Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Chris Deferio

1 hour 28 minutes

509 : Founder Friday! (Special 2 Part Before + After Episode w/ Nic and Krystal Tanaka of Kohiko Coffee House, Sugarland, TX!
It's Founder Friday! I am so thrilled to feature people who have become friends through getting to know them at coffee vents over the years. They have launched their own coffee house and made something as unique as they are themselves.

Nicolas and Krystal Tanaka are siblings and the proud owners of Kohiko Coffee House, located in Sugar Land, Texas. They’ve combined their unique backgrounds and extensive experience in the coffee and food & beverage industries to create a space that brings quality coffee and Japanese hospitality to the Houston community.

Nic, the visionary behind Kohiko, shared his passion and vision for the coffee house after his first trip to Japan. He had already begun his journey as a barista in a specialty coffee shop in Sugar Land. He approached Krystal with the idea during her time pursuing her MBA, which led to them working together on an entrepreneurial project in her final semester. This is where they saw that their passions and strengths complemented each other.

As Peruvian and Japanese Americans, they felt particularly connected to bringing something unique and special to Sugar Land. They honed in on the idea of bringing quality coffee with Japanese hospitality to Houston. After Nic became a two-time Coffee Fest World Latte Art Champion and Krystal graduated from her program, they chose to pursue this endeavor together.

Their family has always inspired and motivated their journey. Their grandfather, Roy Tanaka, an entrepreneur who instilled Japanese values and compassion, played a key role in shaping their vision. Their youngest brother, Kenji, continues to inspire them as he makes a name for himself in the coffee world. They are grateful for their community who helped motivate and encourage them to turn their dream into a reality!

Today we are exploring their story in 2 parts.
1. First we talk with them on their first day being open.
2. Next we catch up with Nic and Krystal after five months of operation.
These conversations presented back-to-back give us deep insight into the values, vision, plans, and life of the business from conception to full open and growing.

I love the whole Tanka family and after you listen to today's episode I think you will too!

Enjoy!

We discuss:
- The journey to deciding to open a shop
- The Challenges of Being Your Own General Contractor
- Embracing Japanese Hospitality and Quality
- The Importance of Transparency and Openness in Service
- Building a Positive Work Environment through Communication
- Exceeding Expectations on the First Day
- Navigating Personal and Professional Life
- The Impact of Viral Success
- Adapting to Demand and Building a Team
- Why transparency and openness are key aspects of service
- Scaling Operations: The Ice Dilemma
- Strategic Growth: Balancing Innovation and Stability
- Resilience in Entrepreneurship: Staying Grounded
Links:

www.kohikocoffeehouse.com

Instagram: @kohikocoffeehouse

Related and Recommended Episodes:
22 November 2024, 8:57 pm
15 minutes 57 seconds

SHIFT BREAK! Engaging in the Right Conversations (or how not to accept undue guilt)
Did you know that, in spite of all the work you do for others, the sacrifices you make to run your business and do what you can for your staff, plus the positive impact on your community, the you are ACTUALLY evil and/or complicit in the demise of coffee and the people in coffee?

Well, if you listen to the conversations, articles, and headlines being created about you by people who don't know you and the details and nuances of the work you do, you'd be tempted to take on that accusation and guilt as statement of fact and forget about the good work and proof to the contrary in a bid to chase social standing among people whose job it is to find fault above all else. Not a great idea.

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why it is critical that you choose to participate in and give energy to the right conversations so we can create virtuous cycles instead of downward spirals.

I am thankful for you all and the good you do for people through coffee everyday!

Related episodes:
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

[email protected]

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 November 2024, 8:26 pm
53 minutes 21 seconds

508: Fighting Exploitation and Human Trafficking Through Coffee w/ Jenny Barber and Jake Jiron of Talitha Coffee Roasters!
Coffee brings people together for all sorts of reasons. One of the beautiful ways coffee is used is as a vehicle for change in areas of our world that desperately need it. Nowhere is change more needed than in the realm of human trafficking and exploitation.

I am thrilled to talk with a couple of professionals on the front lines of this fight. We are talking with Jenny Barber and Jake Jiron of Talitha Coffee Roasters!

Jenny Barber, Cofounder of Talitha Coffee Roaster has spent the past 14 years becoming an expert on the topic of Human Trafficking. Determined to make a positive difference after witnessing the devastating, intergenerational impact of the issue from a young age Jenny founded Talitha Coffee Roasters.

Their mission is to end Human trafficking and support survivors, one sip at a time. They do this By creating job opportunities, providing support for survivors of human trafficking, and partnering with experts as well as individuals and organizations seeking to benefit others.

Jenny herself is a survivor of childhood exploitation. Today, she’s a mother of 6, college graduate, business and non-profit leader, and tireless advocate.

Jake Jiron, originally from Bakersfield, CA, began his journey in specialty coffee in 2016 after graduating from San Diego State University. Starting as a farmer's market pop-up coordinator, he quickly expanded his roles to include admin tasks, invoicing, delivery driving, and ultimately transitioned into sales. Over the past seven years, Jake's focus has been on selling coffee and managing wholesale customers, turning his passion into a dedicated career.

Inspired by the mission and vision of the company, he knew he wanted to be part of something bigger that made a tangible difference in people's lives. Believing he could use his skills to support those in need of employment and opportunity, he made the decision to join Talitha Coffee.

In this conversation we discuss:
- Building a Business with Purpose: The Talitha Model
- Creating Employment Opportunities for Survivors
- The Importance of Quality in Coffee and Mission Alignment
- Navigating Relationships with Wholesale Accounts
- Training and Supporting Survivors in the Workplace
- Empowering Survivors Through Care Plans
- Onboarding and Workforce Readiness
- Celebrating Growth and Skills Development
- Fostering Long-Term Relationships
- Partnerships for Impact and Support
Links:

www.talitha.com

Instagram: @talithacoffeeroasters

Related episodes:
Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee

The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, and brick needs!

www.arto.com

Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick ....

and tell them Chris sent you!
18 November 2024, 9:11 pm
15 minutes 32 seconds

SHIFT BREAK: With or Without Experience? Hiring the Best Baristas
Ah the age old debate.

Should you hire someone who is experienced working in coffee? On onhand they have skills that may be helpful and on the other they might have bad habits you need to address.

Or should you hire someone without experience? Their first exposure to coffee will be at your shop and you get to train them up on your standards from the start. At the same time they ma take longer to train and could experience bore inertia getting used to the work a coffee shop requires

Today on Shift Break we will be talking all about how to decide between potential employees with varied experience backgrounds so you have the best chance of hiring the right person for the role.

Related episodes:
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

[email protected]

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
14 November 2024, 7:57 pm
52 minutes 33 seconds

507: How High-Level Systems Help Your Cafe Thrive w/ Preston Lee, The 30% Rule
When you think about the things that make the biggest difference in culture, hospitality experience, staff morale and the profitability of your coffee shop, you would be forgiven for being overwhelmed. There are so many moving parts in food and beverage operations it's hard to know what lever to pull to make a difference.

Well the good news is that, according to today's guest, when you apply focus and systems to the most critical 30% of those areas that make up you cafe, you will transform the business and go from striving, to thriving!

I am very pleased to welcome to the show, Preston Lee of The 30% Rule!

With over 20 years in the business and being a part of 25 restaurant openings, Preston is on a mission to help independent restaurant owners gain the knowledge and best practices on how to best train, lead, and nurture their staff to build a robust culture. Ultimately leading to the highest level of consistency and customer retention.

Today we talk with Preston all about how some hard lessons learned early on in his carrier shaped him and what he does now to help hospitality businesses with their culture, sales, training, and quality.

This is a really motivating talk that I hope focuses you on the right areas to make the biggest difference in your coffee shop.

In this conversation we layout the plan for:
- The Importance of Training and Development
- Systems and Structure in Hospitality
- Setting Expectations and Accountability
- The Importance of Systems for Job Security
- Focusing on the 30% That Matters
- Expectations for Turning Around Operations
- Training as the Key to Change
Links:

Instagram: @the30rule

Instagram: @the_30_rule

www.the30percentrule.com

Related episodes:
Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee

The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

Want a beautiful coffee shop?

All your hard surface, stone, and brick needs!

www.arto.com

Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick ....

and tell them Chris sent you!
12 November 2024, 3:01 am
15 minutes 10 seconds

SHIFT BREAK! Should You Up-Charge for Alternative Milks?
In recent weeks Starbucks has announced it will no longer charge for plant-base alternative milks. This comes after efforts from activists claiming discrimination. Starbucks aside, the conversation about up-charging for alt milk has been going on for a while now with people who feel strongly on either side of the topic.

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about whether or not you should be charging for alternative plant based milk options, how to approach this from a practical business perspective, why it's not a great idea to be so obsessed with what major retailers do, and how not to be bullied or guilted into conforming but rather make sound decisions.

Related episodes:
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

[email protected]

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
7 November 2024, 6:06 pm
36 minutes 58 seconds

506 : Critical Workflows Every Coffee Shop Needs
The way customers and staff experience our cafes is based many experiences and moments taken together to form what they know as our culture or brand. Each experience can be broken down into many different parts that happen within even one visit and the smart operator knows that unless there is a plan set up ahead of time for how we want those moments to go, then we will provide less than stellar service. The customer loses out on experiencing our best, and we lose out on keeping good customers and good staff.

Today we are going to be talking about a few critical workflows I believe every coffee bar needs to have detailed nd trained on in order to serve people very well every day. Take this episode as an assignment and go create these for your shop as soon as you can! Include the staff and launch these as guiding processes so your coffee shop will thrive.

In this conversation we layout the plan for:
- Menu Workflows
- Change workflows
- Customer Experience workflows
Related episodes:
Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee

The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

Want a beautiful coffee shop?

All your hard surface, stone, and brick needs!

www.arto.com

Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick ....

and tell them Chris sent you!
5 November 2024, 8:22 pm
12 minutes 21 seconds

SHIFT BREAK: The Best Way for Every Shop to Train Baristas
Training your staff is easily one of the most important things to get right if you want to set them up for success and make sure your customers are getting a great experience every time. Every place has their own way of doing training and most of it is cobbled together from different sources in a desperate bid for a positive outcome. The result if all to often a staff that is under prepared, frustrated leadership, and guest experiences inconsistent standards.

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the absolute best way that every coffee bar should be training their staff in order to bring provide excellence day in, and day out.

I know that seems like a big statement. All coffee shops? Yes, I truly believe and have seen time and again, that if you apply this approach in your shop you will see a real and substantial improvement in morale, consistency, and quality

Related episodes:
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 [email protected] 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
31 October 2024, 7:46 pm
1 hour 3 minutes

505: Maintaining Excellence in the Everyday Work of Coffee Shops w/ Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood
Innovation and an obsession with what is "new" has long been a primary force capturing the imagination of coffee pros and entrepreneurs. Trouble is that the novel and new, while it may be good at grabbing or capturing attention, is not great at keeping and sustaining us, or our businesses for that matter. In fact, innovation and constantly looking for something have the opposite effect than what it seems to promise.

Enter the idea of maintenance over innovation and everyday excellence. I recently came across a post from today's guest on linkedIn detailing his thoughts on this and I knew immediately we needed to bring him back on the show to talk this out!

I am thrilled to welcome back to the show Maxwell Colonna- Dashwood!

This will be a very conversation that will illuminate the path that I believe all of us need to be walking in the coffee shop space. As always, Maxwell's keen insights serve as a guide and a resource to better shops and better coffee.

In this conversation we discuss:
- Innovation vs. Maintenance in Coffee
- The Importance of Hospitality in Coffee Shops
- Understanding the Value of Consistency
- Important Shifts in Innovation Perspectives
- The Role of Personal Identity in Coffee Innovation
- Why we need to focus on the fundamentals in coffee shops
- Navigating Staff Dynamics + Customer Experience
- Balancing Innovation and Consistency in Coffee Shops
- Customer Engagement in Hospitality
- Long-Term Vision in Coffee Shop Operations
Links:

www.maxwelldashwood.com

@mcolonnadashwood

Related episodes:
Get the best brewer and tool for batch espresso, iced lattes, and 8 minute cold brew! www.groundcontrol.coffee

The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, and brick needs!

www.arto.com

Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick ....

and tell them Chris sent you!
28 October 2024, 7:13 pm
48 minutes 50 seconds

504 : Founder Friday! w/ Parviz Dadashov of United Coffee Beans in Azerbaijan!
Today on Founder Friday we go to Azerbaijan to talk with the founder of a coffee shop and roastery that is at the heart of the national specialty coffee movement, Parvix Dadashov, of Untied Coffee Beans!

Parviz is Founder and CEO of United Coffee Beans project, a trailblazing coffee business in the realm of specialty coffee in Azerbaijan. Parviz graduated from Tourism and Management University and has accumulated invaluable experience in the dynamic Food & Beverage sector.

As a visionary entrepreneur, his journey with United Coffee Beans began in April 2017, where he set out to redefine coffee experiences in Azerbaijan. United Coffee Beans is a community, an experience, and a journey. The business revolves around the meticulous import, roasting, and distribution of specialty coffee beans in Azerbaijan. As pioneers of the Third Wave Coffee Movement in Azerbaijan, they are committed to delivering freshly roasted specialty coffee that consistently delights the senses. They do coffee equipment distribution, importing top-tier products for our local market. AND they run United Coffee Academy where they share knowledge and expertise, contributing to the growth of the local industry and fostering the skills of aspiring baristas.

This was a really cool conversation hearing his evolution in the world of hospitality and how he built this business to create community and unite people through coffee!

We cover
- Parviz's journey into coffee from a summer job and evolution through tourism and hospitality
- Founding United Coffee Beans to introduce specialty coffee to Azerbaijan.
- Overcoming skepticism due to his country's strong tea culture.
- Education and community engagement as keys to building a coffee culture.
- Creating a welcoming environment for customer experience.
- The importance of storytelling in coffee.
- Bridging tradition and innovation in coffee culture.
- The potential of the coffee community of Azerbaijan
Links: Instagram: @unitedcoffeebeans Website: https://www.ucb.az/az
Related Episodes:
22 October 2024, 1:41 pm
10 minutes 4 seconds

SHIFT BREAK: Is Your Love for Coffee Sabotaging Your Success?
Coffee is great! Keeping it consistently great in the shop is a challenge and there are many tactics and tools to apply in learning more about coffee and applying what we learn in the shop. But what happens when we allow our pursuit of more coffee knowledge become a distraction from focusing on needed areas of improvement and maintenance in the cafe?

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how our focus on coffee, while needed to a degree, can become an escape from confronting, focusing on, and growing in other very important areas of the business and the relationship with people we manage in the shop.

Stay tuned for a new episode next week with returning guest Maxwell Dashwood talking about the need for maintenance of excellence in contrast to our pursuit of innovation and novelty.

Related episodes:
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 [email protected] 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
22 October 2024, 12:09 pm
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