focus on several hundred different things at once. It can be maddening! All of this to get to the point where you can open the doors and finally let people enjoy what you and your team have created. But what happens after you launch? Where do you put all that energy you have been used to spending getting ready? Today we are going to cover several key areas that you need to focus on after you launch your shop in order to create the best chance of success. Even if you are well along in your shop's life, you will still benefit from today's episode because it is never too late to give proper focus to the core elements of your business and each time you open a new location you will want to make sure these areas are well covered. Related episodes: 173 : 5 Areas of Focus for Retailers 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge 184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak 191 : Retraining your Staff on new Standards Need consulting? Reach out! chris@keystotheshop.com 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

Feb 26, 2021 • 1h 3min
268 : Founder Friday! w/ Adam Obrátil of Industra Coffee, Brno, Czech Republic
I am so excited to share this interview with Adam Obrátil, the co-founder of one of the Czech Republic's most well known and foundational cafes, Industra Coffee! Founded in 2013, Industra brought a newer specialty coffee experience to the Czech coffee scene that was just beginning to get established. Both Adam and his partner Petra Střelecká are long time coffee pros who cut their teeth in some of London's busiest cafes before starting the shop. Both Adam and Petra have competition experience and Petra is 3x Czech Brewers Cup Champion and 6th place finisher at WBrC. Through the years of running the shop they have grown from just the two of them working behind the bar, to now a staff of 10 people serving a large and loyal, growing customer base. In my conversation with Adam we learn about their history, their road to ownership, the biggest lessons along the way and how they have approached service, quality, delegation and what their plans are for the future! Early cafe experience The journey to ownership Bringing a new style of coffee to the Czech scene Attracting all ages from a traditional culture Hiring for hospitality Navigating the different between being a barista vs owner Growing and delegating in order to scale Handling COVID Serving community and supporting each other Plans for the future Links: Instagram https://www.industracoffee.cz Related Episodes: 107 : Kyle Glanville & Charles Babinski of G&B Coffee and Go Get em Tiger 129 : Founder Friday w/ Casey & Jeremy Miller of The Mudhouse, St. Louis, MO Need consulting? Reach out! chris@keystotheshop.com 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

Feb 25, 2021 • 10min
Speed is not the Goal
How people experience the service we provide them has a lot to do with the pace we keep in the process. Sometimes we go too fast! Sometimes we go too slow! What is the balance here? Today we are going to talk about how to properly apply speed and intentionality behind the bar to produce an experience that customer will want to come back for again and again. Related Episodes: 163 : Lessons from Crush the Rush w/ Josh Little Field 084 : Crushing the Rush : Tips and Best Practices for Busy Times 002: Master Your Workflow w/ Ryan Soeder 045 : Simple, Powerful Hospitality w/ Philip Turner Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

Feb 23, 2021 • 21min
267 : The Power of Delegation
We have a control problem. Specifically we don't like to give up our control of the processes and operations of our cafes out of fear for what might happen when others take the wheel. The difference between a successful shop that has capacity to both care for its people and grow and one that is stifled and limited, comes down to your ability to delegate. Today we will be talking about wha delegation is, what it can do when practiced responsibly, and how to begin the process of changing the way you act and think as a leader in the coffee shop. We cover: Fear driven control The danger of not delegating Testing your systems Building your people Delayed gratification Expanding capacity Cultivate trust Related Episodes: Don't just do it Prioritizing your Work 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team Need consulting? Reach out! chris@keystotheshop.com 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

Feb 18, 2021 • 8min
Are you Excited?
I hear all the time how we want baristas to be excited, motivated, up-selling, engaged etc. Those are all great ideals and goals. The problem is that we tend to expect that to just appear out of thin air. How we invest into those who we rely on to represent the business determines what kind of representation they give. Today we will. be talking about the truth that, if you want to have staff the are excited about your business, you have to be excited about them! Listen to these related episodes: Bridging the Values-Actions Gap The Affirmation Vacuum 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017 Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! Chris@keystotheshop.com Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

Feb 15, 2021 • 53min
266 : Building Physical Resilience W/ Dr. David Dahl DPT, CAFS
The health of our bodies plays a huge role in determining the quality of our life both at work in the shop and outside of work. When we are pursuing our health holistically we are making an investment that pays us back immeasurably. The question is, how do you begin to approach caring for our physical health in a way that equips us to thrive? Today we are going to explore this subject with special guest Dr. David Dahl! Dr. David Dahl DPT, CAFS is the owner and operator of Linchpin Performance based in Louisville, KY. Dave has worked as an outpatient physical therapist for the majority of his career treating and caring for the old, the young, the athlete, and the sedentary. Linchpin Performance is a company dedicated to helping active adults bypass the need for expensive surgery, pills, or injections. Working directly for people, Linchpin Performance is in a position to make decisions that are best for one's particular goals and aspirations. At Linchpin Performance they place a high emphasis on teaching, listening, and guiding people in their health and wellness journey. In this conversation we cover: What leads to our physical ailments The end result of repetitive stress What pain means Discovering our why Prioritization The interconnected nature of the body Holistic health Surviving vs thriving Using good stress Links: www.linchpinperformance.com Instagram Health related episodes: 095 : Dealing with Stress in the Cafe w/ Wellness Counselor, Joe Sanok 176 : Harnessing Emotions at Work w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab 213 : Coping with Corona using Emotional Intelligence w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab 258 : Prioritizing your Mental Health in the New Year w/ Dr. Lara Pence Need consulting? Reach out! chris@keystotheshop.com 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

Feb 11, 2021 • 10min
Two responses to Accountability
One of the most needed but conspicuously missing pieces of the coffee shop puzzle is accountability. Both leaders and baristas need accountability in order to thrive but we neglect to put in place as a real process because we are afraid of what it might uncover in us, or in them. Today we will be discussing the two ways we tend to respond to accountability and what our responses indicate regarding our attitudes toward work and even our fit for the role itself. Related Episodes: 173 : 5 Areas of Focus for Retailers 158 : A Management Masterclass w/ Jon Felix Lund, VP of Operations for Coava Coffee Roasters / Portland, OR 156 : Founder Friday w/ Lauren Crabbe, Co-Founder of Andytown Coffee Roasters, San Fransisco 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge Need consulting or coaching? Reach out to KTTS Consulting! Chris@keystotheshop.com Elevated batch brew and so much more! Ground Control Cyclops Brewer Your Own Branded App! www.espressly.co

Feb 8, 2021 • 37min
265 : Gaining Clarity on Transparency w/ Jonas Lorenz of The Pledge
Transparency. We see it increasingly being used as a tool to signify responsible commerce and trade among coffee roasting companies. But what is it exactly? Are we approaching it in a meaningful way? How do we define and practice transparency in a way that will actually make the difference we want to see it make? These are questions that will get answered today as we talk with Jonas Lorenz, co-author of The Pledge. The Pledge was designed to function A common code for transparency reporting in green coffee buying. Companies that sign The Pledge agree to share publicly a fixed set of variables when reporting on green coffee purchases. The aim is to create a common standard for transparency reporting that is applicable throughout the coffee world. With a degree in political science, and 10 years in the coffee industry, Jonas dreamt of combining the ideas of the "direct trade/quality/appreciation for the product" approach of specialty coffee with the "farmer centric/ fair share of profits for all stakeholders in the industry/respect for people and planet" approach of the fair trade movement. Co-Authoring The Pledge did just that. In our conversation today we will be exploring how to meaningful define and practice transparency. We cover: Price as the foundation of transparency Approach and mindset Negative litmus test Relationships with farmers How to get started in transparency Sharing information with our customers The dire state of poverty at origin The ripple effect of adopting transparency Being honest about where you are Links: https://www.transparency.coffee/pledge/ https://www.transparenttradecoffee.org Related Episodes: 252 : Founder Friday w/ Klaus Thompson of the Coffee Collective, Denmark 153 : Exploring the Peace Trade in the Congo w/ Mighty Peace Coffee 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 Need consulting? Reach out! chris@keystotheshop.com 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

Feb 5, 2021 • 60min
RoR #2: Exploring Quality Control w/ Spencer Turer of Coffee Enterprises
Spencer Turer, Vice President of Coffee Enterprises, shares his expertise on quality control in coffee roasting. He dives deep into what constitutes coffee quality and the challenges roasters face in maintaining consistency. Spencer highlights the balance between intrinsic and extrinsic quality factors, emphasizing the importance of holistic approaches in the supply chain. He also discusses the critical role of calibration and equipment selection in ensuring a premium product. Listeners gain valuable insights into navigating the complexities of coffee quality management.


