Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders
Chris Deferio
- 11 minutes 17 secondsSHIFT BREAK! Holding Baristas (and Yourself!) Accountable
At a certain point a manager or owner will need to have a difficult conversation with a staff member that ultimately is about accountability. This conversation is often done with a lot of pent up emotion and the stard being applied may or may not have been very well communicated or trained. On top of this we rarely see a structure put in place AND followed that helps guide the process.
Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why you need an accountability process, how it should be approached and thought of vs how it is usually conceived, and why it is a useful tool to help both parties succeed in the cafe.
Related episodes:
- Why You Need to Back up Your Policies
- 528 : Growing Yourself and Your Cafe Through Delegation
- SHIFT BREAK : Setting and meeting Standards in the Coffee Shop
- 355: Baristas! 6 Essential Qualities to Get Yourself Hired
- 291 : What to do if Your Baristas Wont Listen to You
- Reasonable Expectations
- SHIFT BREAK: Evil Owners and Lazy Baristas
ATTENTION CAFE OWNERS w/ 2+ Years of running your brick and mortar....
-
LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, ACCOUNTABILITY, INSIGHT, AND ENCOURAGEMENT?
-
The Key Holder Coaching Group master-mind are now taking new applicants for our 4th cohort launching in march!
Click below to fill out your application now!
KEY HOLDER COACHING APPLICATION
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
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
12 March 2025, 9:08 pm - 30 minutes 52 seconds528 : Growing Yourself and Your Cafe Through Delegation
When you start a coffee shop you find yourself doing a lot of the jobs yourself. Scheduling, inventory, event management, training and onboarding, meetings, shift coverage, developing SOPs, hiring etc.
Initially these tasks and others like them are things you want to be involved with, but as time goes on, instead of delegating, we keep the same tasks year after year, and in so doing hold back ourselves, others, and the business from growing the way it needs to.
Today we are going to be chatting about the need for delegation in the cafe and how to overcome the hesitation and fear that keeps many owners on the hamster wheel of endless tasks, too many hats, and inevitable burn out.
Related Episodes:
- Don't Just Do it: Shift break on Delegation
- 267 : The Power of Delegation
- 362: How to Handle Growth in Your Coffee Shop
- 261 : The Basics of Managing Managers
- 475: Essential Tools for Cafe Management
THERE IS STILL TIME!!!
ATTENTION CAFE OWNERS w/ 2+ Years of running your brick and mortar....
-
LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, ACCOUNTABILITY, INSIGHT, AND ENCOURAGEMENT?
-
The Key Holder Coaching Group master-mind are now taking new applicants for our 4th cohort launching in march!
Click below to fill out your application now!
KEY HOLDER COACHING APPLICATION
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
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!
The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series!
7 March 2025, 5:31 pm - 12 minutes 17 secondsSHIFT BREAK! Adding Value in the Cafe
These days a lot of coffee shop owners are thinking about how they can add value for the customer. Of course this is a question that should be asked and right now with costs and competition the desire to add value is at an all time high as we seek to attract and retain customers.
But are we going about it the right way?
Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why you might not need to add any more value than you already offer, and then if you decide you want to add something to your program, what approach should you take to delight your guests.
Related episodes:
- BLOG: Soul Searching in the New Landscape of Retail
- 432 : How to Win in Specialty Retail Coffee
- 173 : 5 Areas of Focus for Retailers
- 433: Winning Staff and Customer Loyalty
- 340 : Encore Episode of “10 Reasons to Love the Customer”!
- 443: Want Impactful Messaging? Keep it Simple! w/ Author Ben Guttmann
- 282 : How to Listen to your Customers
- 016: Raising the Bar on your Customer Experience w/ Michael Butterworth
- 453 : The Craft of Operations
ATTENTION CAFE OWNERS w/ 2+ Years of running your brick and mortar....
-
LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, ACCOUNTABILITY, INSIGHT, AND ENCOURAGEMENT?
-
The Key Holder Coaching Group master-mind are now taking new applicants for our 4th cohort launching in march!
Click below to fill out your application now!
KEY HOLDER COACHING APPLICATION
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
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
6 March 2025, 5:57 pm - 33 minutes 20 seconds527: Thoughts on How to Approach Training and Onboarding
Besides hiring the right person for the role in your coffee shop, onboarding and training is the most important thing to get right so those you bring on and the customers who trust you brand, are set up for success. It is therefore little wonder why, when training and on-barding are skimped on, the hospitality, quality, and then sales go down as customers lose trust.
Today we are going to be discussing how to approach the development and execution of onboarding and training in a way that creates the best chance for success. I would emphasis that this episode is one among many listed below that I feel need to be listened to in order to bring about an understanding of what tips, steps, and insight make sense to apply to your cafe.
When it comes to operations and building these kinds of programs and systems, the engagement of leadership in curating them to serve their people is a never ending task. It helps to embrace the "always" nature of this part of running a cafe just as much as a barista will always be expected and hopefully take joy in, making and serving drinks.
Related Episodes:
- 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces
- 235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff
- 191 : Retraining your Staff on new Standards
- 424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides
- 330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop
- 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team
- 296: Holistic Barista Training w/ David Castillo of Go Get Em Tiger , Los Angeles
- 271 : Why the Cash Register Controls Everything
THERE IS STILL TIME!!!
ATTENTION CAFE OWNERS w/ 2+ Years of running your brick and mortar....
-
LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, ACCOUNTABILITY, INSIGHT, AND ENCOURAGEMENT?
-
The Key Holder Coaching Group master-mind are now taking new applicants for our 4th cohort launching in march!
Click below to fill out your application now!
KEY HOLDER COACHING APPLICATION
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
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!
The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series!
6 March 2025, 5:48 pm - 11 minutes 50 secondsSHIFT BREAK! The Work of Offering Kindness in the Cafe
When we talk about the virtues of hospitality, one of the ones that comes up a lot is kindness. The extension of this grace to others in spite of our mood is a discipline that requires us to find motivation beyond receiving thanks.
Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why, if we are serious about kindness becoming what we are known for amongst other hospitality virtues, we need to support those intentions with consistent and excellent work supported by systems to make that work something people can count on.
Related episodes:
- 430 : Embracing “Unreasonable Hospitality” w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference
- 424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides
- 330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop
- 293 : Thoughts on Defining Professionalism
ATTENTION CAFE OWNERS w/ 2+ Years of running your brick and mortar....
-
LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, ACCOUNTABILITY, INSIGHT, AND ENCOURAGEMENT?
-
The Key Holder Coaching Group master-mind are now taking new applicants for our 4th cohort launching in march!
Click below to fill out your application now!
KEY HOLDER COACHING APPLICATION
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
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
28 February 2025, 3:02 am - 1 hour 3 minutes526: Founder Friday w/ Fount Coffee and Kitchen Owners, Shawn and Kristen Preissner and George and Katie Kilgore!
Creating and maintaining an elevated standard of hospitality is no easy task. It not only requires strategies and systems, but it requires that those providing the hospitality also experience it themselves. That people-first focus on employee satisfaction and sustainability matched with a high standard of training and a structure of operations to support and nurture the culture is exactly what today's guests have created in their cafe.
Today we get to talk with the owners of Fount Coffee and Kitchen in Morrisville, NC!
Fount Coffee + Kitchen is owned by two husband and wife teams in Morrisville, North Carolina: Shawn and Kristen Preissner and George and Katie Kilgore. They are two local families that came together with a shared vision and passion for great coffee, food, and hospitality. They initially met in 2015, became great friends, put together a business plan, and opened the doors of Fount in December of 2018. Recognizing the need that existed in the Morrisville/Research Triangle Park community for both specialty coffee and a community gathering space, they sought to meet this need with premium menu offerings, elevated guest experience, and intentional workplace culture on the forefront of their mission.
We discuss:
- The Founding Story of Fount
- Integration of corporate strategies that benefit small biz
- Why feedback from team members is crucial for continuous improvement.
- Fount Coffee's mission: to serve intentionally, excellently, and joyfully.
- Why the owners hold each other accountable to maintain discipline in operations.
- Prioritizing team morale and sustainability in the workplace.
- Celebrating team members' contributions.
- Why you should focus on financial health to allow for team investments.
- Efficient scheduling as a key to staff satisfaction.
- Barista work is more demanding than perceived.
- Why future growth must align with your values.
Links:
Related episodes:
- 391 : Founder Friday! w/ Megan Wilson of Spuds Coffee in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
- 343 : Founder Friday! “Curated Edition” | Hospitality + Meeting People Where They Are
- 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017
- 446: Building a People-First Coffee Tech Culture w/ Jason “Double J” Johnson, Black Rabbit Service Co.
- 472: Why Technical Skill as a Leader is Not Enough w/ Jonathan Raymond, Refound, Author: Good Authority
ATTENTION CAFE OWNERS w/ 2+ Years of running your brick and mortar....
-
LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, ACCOUNTABILITY, INSIGHT, AND ENCOURAGEMENT?
-
The Key Holder Coaching Group master-mind are now taking new applicants for our 4th cohort launching in march!
Click below to fill out your application now!
KEY HOLDER COACHING APPLICATION
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
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!
The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series!
28 February 2025, 2:28 am - 1 hour 8 minutes525: Encore: Focusing on What is Essential w/ Greg McKeown
As we continue to navigate costs and the increasing competitive landscape of running a coffee shop, focusing on what is essential in your business has never been more crucial. Few guests have given us as salient and focused a treatment on how to prioritize than when we interviewed author and speaker Greg McKeown on his best selling book Essentialism.
Greg is the CEO of McKeown Inc. His writing has appeared or been covered by The New York Times, Fast Company, Fortune, HuffPost, Politico, and Inc. Magazine. He is among the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review and he has been interviewed on numerous television and radio shows including NPR, NBC, FOX, and as a regular guest on The Steve Harvey Show. Entrepreneur voted his interview at Stanford University the #1 Must-See Video on Business, Creativity and Success.
McKeown is an world renowned public speaker and hosts "The Essentialism Podcast" where he interviews amazing people from all over the world about their experiences practicing essentialism in work and in life.
In today’s conversation we will be discovering how we can take the first steps in spending our time on the vital few -vs- the trivial many.
Related Episodes:
- 436: Stop Burn Out! and Make Work Effortless w/ Greg McKeown | Best Selling Author “Effortless”
- 318 : Why Your Shop is Key to the Success of Coffee
- 018: Hiring, Culture, and the Future of your Shop
- 414: Secret Ingredients for a Successful Coffee Shop
- 329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff
ATTENTION CAFE OWNERS w/ 2+ Years of running your brick and mortar....
-
LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, ACCOUNTABILITY, INSIGHT, AND ENCOURAGEMENT?
-
The Key Holder Coaching Group master-mind are now taking new applicants for our 4th cohort launching in march!
Click below to fill out your application now!
KEY HOLDER COACHING APPLICATION
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
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!
The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series!
26 February 2025, 12:54 am - 39 minutes 3 secondsRoR #32: The Other Kind of Sourcing Every Roaster Needs w/ Mark Kutrovski of Mirror Coffee Roasters
Feedback. It is all too common to use this word. But do many of us actively pursue it as if it is foundational to the success of our businesses? Chances are not really. And in so doing we lose out on connection, relevancy , and have a harder time delivering value that creates momentum with our coffee. All because when we talk about relationship coffee, we tend to leave out the consumer.
Today on this 32nd episode of Rate of Rise, brought to you by our friends at Mill City Roasters, we are sitting down with cofounder of Mirror Coffee Roasters in Bellingham Washington, Mark Kutrovski!
Over the last 10 years, Mark has been running a small creative agency out of Bellingham, WA that helps clients grow their online presence on social media through engaging video and photo content. During that time, he had his coffee enlightenment that peaked my interest in coffee. He picked up a few part time jobs ranging from working at a local roastery to working behind bar just to learn more about the craft. His growing curiosity in coffee paired with his brother's experience in managing several cafes, they decided to join forces to start Mirror Coffee Roasters.
In today's episode we explore the need for all roasters to pursue feedback in how they source, roast, and communicate value to their customers and why it is of particular importance right now!
Links:
https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/
Instagram: @mirrorcoffeeroasters
Related episodes:
- RoR #25 : Training Up the Next Generation of Roasters w/ Steve Lee of Pocket Knife Consulting + Linea Caffe
- ROR #23 : How to Close the Industry-Consumer Flavor Gap w/ Phil Beattie, Dillanos Coffee Roasters
- RoR #1: A Conversation w/ Anne Cooper of Equilibrium Master Roasters
- 433: Winning Staff and Customer Loyalty
- 340 : Encore Episode of “10 Reasons to Love the Customer”!
Our Sponsor for Rate of Rise!
22 February 2025, 3:31 pm - 12 minutes 34 secondsSHIFT BREAK! You Are Not a Third Wave Coffee Shop
Sorry to break it to you, but literally nobody who matters cares how you define yourself. In our quest to find belonging and quell the voice of our imposter syndrome, we tend to over define ourselves and posture in a way that limits our ability to run an effective and thriving coffee shop.
Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how our assumptions about where we stand in the industry are not nearly as important to focus on as who we are serving and how we listen to what they and our business needs. Maybe this is just semantics, maybe this will actually open up a new way of thinking for you that bring about a healthier shop. In either case it is worth thinking about if only for the purpose of developing a habit of reflection and understanding.
Related episodes:
- 317 : Encore Episode: Death by Comparison
- 227 : Connecting with Hearts and Minds
- 230 : Making room for Community in your Shop
- 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge
- Your peers are not your Customers
- Who do we Serve?
ATTENTION CAFE OWNERS w/ 2+ Years of running your brick and mortar....
-
LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, ACCOUNTABILITY, INSIGHT, AND ENCOURAGEMENT?
-
The Key Holder Coaching Group master-mind are now taking new applicants for our 4th cohort launching in march!
Click below to fill out your application now!
KEY HOLDER COACHING APPLICATION
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
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
20 February 2025, 1:57 pm - 32 minutes 17 seconds524: Embracing Professional Development for Your Coffee Shop Team
In order to move to the next level of maturity and capacity, both as people and as a company, a coffee shop and its staff but be pursuing more than just checking off the day's work. Pursuing professional development is essential to bring efficiency, effectiveness, fulfillment, and even abundance into the conversation when we look at our operations. But what might that look like?
Today we are going to be exploring how we can embrace professional development and provide consistent opportunities for growth to our staff as a way of investing both in them and the health of the coffee shop.
In th midst of the price increases across the industry, this is yet another way to lean into relationships that will yield higher returns for all involved.
We cover:
- Why professional development is essential for the growth of coffee shops
- How a leaner, well-trained team can provide better service
- How raising prices requires raising standards in quality and service
- Investing in staff training for better customer experience
- Why baristas should be treated as professionals, not just workers
- Systematic training as a crucial component for consistency and quality
- Business skills are just as important as coffee skills for success
- Leadership development is necessary for effective management
- Why we need to pursue a culture of excellence that benefits both staff and customers
- Remaining committed to developing profesionalization programs
Related episodes:
- 296: Holistic Barista Training w/ David Castillo of Go Get Em Tiger , Los Angeles
- Leaner Teams, Better Results
- 472: Why Technical Skill as a Leader is Not Enough w/ Jonathan Raymond, Refound, Author: Good Authority
- 426: Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement
- 339 : What Good Barista Training Produces
- 191 : Retraining your Staff on new Standards
- 489: Tips for Creating a Resilient Cafe
ATTENTION CAFE OWNERS w/ 2+ Years of running your brick and mortar....
-
LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, ACCOUNTABILITY, INSIGHT, AND ENCOURAGEMENT?
-
The Key Holder Coaching Group master-mind are now taking new applicants for our 4th cohort launching in march!
Click below to fill out your application now!
KEY HOLDER COACHING APPLICATION
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
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!
The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series!
17 February 2025, 6:00 pm - 10 minutes 28 secondsSHIFT BREAK! Every Customer is a Judge
Now is the time to start redirecting our gaze from competitions and accomplishing greatness on a stage serving judges that do not matter to our shops, and refocusing our attention on the judges that truly matter. Our customers.
Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the phrase "Every customer is a judge". I used to hear it being spoken when I was involved in competitions in the early 2000s. How can we use the same energy we would put into a championship performance on behalf of of the customer and the experience they have in our shop?
Related episodes:
- 340 : Encore Episode of “10 Reasons to Love the Customer”!
- 298 : A Trophy, or Atrophy?
- 151 : How to Respond and React to Negative Feedback : 5 Step Process
- 259 : Solving Toxic Customer Service Culture
- 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge
- Icing on the Cake: Competitions vs. the Shop
ATTENTION CAFE OWNERS w/ 2+ Years of running your brick and mortar....
-
LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, ACCOUNTABILITY, INSIGHT, AND ENCOURAGEMENT?
-
The Key Holder Coaching Group master-mind are now taking new applicants for our 4th cohort launching in march!
Click below to fill out your application now!
KEY HOLDER COACHING APPLICATION
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
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
12 February 2025, 11:15 pm - More Episodes? Get the App