Chris Deferio - Podcast Details

Shows

Business Mastery Podcast 186. “Mastering Your Hospitality Business” with Chris DeferioSend us a textDawn Kennedy talks with Chris Deferio, founder, owner, and consultant at Keys to the Shop, Podcast + Consulting for Coffee Shops. Chris shares his experiences and valuable tips for customer retention, the unique challenges faced in daily customer interactions, and the importance of setting boundaries to avoid burnout. Dawn and Chris discuss hospitality, customer service, and business dynamics in the specialty coffee industry.Who is Chris Deferiot, and whom does he serve? (00:50)The Unique Challenges of Running a Coffee Shop (01:24)

2025-08-2038 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Message From Chris: Explaining Key Holder Coaching Groups, Consulting, Coaching, and the Goals of KTTS ServicesHey 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...

2025-08-0818 min

Coffee Roaster Warm Up Sessions 187 | How To Grow Your Coffee Shop and Get Unstuck! With Chris DeferioWe sit down with Chris Deferio from Keys To The Shop to give you clear, practical tips on how to grow your coffee shop business. Ideally, your coffee shop is growing 10-20% year over year and if that's not happening, we break down how to make that a reality. Chris shares so many valuable insights on how to scale your coffee business. Boasting more than two decades of widespread coffee experience, Chris Deferio’s impact on the coffee industry is well known. His career has taken him all over the world, training organizational management and leadership, barista skills, and la...

2025-03-2258 min

Cashflow Podcasting - Grow Your Business, Boost Your Impact Podcasting for Maximum Business Results with Scott Anthony Barlow, Chris Deferio and Kwame ChristianPodcasting is more than just sharing ideas—it's a game-changer for business growth. In this insightful episode, Scott Anthony Barlow of Happen to Your Career, Chris Deferio of Keys to the Shop, and Kwame Christian of the American Negotiation Institute reveal how their podcasts have transformed their professional landscapes.Find resources, show notes and the full episode at: https://tinyurl.com/5me9wjpj

2024-12-3007 min

Restaurant Owners Uncorked Chris Deferio, Owner, Keys to the ShopSummaryIn this episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked, host Wil Brawley speaks with Chris Deferio, founder of Keys to the Shop, about his extensive experience in the coffee industry. They discuss the importance of quality in coffee shops, the role of community, and the challenges of scaling a business responsibly. Chris shares insights on mentorship, the significance of purpose in business, and the growth mindset necessary for success in the hospitality industry.Takeaways Chris Deferio has been in the coffee business for 25 years. Keys to the Shop aims to...

2024-12-091h 43

Coffee People Podcast Chris Deferio, Keys To The Shop Podcaster and ConsultantChris Deferio is a coffee business consultant and the host of the Keys To The Shop podcast. We chat about how his role in the industry has changed, being a people-first consultant, and why he finds value in being a servant to the industry. "Keys to the Shop® Consulting + Coaching gives cafe owners clarity, tools for growth, and actionable strategies that transform you, your team, and your business long-term." Find online: ⁠@keystotheshop⁠ • ⁠https://keystotheshop.com/consulting/⁠ Coffee People is presented by Roastar, the premier digital printing company focused on coffee packaging. Roastar helps small and burgeo...

2024-12-0557 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders SHIFT BREAK: Don't Celebrate Unhealthy WinsWe have to overcome many challenges in the day-to-day operations of the coffee shop. Some of these challenges are inevitable, and our ability to grow from our experiences with them is a mark of maturity that we can celebrate, but many challenges are unnecessary, and in celebrating our abilities to overcome them we unintentionally might be normalizing the dysfunction. On today's addition of shift break, we are going to be talking about why we should avoid celebrating wins that happened as a result of operational dysfunction or from toxic expectations and how to give our best energy...

2024-09-1009 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders SHIFT BREAK: Making Sense of Marketing PromisesMarketing is designed to get you to buy. It is something we all do in our businesses. In fact, to not market is to do the customer a disservice in that they will not be aware of the possibilities your product may have for their business. That said, sometimes marketing goes too far and without a well exercised discernment muscle we can fall prey to claims that do not, or can not, come to fruition. Today on Shift break we will be breaking down the landscape of marketing promises and why it is critical for you to t...

2024-09-0510 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders SHIFT BREAK: Embrace Your SpaceDesigning your coffee shop can be one of the most exciting parts of the opening or scaling process. Exciting, that is, until we come up against resistance to our great ideas in the form of space limitations, quirks, historic preservations, zoning, etc. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about how we can embrace the limitations and constraints of our spaces in a way that moves us from frustration to actually being energized and confident in our unique cafe. You should listen to these episodes next: SHIFT BREAK : 2 Tips for Bar Design 367 : Designing Yo...

2024-08-2809 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders SHIFT BREAK: Focusing on the Whole, Not the PartGetting into coffee and then pursuing it as a career takes your through a few different phases of maturation. One of the first phases is where you focus only on one very specific thing to the detriment of many others. For me, the world could be on fire, but as long as I was behind the espresso machine and dialed in, all was good. Or so I thought. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about why it is necessary for coffee professionals in the cafe to focus on the whole cafe and the experience guests h...

2024-08-2111 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders SHIFT BREAK: Setting Staff Up For Success When we talk about our employees it is common to talk about "setting up staff for success", but what does that really look like. Talking about it can sometimes wrongly convince us that we are actually doing it. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about what it looks like to set your staff up for success in very practical terms that, if applied, will transform the relationship to one of trust based on evidence in action, not just talk. Recommended episodes: 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team 453 : The Craft of Operations 425 : Some Tho...

2024-08-1211 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders SHIFT BREAK: Reassessing Growth Growing the business is probably the number one concern in the cafe industry. In general we tend to look at growth as either scaling the size of the business physically, or the revenue and profitability. What if I told you there was another way you can look at growth? On today's Shift Break we will be talking about ways to look at growth that don't rely only on the usual defaults of revenue and scale, but give you another option to be established and fulfilled as an owner. Recommended episodes: 469: Unremarkable Hospitality and Cafe...

2024-08-0809 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders SHIFT BREAK: When Numbers LieNumbers tell a story, but not the whole story. Though the number of times someone purchases an item on your menu may indeed mean that they prefer it to other options, what data cannot tell us is whether or not customers who generate those numbers are truly enjoying what they receive or are they quietly tolerating it. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the need for cafes to fill in the details that numbers alone cannot and why our main focus should be to be connected to the customer experience in the real world...

2024-05-3110 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders SHIFT BREAK: Feedback is Not a LectureToo many times we confuse giving feedback with lecturing our staff which easily shuts down the person we were intending to communicate with. Feedback is critical to your culture but, As past guest and friend of the show,Tom Henschel has said, "Feedback is not a lecture, it is a conversation. Today on Shift Break we will be breaking down this statement, what it means, and how to apply it in your cafe. If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next l...

2024-05-0811 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders SHIFT BREAK: Evil Owners and Lazy BaristasHow many times have we fallen prey to assumptions about one another in the cafe that end up creating needless strife and hold back progress at maybe the most critical point in the supply chain? Answer, too many times to count. We create these characterizations and generalizations at our own peril and wonder why there is toxicity in the coffee shop. Today on Shift Break we will be talking why this type of thinking from both owners and baristas is so common and what we can do about moving past it to actually work together for a m...

2024-05-0115 min

Dialing In Your Coffee Business Ep. 6: Chris Deferio of Keys to the Shop Podcast & ConsultingWelcome to the "Dialing In Your Coffee Business" Podcast! We're excited to help cafe + roastery owners build healthier coffee businesses that take great care of ALL the people-including them! On today's episode we're talking to Chris Deferio of "Keys to the Shop" Podcast & Consulting. Chris has over two decades of experience in the coffee industry and he has been a go-to resource for many coffee shop owners. We hope you enjoy this episode! And thank you for your interest in building a healthier coffee business that takes even better care of people!

2024-04-251h 09

COFFEE &How Coffee Gets to You - Part 4: Coffee Shop with Chris Deferio (Ep. 23)In this episode, Philip Klayman interviews Chris Deferio, the host and owner of Keys to the Shop podcast and consulting. They discuss the complexity of coffee shop operations and the purpose of the podcast in addressing the challenges of people, operations, and quality. Chris shares his competition journey and why he decided to step back from judging. They also talk about the misconceptions of running a coffee shop and the importance of embracing the journey and deriving joy from other people's joy. The biggest challenge in running a coffee shop is identified as people. In this conversation, Chris Deferio...

2024-03-151h 05

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 462 : What a New Children's Book Teaches About Mistakes in Coffee and Life w/ David Foster, Kiln Coffee Bar and Author of Jett Goes to Work With DadHospitality, patience, and giving grace to others and yourself are lessons we can learn from many areas of life. The coffee shop presents a unique opportunity for us to exercise those character traits as we serve customers along side our fellow staff members in the often pressured and fast paced day-to-day cafe work. There will many mistakes made, but in those mistakes lies opportunity for growth and re-affirming a people first focus. Today's guest, David Foster, wraps all this up in an awesome new children's book called "Jett Goes to Work With Dad"! David Foster i...

2024-03-0544 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Special Announcement: 2024 Key Holder Coaching Groups May be the Key to Unlock the Next Level in Your BusinessSpecial announcement! Applications are still open for the next round of Key Holder Coaching Groups! The Key Holder Coaching Group is a select group of coffee shop owners who love coffee, people, and want to see their business and others succeed! Insights, perspective, accountability, and growth. These are just some of the benefits I have seen change lives through consulting and over my years facilitating workshops and trainings. I have personally been in a group for podcasters for the last 6 years and have also hired coaches, consultant, and been a part of an online communit...

2024-02-2006 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 458: Encore Episode! My Wife Interviews Me about My Career and How Coffee Brought Us TogetherLooking back is not only a great way to take stock of how you have developed professionally and as a person, but also to bring back into focus what we have to be thankful for. A couple years back my wife convinced me to let her interview me about my career and along the way we also talk about how coffee brought us together. I typically shy away from telling stories of my own career, opting instead to highlight the guests or the principles we talk about on the show. But my wife was right, and this...

2024-02-121h 03

Negotiate Anything Building Trust for Organizational Change: Expert Strategies with Chris DeferioRequest A Customized Workshop For Your Company: https://www.americannegotiationinstitute.com/services/workshops/In this episode, Chris teaches us how to lead change in your organization by creating an environment of trust.Connect with Chris https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-deferio-269b455/Chris's website http://keystotheshop.com/Chris's Podcast https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/keys-to-the-shopFollow Kwame Christian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwamechristian/...

2023-06-0838 min

Small Town Barista Chris Deferio from Keys to the Shop PodcastWade sits down with Chris for a consulting session to talk about Tod and Copper's business plan's strengths and weaknesses. So much to learn from Chris' experience in the coffee industry and a great way to highlight the great work he is doing with small businesses getting going. Chris can be reached for consulting requests at chris@keystotheshop.comDefinitely look for his podcast Keys to the Shop everywhere you find podcastsCheck us out on all the Social Medias! We would love to hear from you!Instagram:@todandcoppercoffeeW...

2023-06-0547 min

Coffee 101 How We Really Drink Our Coffee - Brewing Secrets Revealed with Chris Deferio of Keys to the ShopIn this episode Kenneth sits down with Chris Deferio, coffee consultant and host of the popular Keys To The Shop Podcast to reveal a few brewing secrets and share their go-to drinks. This episode is packed with tips and tricks coffee geeks and beginners alike will love. They also explain how to enjoy the best coffee while traveling. KEY TAKEAWAYS Being able to make exactly the kind of coffee you like is a wonderful way to start the day. You are 100% in control before the events of the day overtake you. Grind your coffee the night b...

2023-05-311h 00

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 407 : Founder Friday! Encore Episodes, David Schomer of Espresso Vivace!It's Founder Friday! I just learned of the news that the original sidewalk bar for Espresso Vivace is going to be closing permanently. This is very sad news given the rich history of that cafe and the impact it's had on so many. So today I thought it would be a great idea to re-air a conversation I had with David Schomer back in Feb of 2019! Since its founding in 1988 Espresso Vivace has been home to David's groundbreaking and paradigm shifting experiments with espresso coffee and drink presentation. His work has been foundational and formative in the...

2023-04-2854 min

Freedom Nation Podcast Fueled by Coffee with Chris DeferioIn today’s episode, Jeff interviews Chris Deferio of the Keys to the Shop Podcast. Twenty three years ago Chris was in ministry school and turned to coffee to help fuel his studies. Over time Chris discovered that he could taste the different origin of the coffee. Chris really liked the coffee bar experience and decided to go into coffee as a career and the rest is history! Chris and Jeff discuss: Chris started over two decades ago using coffee to help him fuel his studies in ministry school. Fueled with caffeine, Chris discovered he could ta...

2023-02-1528 min

Hospitality Leadership Podcast - Restaurant and Hotel Leadership.EPISODE 100: Chris Deferio of Keys To The Shop Talks About The Opportunities For Coffee Shops Into 2023.So we are 100 episodes in, and I can't quite believe it.With costs increasing across the board and customers becoming more selective with their disposable income, we, as coffee shop owners, must provide much more value to our customers beyond just fantastic coffee. So for this very special episode, I welcome Chris Deferio of Keys To The Shop Podcast and Keys To The Shop Consulting to talk about the opportunities that coffee shop owners and team members can take advantage of as we move towards a period of uncertainty. A big part of what we discuss is customer experience and...

2022-09-121h 00

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 366 : A Conversation w/ Chris Baca of Cat and Cloud CoffeeWe all want leadership and cafe culture that inspires. Through personal and professional development we can learn how to create an environments where our values and core beliefs are lived out in real time. In spite of the inevitable challenges, set backs, and failures that come with entrepreneurship and leadership, when we bring our true selves to work in good faith with others, magic happens. This is what today's guest, Chris Baca has accomplished at the globally celebrated shop and roastery, Cat and Cloud Coffee. Chris Baca is the co-owner of Cat and Cloud and inspires thousands ar...

2022-09-051h 23

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders RoR Live! at SCA #6 Chris Kornman| Author of Green Coffee : A Guide for Roasters and BuyersWelcome to the 6th episode of the Rate of Rise Live Series! In this interview we are talking with industry veteran, green coffee expert, and author of the new book "Green Coffee", Chris Kornman! The RoR Live Series is a project in partnership with Roast Magazine taking the popular RoR series on Keys to the Shop and to the SCA 2022 Global EXPO in Boston where we have some live face-to-face interviews with 10 of the coffee industry's brightest minds Chris Kornman is a seasoned coffee quality specialist, writer and researcher, and the Lab & Education Manager at T...

2022-05-2039 min

The Indispensables Chris Deferio: Lessons from the coffee shopIn this episode, I talk with Chris Deferio about coffee, leadership, and where they meet.Learn more about Chris's work at his website: https://keystotheshop.com/

2022-05-1845 min

Slick Talk: The Hospitality Podcast Chris Deferio, Founder & Host of Keys to the Shop Podcast & ConsultingChris Deferio is an award winning coffee professional and coffee consultant with 22 years in the retail specialty coffee industry. He has seen great success in his career as a barista, trainer, cafe manager, operations manager, and playing a key role in the scaling and success of many independent coffee shops. In addition to being a 3 time international latte art champion and US Barista championship finalist, Chris has been able to help thousands of people through his in person speaking and training at trade shows, industry associations, and even outside of coffee in the world of craft beer...

2022-04-0654 min

Coffee Runs Deep - Rob Pirie How do you Make a Coffee Shop Succeed - Chris Deferio - Keys To The Shop (Ep. 19)Send us a textChris Deferio, host of the podcast "Keys to the Shop", really dropped some knowledge in this episode. We discuss everything from buying a coffee shop vs building one from scratch, the biggest issues causing coffee shops to fail, the media side of coffee, and consulting. We cover a ton of coffee ground in this episode I am fortunate to have gotten to speak with him. Hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for recording and episode with me Chris!Keys To The Shop Podcast: https://keystotheshop.com/all-podcasts/

2022-03-251h 04

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Customer Caricatures and Inside JokesWhen the customer first walks in the what do you think about them? Well chances are your immediate thoughts will be based on your assumptions formed in conversation with fellow baristas and the inside jokes we have at their expense. Yes, customers can say and do very similar things but why is our default to seek out ways to dismiss and make a caricature of them rather than trying to serve them with the benefit of the doubt as individual? Today on Shift Break we are going to talk about the problem with our natural tendency to t...

2022-02-1109 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Pre-Closing MadnessWe have to get the shop closed! Fast! Question is, at what cost? For most of us we engage in pre-close with an aggression that lies our stated commitment to hospitality. Customers are frequently put off by how we go about re-closing and we a frequently behind the eight ball with unrealistic expectation fueling our aggressive attitudes towards it. Pre-closing is crucial part of the day's work that can be done in a way that benefits the cafe the staff, and still allows for customers to enjoy their experience in the cafe when it is open. ...

2022-01-2013 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Taking Offense to CritiqueCustomers have opinions that we disagree with. This is a forever truth of running a business. They have preferences and sometimes they will be disappointed in their experience and take to Yelp to voice their opinion. That can be very frustrating, especially if you feel you are doing everything "right". The temptation is to be defensive, fight, and essentially make the reviewer the enemy. Problem is that this approach, as cathartic as it may seem, shows insecurity and shuts down opportunity for growth and connection. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how to...

2022-01-1312 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 323 : Reflecting on 5 Years of Keys to the Shop w/ my Wife, Lynnsy DeferioWelp, KTTS is now 5 years old! In this time KTTS has aired 560 episodes and is closing in on 2 million downloads around the world and it simply feels surreal. I have been so blessed by the guests on this show, you the audience, and most of all, my biggest supporter, my wife. SO...on this episode my lovely wife Lynnsy takes to the microphone again to interview me about the journey over the past 5 years as well as getting to know a bit more about me and some of the things that make me tick. She has seen t...

2022-01-0554 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 318 : Why Your Coffee Shop is Key for the Success of CoffeeThe pressure and business of the daily work can easily blind us to the impact that we have on the greater reality of the "Industry". We often think of the industry as existing outside our own shops but the reality is that our we are the industry and ever decision we make as individual professionals and cafes cultivate wha the industry becomes. Today we will be talking about the influence our mindsets, focus, and actions have to either steer the industry to a positive or negative ends. The shop truly is the most important link in the s...

2021-12-0726 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 308 : A Conversation w/ Italian Brewers Cup Champion, Alessandro GaltieriItalian coffee has shaped how the world understands coffee and cafe culture. These days there is a movement to take the traditional Italian way of of getting a coffee and elevate the quality and the experience making it a truly specialty coffee experience. At the heart of that movement is Aroma Caffe todays guest, Alessandro Galtieri. Alessandro has owned and operated Aroma Caffe since 1994 and has been a coffee professional since 1991. As he ran the cafe he began to shift it into a beacon of progressive specialty coffee amidst the traditional coffee culture landscape of his city o...

2021-10-1240 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Ignoring the CustomerOn some level we all can justify ignoring customers in our coffee shop. Seems pretty crazy right? I mean, why would we do that knowing how important it is to give a great experience to the one keeping the lights on?And yet it happens all the time. What starts out as a one time act of giving into convenience, turns into a full blown culture. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about an experience I had recently that illustrates this and thinking through why it happens, why it hurts us, and what to do a...

2021-07-1510 min

The Folly Coffee Podcast Ep85 Category Coffee/Business- Keys to the Shop Podcast & Consulting Chris DeferioIn this virtual episode, Folly Rob sits down with Host & Producer of the Top 100 podcast, Keys to the Shop, a podcast focused on equipping coffee retail professionals with industry knowledge. Chris Deferio is also the founder and owner of Keys to the Shop Consulting, focused on serving retail coffee professionals. Chris has over 20 years of coffee professional experiencing dating back to 2001 and has served a number of roles within the coffee world. This episode covers his coffee journey, how he got into podcasting/consulting, and discussion focused around common mistakes of coffee shop owners. Enjoy! @keystotheshop keystotheshop.com Keys to...

2021-04-141h 05

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 259 : Solving Toxic Customer Service CultureWe have created a monster. Over the years our quest to please the customer has turned toxic as it ignores the well being of our staff and enables entitled, rude, and even abusive behavior. All this in the name of the miss guided notion that "The customer is always right". In today's episode we will be exploring this toxic customer service culture, what is behind it, what its impacts are, and how to begin the process of replacing it with a heathy culture of boundaries and support that create a great experience for both staff and customers a...

2021-01-0525 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 243 : Encore Episode! "The Sleepwalking Barista (Owner)"I am excited to re-share this oldie with you. Mainly because it has a ton of very useful insights that I think we all need to ponder these days. Life (aka 2020) won't let up and the 7 things I talked about back in November 2017 could not be more relevant. In many ways, we spend a lot of our energies reinforcing self-sabotaging behaviors and habits. Thing is, even though I originally broadcast this as being for baristas, you can just as easily see these 7 things in your life as a business owner. So on behalf of the Chris of 2017 an...

2020-10-0542 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Shifting the Shadow ShiftWhen we onboard new baristas we usually schedule them for a "Shadow Shift". he intent is that they are to learn the ropes, observe and absorb how things are done, which will help prepare them for work on the bar. That's the hope. In reality it often turns out to be chaotic, stressful, and produces more confusion than clarity. Today we will be discussing how to approach the shadow shift with what I call "Structured Shadow Shifts" and how they can deliver the amazing value for you and the new hire. Rela...

2020-09-1010 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Bridging the Values-Actions GapWe have a problem. Dreaming up a vision and writing out our list of core values, missions, etc. is an exciting and crucial part of any business. The problem is that most cafes stop there. The list of ideals an noble pursuits never make their way into reality and are soon relegated to only being invoked at staff meetings. So many of the issue we have with toxic work places, burned out staff, and needless turn over stem from the values-actions gap. Today we are going to discuss this issue and how you can make sure your va...

2020-08-1213 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Rebuilding your Staff with Excellence w/ Dave StachowiakAs we seek to rebuild our staff in the midst of the pandemic, many different questions come up about re-hiring, deciding who not to bring back, how to decide who to promote, and generally how do we do this in a way that is good for everyone involved. It is not enamors easy task but today we are going to gain a lot of clarity about these topics and more as we talk with the always insightful, Dave Stachowiak. Dave founded Coaching for Leaders in 2011. Since them the podcast has been downloaded 12 million times and is consistently...

2020-08-0253 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Who you are & What you DoWe all can have a difficult time with serving the public. These days we may be putting on a literal mask, but if we are honest, we have been wearing a metaphorical mask for a while now. Much of how we show up on at work has to do with how we show up outside of work. If we want to thrive I the shop and bring in people who will create a genuinely caring culture then we have to focus ourselves outwardly. Today we are going to be talking about how we can cultivate a wholistic approach to...

2020-06-2510 min

FilteredThoughts 010 - 'The Future of Coffee Shops' with Keys to the Shop, Chris DeferioHi guys! We're back with another great episode for you, with a great guest and topic! We'll be chatting about; The current situation ( what it is like in the US in comparison to the UK), About how our shops & staff will be affected by the current climate, and some food for thought for the future going forward too! Massive thank you to Chris from Keys to the shop - http://www.keystotheshop.com/ - for joining us today to talk in depth about this topic, was great to have you on and chat!

2020-05-051h 02

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders COVID-19 Focus w/ John King, Walkie Talkie Coffee, Canton, OH Walkie Talkie Coffee was founded by Lindsey and John Kind in the Summer of 2019. The result of a ton of planning, dreaming, and raising support, the shop was an immediate hit offering coffees from Heart in Portland , OR, amazing service and hospitality, and a goal to create great social and coffee experiences for their neighborhood. Not even a one year in, Walkie Talkie is now facing what is arguably our industries most challenging time. In spite of this, Lindsey, John, and crew have been handling this with grace and a positive outlook that is rooted in their mutual concern...

2020-05-0436 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders On a Resilient Coffee CommunityThese are hard times. It is difficult to know where to begin in discussing the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on our industry. I have, like many of you, spent countless hours trying to process this and attempting to help in any way possible. There have been tears and anxiety to be sure. There has also been many bright spots and encouraging moments as I see our community come together. That is what I want to focus on in today's extended shift break. Resiliency, community, and the path forward in the midst of this unprecedented time in...

2020-03-1919 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders It's not You, It's MeManaging poor performance is one of the more frustrating parts of being a leader in the coffee shop. While in NYC for Coffee Fest I receive this great question, "What do you do if your manager or barista is not fulfilling the requirements of their role? Do you demote?" In this episode of Shift Break I will get into why I believe most bosses are too quick to blame the employee and slow to see themselves as the source of poor performance in the cafe. Related Episodes: Facilitating Success Empowering Staff to Make t...

2020-03-1213 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Customer LoyaltyWe seem to be addicted. Not to coffee, but to coffee loyalty programs. Whether it's a card or points on the POS, we can't imagine running a business without them. But what if cards and programs don't actually create loyalty? Today we are chatting about mindsets and practices as it relates to achieving true customer loyalty and why what we have accepted as a means to that end has really led us astray. Links: wwww.keystotheshop.com/consulting chris@keystotheshop.com Visit our Sponsors! Painless and accurate ord...

2020-02-2011 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Prioritizing your WorkIt can be hard to organize all the responsibilities you take on when in a leadership role in the cafe. When we don't order our work well it leads to giving too much time and energy to things that seem important in the moment only to get further behind. Today we chat about three categories to place our work under and how to prioritize you work to thrive as a manager or cafe leader. Related episodes: Please Clarify Don't Just do It : Delegation Managers Top 3

2020-02-1310 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Don't Waste ProblemsProblems come up all the time in the cafe. We deal with them as best we can but often we are leaving a lot of value on the table with the ways we attack the issues we encounter. Today we are chatting about how get your problems to work for your companies benefit and not let them go to waste. Related Episodes: SOPs FTW Communicate, Duplicate, Repeat Being the Point of Clarity Links: wwww.keystotheshop.com/consulting chris@keystotheshop.com ...

2020-02-0607 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 3 Keys for Work-life BalanceIt is easy for us to be consumed with work. Especially if you are passionate about it and desire to achieve great things, to move the needle in the company, and to help those you lead. Trouble is hough, we tend to blur the lines between work and home and end up burning out for lack of clear borders. Today we will talk about three tactics that will help bring balance and ultimately keep you healthy and thriving at work and at home. Related episodes: Blood Sucking Bosses Self Care 101 Asking f...

2020-01-3011 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Asking for HelpOn bar, things get stressful. We are not just managing the physical space but we are also managing and navigating our emotions. It's all too easy to let our pride keep us from asking for help when we most desperate need it. In this shift break I talk about a recent experience I had that inspired the episode and we dive into vulnerability, team support, communication, and ultimately allowing ourselves and others to be humans at work. Related episodes: When you're Losing it Harnessing your Emotions at Work Self Care 101

2020-01-2311 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 197 : Getting the most from your Equipment w/ Melissa Vaiden of Counter Culture CoffeeIt's tech time! Equipment breaks, that is just a fact of life. How and why it breaks depends on the way we maintain (or don't maintain) it over the corse of its life. right now there are thousands of bars working on machines that are either about to break or are well on their way because of improper care. Today we are talking with Counter Culture Coffee NYC equipment tech extraordinaire, Melissa Vaiden. The goal of our conversation? To help us avoid an untimely demise for the equipment we depend on. Melissa Vaiden is a service technician f...

2020-01-211h 02

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Example > WordsHow do you inspire people? This was a question I was asked recently while conducting a day-long workshop for a group of cafe managers. The answer is easy to give, but hard to live. You can think of this also as policy -vs- relationship. Today we are going to talk about our tendency to try and force inspiration, why it falls short, and what to do instead. Related episodes: 179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap Introducing Chaos Self-Betrayal and the Art of Action T...

2020-01-1607 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 196 : Understanding Consumer Preferences w/ Peter GiulianoLearning about consumer trends and preferences keeps us sharp and relevant. How well our shops do will have a huge impact on everyone in the value stream of coffee and in order to do our best work we need to be paying attention to what the research says as well as doing our own research locally. Thankfully the SCA has been doing intensive consumer and retail research for over a decade and what they have found may shift the way you view your customers and your business. To discuss the data with us today we are talking...

2020-01-131h 05

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Empowering Staff to make the right CallIt's easy to create an environment in the coffee shop where staff feel they are bound by tight rules and restrictions. In this environment we don't get to see much creative hospitality in the form of solving problems for customers. Today we are chatting about the need to empower your staff to make calls on the bar that reinforce the the values and spirit of the organization. Related Episodes: Fear or Inspiration 6 Truths about Power The Power of "Good Authority" Reach out! wwww.keyst...

2020-01-0911 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 195 : Organizing the Community w/ Espresso State of Mind founders Javier Alvarez and Joseph W. GonzalezGetting your local coffee community to come together can be a powerful way to build networks, friendships, and careers. This is what today’s guests have made their mission. Javier Alvarez and Joseph W. Gonzalez are long time professional baristas who founded Espresso State of Mind in 2017 to give their fellow baristas a platform to showcase talents, meet one another, and excel in their careers. Besides consulting, content creation, and catering, their main focus is on hosting latte art throw downs. In our discussion today we are going to get an inside look into Espresso St...

2020-01-0651 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Building Trust-CreditThe hardest part about building a team is building trust. It does not happen overnight and requires patience, but more than that, it requires consistency in small and big ways. Today we are going to talk about how you can cultivate trust in your staff by building your "Trust-credit". In the New Year there will be many goals you set for yourself and your business. It is my hope that the message in this episode will help you see those goals come to pass. Happy New Year! Reach out! wwww...

2020-01-0209 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017That's it! The year is done and to help us ring in the New Year I am re-airing a classic from way back in the day. January 17 2017 is when "Leadership in the Cafe : 10 Steps to being a People First Leader" first aired. Now, three years and 274 episodes later, the message rings just as true and is just as relevant as ever before. If there is anything you need to do to secure a great year for yourself, your staff, and your business it is focusing on how we show up as leaders in the specialty coffee retail...

2019-12-2953 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 193 : Founder Friday w/ Colin Whitcomb of Canary Coffee Bar (Before & After Episode!)It's Founder Friday! Today we get to sit down not once, but twice with Colin Whitcomb of the newly opened Canary Coffee Bar in Milwaukee, WI. In this episode we talk with Colin a couple months before Canary opened and then 3 months after to get a detailed look inside the planning and running of a new business Along with being an amazingly nice guy, Colin has been in coffee for 14 years having worked in some of the nations tope coffee bars. He is also a BGA Executive Counsel member and a long time barista competitor. C...

2019-12-271h 23

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders The Power of "No"When you start or run a coffee bar you are going to be faced with a ton of options for what products and ideas you will adopt. Saying yes to any and everything can get you and your business in trouble down the road. Today we are going to be talking about why saying "No" can open up more opportunities for success than it closes off and why limitations in the beginning produce freedom in the long run. Related episodes: Before you Expand Differentiation Takes Time Reach out! wwww.keystotheshop.com/consulting c...

2019-12-2608 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 192 : Freedom through Coffee w/ Esther Hope-Gibbs of Manumit Coffee27 Million. That is the number of people who are trapped in modern day slavery. It is a number that may leave many wondering what they can possibly do in the face of such a daunting statistic. However, today's guest decided that she needed to take action and try to make a difference. Esther Hope-Gibbs is a veteran coffee professional, AST instructor, and the Director and Founder of Manumit Coffee Roasters. Manumit Coffee offers dignity & hope to survivors of modern slavery through training & employment. Their coffee is roasted by men and women who have suffered horrendous exploitation at...

2019-12-2455 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders How to ruin a Game of TelephoneMost everyone has had fun playing this game as kid. While it's a great game parties, it's not so great for the coffee shop. Today we talk about how this game gets started in the cafe and what we can do to "ruin" it before it creates major communication and quality problems in our business. Related episodes: Communicate, Duplicate, Repeat The Art of Deep Listening Please Clarify: Being on the same page as your boss Reach out! wwww.keystotheshop.com/consulting chri...

2019-12-1908 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 191 : Retraining your Staff on new StandardsHas it been a while since you last trained the staff and practices are outdated or ineffective? As a business grows the need for raising the standards in the shop becomes an absolute necessity. The new year is approaching and if you seek to bring in a new level of quality to you operation then making the right steps in implementing these changes is key to determining whether they stick in the long term and your business stays relevant and competitive. Today we get to talk about the 3 phases of successfully taking on retraining in the shop and...

2019-12-1728 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders High Expectations + Low ControlIn the coffee shop there are so many expectations placed on us but often the results of the work are not fully within our control. When you combine these two things it is a recipe for stress and burnout. Today we are talking about how we can approach the situation with grace and facilitate staff success rather than blaming them for things that they cannot control. Every shop deals with this in some way and I hope this helps inspire better understanding as we strive for excellence together. Links: wwww.keystotheshop.com/consulting c...

2019-12-1209 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 190 : 6 Tips for better SchedulingWriting the schedule is one of the hardest things a manager has to take on. It is also one of the primary ways to care for the staff and the success of the cafe. It determines labor cost, quality of service, consistency of standards and more. If there is one thing that I focus on a lot with my consulting clients it is scheduling well. Today we will be discussing 6 tips that will aid you in the schedule writing process and save you and your staff from getting caught in the cycle of feeling perpetually unprepared, behind, a...

2019-12-1028 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 188 : Founder Friday! w/ Jon Allen of Onyx Coffee LabIn just 7 years, Onyx Coffee Lab has become one of the industry's most recognizable, respected, and progressive coffee companies. Whether you know them from their championship performances on the barista, brewers, or roasting competition stage - their multiple Good Food Awards and Golden Bean coffees - or their effort in transparency and exquisite retail shops, Onyx Coffee Lab is an inspiration in presentation AND in substance to the global community of specialty coffee. Today we get to talk with one of the founders of this awesome company, Jon Allen, and dive into the details of how he a...

2019-11-281h 09

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 187 : A Conversation w/ Nikki Outlaw of Anecho CoffeeOpening a pop-shop is one of a number of great ways to get started in specialty coffee retail. It is a lower start up cost, you get to test the concept, and you get to know your community (and they, you) in the process. Today's guest, Nikki Outlaw, has just wrapped up her first year running her pop-up coffee shop, Anecho Coffee. In this conversation we get to hear about her journey into opening Anecho, her experiences in this first year, what she has learned about business, operations, and herself along the way. I hope yo...

2019-11-2550 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 174 : Saying Yes to Business Opportunities w/ Kyle Wells of Torpedo Coffee & Close QuartersHow do you decide which opportunity for expansion is good and which one is not for you? If you are in business you will get offers to open a location in many different contexts but when you are knee deep in operating your first store it can be challenging to see the next step clearly. Today we are getting the perspective of one entrepreneur who is expanding to a second location within the first year of opening his first shop. Kyle Wells is the co-owner of Torpedo Coffee in Denver, CO and a past Founder Friday guest. I...

2019-09-1053 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Your Customer's Relational BaggageCustomers impression of your business is going to be filtered through the lens of their past experiences in coffee. Unfortunately that is too often a bad thing and the memory of bad experiences far outlasts the memory of a good one. Today we chat about the important role we play in delivering positive experiences to re-write the script for our customers and their default view of coffee and service work in general. For consulting and training contact : Chris@keystotheshop.com Or visit: www.keystotheshop.com/consulting Related Epis...

2019-09-0509 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 173 : 5 Areas of Focus for RetailersTo be successful in retail coffee today you need to be able to give your time and attention to the things that will truly make a difference. The standards for what makes a truly great and sustainable shop is as high as it has ever been. Today we are going to be talking about five areas that are critical for you to focus on in today's retail coffee industry. I cannot tell you how strongly I feel about the importance of these points as I have seen many shops either fail or succeed based on their omission...

2019-09-0326 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 172 : Why Tracking Performance is a Must!This is absolutely critical! One of cornerstones of running a coffee bar is the ability to stay in tune with the performance of the people that work in it. Having a system for tracking behavior that is either praise worthy or in need of correction is a must. Many shops that just shoot from the hip when it comes to correction or affirmation end up seeing their best people frustrated and their problem people hide out too long in the ranks, spreading toxicity to the others. Today we are going to talk about some ideas and...

2019-08-2730 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Fear or Inspiration?Which one best describes how staff react to your presence in the cafe? The problem is that, no matter what, management will always be seen in a different light than a barista. The authority managers carry creates a certain tension and that tension either will lead to people fearing you, or being inspired by you. Today we will chat about embracing your authority, breaking down needless tension, and investing in your staff to create a culture that sees your authority in positive light and avoids the all to common fear based authority that drive people from your business.

2019-08-2212 min

Coaching for Leaders Employee Retention in Small Business, with Chris DeferioChris Deferio: Keys to the Shop Chris Deferio is a cafe quality specialist who has dedicated 20 years of his life to working in and studying specialty coffee retail. He is also the creator and host of the industry leading podcast, Keys to the Shop, which gives listeners insights, inspiration, and tools to grow as specialty coffee professionals. Chris previously appeared on the show to help us get more perspective on managing part-time staff. In this conversation, Chris and I explore some of the practical steps that small business owners and general managers can take in order to support employee retention. ...

2019-06-1737 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Self-Betrayal and the Art of ActionEveryday we have the opportunity to act on thoughts we have that would benefit others and never follow through. There is a whole world of encouragement lying dormant inside each of us that could greatly contribute to harmony within the bar and ease the relational tension that is such so prevalent in cafes around the world. Today we discuss the concept of self-betrayal and how not engaging in it can bring everyone to a higher level. www.keystotheshop.com chris@keystotheshop.com

2019-06-1308 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 158 : A Managment Masterclass w/ Jon Felix Lund, VP of Operations for Coava Coffee RoastersBeing a manager in coffee ain't easy. There is no end to the number of different issues vying for your attention on any given day and it can seem like you are constantly trying to keep your head above water. Managers are the most important leaders in specialty retail and in order to do our best work we need to learn from the example of others. Today get to learn from the experiences of someone who has seen great success in cafe management, Jon Felix Lund. Jon has been in coffee for close to 15 years and Currently...

2019-06-111h 04

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 157 : Four from the Floor : Interviews from Coffee Fest IndianapolisThe beautiful thing about coffee is getting to explore the stories of all the wonderful individuals who make up the specialty community. Today we we do just that. In this series of four short interviews from the show floor at Coffee Fest Indianapolis we get to sit down with Stephen Garcia, General Manager at Commissary Barber & Barista, Indianapolis, IN / Andy and Sarah Hassler, Owners of Blue Mind Roasting, Indianapolis, IN / Lizath Zorrilla, Co-Owner of La Finca Coffee House, St. Francis, WI / Natassa Contini, Owner of the nations first dog cafe, Chateau Le Woof in Astoria, NY As we dive into...

2019-06-031h 13

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Don't You Forget About MeTracking staff performance can be difficult when you are putting out fires and being pulled in a thousand different directions. Things fall through the cracks and that means we miss growth opportunities with staff who end up feeling forgotten about and not noticed. Today we talk about this issue and how to take action so you can track progress and deliver specific and meaningful feedback that will bring clarity for yourself as well. Links: Shift Break: Leadership Abandonment Syndrome Do you need help in your shop? Reach out! chris@keys...

2019-05-3008 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 155 : A Conversation w/ T. Ben Fischer of Glitter Cat BaristaLess Bitter, More Glitter. That is one of the mottos for Glitter Cat Barista, a new barista competition training program designed to give marginalized and underrepresented communities the resources to shine on the competition stage and address the problem of representation in the USBC. In it's first year Glitter Cat has made substantial impact on the diversity seen in barista competitions with four of the ten participants advance from qualifiers to nationals where two first time competitors made it to semifinals and one third-year competitor made it to finals. All of this is the brainchild of to...

2019-05-281h 01

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders The Hospitality Paradox : Preparing for the most critical & perplexing time in retailSHIFT BREAK #25 : When the weather turns cooler and the holidays get closer, business gets busier. Ironically, at the same time as our shop pick up steam, we seem to lose it. Our capacity to show hospitality tends to drop in the presence of heavy traffic but it is precisely these times where great hospitality is most needed. On this edition of Shift Break we talk about this issue and some solutions to implement as we enter into the busy holiday season. Need training or consultation? Email: Chris@keystotheshop.com

2018-10-3109 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 098 : Loving the Closing Shift : We discuss the common problems, outline powerful solutions, address the responsibilities of both managers and baristas, and talk about a philosophy of work in the coffee shop that will help adjust your mindset to thrAs shifts go, the closing shift is normally not a covent one. We can suffer from boredom, lack of motivation, disillusionment, isolation, and end up feeling bitter toward our day-time counterparts who get to work more in the thick of the coffeehouse culture plus make better tips! Been there done that. I happen to find a certain beauty and nobility in a closing shift that makes me cherish the experience even in the midst of the hardships that come with it. So what if we could take another look at the closing shift and reframe it in...

2018-07-0335 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Manager's Top 3 : What are the 3 core elements of that contribute to you being a great coffee shop manager?SHIFT BREAK! #2 : Management is often the first position we get promoted to within the cafe and it comes with a lot of added responsibility and pressure. From my own experience and observations over the years there are 3 things that effective managers put into practice and are always looking to get better at. In todays Shift Break we discuss what those things are and why they are so important. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for next week's Shift Break! chris@keystotheshop.com

2018-05-2403 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders Managing Anger : Tips on how to deal with getting angry behind the coffee bar in a healthy waySHIFT BREAK #1 : Welcome to Shift Break! This is a new feature of Keys to the Shop that gives you quick and focused insights, tips, and tools you can use to thrive in the cafe. My hope is that if you are pressed for time you can take something away from these mini-episodes that will positively impact your life. Today I wanted to talk about anger and how you can overcome it when you are on shift. The 3 tips have proven effective in my own career and I hope they benefit you as well. Thanks for listening and s...

2018-05-1706 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 089 : La Marzocco USA General Manager, Andrew Daday : Leadership, innovation, service, heritage, serving the needs coffee shopsToday we have the immense honor of talking with Andrew Daday, General Manager of La Marzocco USA! We dive into his leadership, values, and goals as he heads up one of the worlds most iconic and respected equipment manufacturing companies. Also in this conversation we discuss the critical importance of La Marzocco's relationship with the coffee shop, their vision for sustainability, how they serve such a wide and varied customer base while still pushing the envelope on quality, how innovation goes from idea to implementation, and throughout all this, Andrew give us some excellent management and leadership advice that w...

2018-05-1554 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 087 : Coffee Masters Champion, Agnieszka Rojewska! : The multi-time Polish Barista champion, Latte Art champion, and now Coffee Masters champion joins us for a conversation about completion, coffee careers, customer service, the importance of the caToday we talk with Coffee Masters Champion, Agnieszka Rojewska! She is the multi-time Polish Barista champion, Latte Art champion, and now Coffee Masters champion, a trainer, consultant, and all around inspiration! In this conversation we chat about her packed completion schedule, pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, her experience as a cafe owner and manager folding in lessons from competition into day-to-day operations, the importance of the customer being our focus, and how we can create opportunity to advance our careers. It was an honor to talk with Agnieszka and I know you will get s...

2018-05-0156 min

How to Be Awesome at Your Job 288: Managing First Timers in the Workplace with Chris Deferio (Host of the Keys to the Shop podcast)Coffee shop guru & latte art champion Chris Deferio speaks on leading people who are at their first “real job” and keys to thriving in a chaotic environment. You'll Learn: Best approaches for managing first timers How to offer feedback so it’s received well Tips on how to keep sane and focused in a chaotic environment About Chris: Chris Deferio is the host and producer of the Keys to the Shop podcast. He lives in Louisville, KY with his wife and son and has been in professional coffee service for 17 years. He provides training, consultations, and wisdom to owners, managers, and empl...

2018-04-1847 min

The Archive of Awesome 288: Managing First Timers in the Workplace with Chris Deferio (Host of the Keys to the Shop podcast)Coffee shop guru & latte art champion Chris Deferio speaks on leading people who are at their first “real job” and keys to thriving in a chaotic environment. You'll Learn: Best approaches for managing first timers How to offer feedback so it’s received well Tips on how to keep sane and focused in a chaotic environment About Chris: Chris Deferio is the host and producer of the Keys to the Shop podcast. He lives in Louisville, KY with his wife and son and has been in professional coffee service for 17 y...

2018-04-1847 min

2018-04-1846 min

2018-04-1848 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 084 : Crushing the Rush! : Tips and best practices for baristas and mangers to embrace the busy times in the cafe w/confidence, preparedness, positivity, and excitement to share your great coffee experience en mass"We got slammed!", "Today was intense!", "It was crazy!" ...If you have ever said this then today's episode is for you. In the cafe we all experience rushes differently based on how well prepared we are. A sudden pop of business or sustained time of having a line out the door can be either the time to shine or to shift into survival mode. A rush is one of the most critical times for your business to make a great and lasting impression. Today we will explore some helpful tips and best practices that will give you more of an...

2018-04-1742 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 083 : 6 Essential Books for Your Professional Development / Foundational ideas and knowledge that will set you up for success and fulfillment in coffee.I love recommending great books! In this episode we talk about 6 books that I think are critical to your professional development. They cover everything form hospitality, coffee knowledge, operations, management, personal growth, and vocational calling and should be a part of your library. I want to do more episodes like this so keep an eye and ear out for tools focused episodes and a "Round 2 " of books for you to read. It is my hope that at least one if not all these books have profound impact on your work and life. I know they have in m...

2018-04-1031 min

Hungry Squared: Where the brain and belly meet Ep. 88: Coffee with Chris Deferio, Host of The Keys to the Shop Podcast and Coffee ConsultantWe have a great conversation with Chris Deferio, podcast host of the Keys to the Shop Podcast and coffee business consultant, all about the basics of coffee starting from the history of coffee, where it comes from and how it evolved over the years, onto what happens when you start roasting beans, how the grind of your coffee affects the flavor, and what factors, such as water temperature and minerality of water, can change your cup of Joe. We learned so much! Let's taco 'bout it! Hosts: Sharon Titus and Winter Redd. Sound engineer and edi...

2018-04-091h 00

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 082 : Knowledge & Flavor w/ Cosimo Libardo of Toby's Estate Coffee : The scaleability of specialty, how to give your business depth, flavor is king, the incredible need for knowledge in specialty, what owners can do to build a more sustainable businWhat role does delivery of flavor, knowledge, and consistency play in giving your company the depth and soul needed to truly execute on a high level of quality over the long haul? Is specialty coffee scaleable? How do we think and act in order for our businesses to succeed long term? Great questions that we get answers to and more as we welcome Cosimo Libardo, Managing Director of Toby's Estate Coffee to the show! Cosimo's role in the industry has been one of leading innovation both in the way we work with coffee and think ab...

2018-04-031h 00

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 081 : Founder Friday! w/ David Schomer, Espresso Vivace / Seattle, WA : 30th Anniversary! How he started, Focus, pursuit of perfect espresso, tons of advice to shop owners, traits of a great barista, latte art, business adviceIt's Founder Friday!!! I am honored to have David Schomer of Espresso Vivace join us on the show as his company celebrates it's 30th year. Since it's founding in 1988 Espresso Vivace has been home to David's groundbreaking and paradigm shifting experiments with espresso coffee and drink presentation. His work has been foundational and formative in the lives of countless professionals around the world. In this interview I get to talk with David about the early years, his philosophy on service and what he wants customers to experience in his stores, why only 3 shops in 30 years, what makes...

2018-03-3054 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 074 : The Life Changing Power of Good Authority w/ Jonathan Raymond : We discuss what Good Authority looks like, team building around personal growth, being vulnerable and honest, how to be more Yoda and less Superman, how to communicate and coach yoGood authority changes lives and can change the world! It all starts with with how we show up for the people we lead and the way we facilitate both theirs and our growth in a people-first culture. In the current climate where being a boss or having authority is rightfully met with skepticism, having the road map and the tools to build a new way of being a leader is critical. Today we talk with Jonathan Raymond, CEO of Refound, and author of the book, "Good Authority:How to Become the Leader Your team Is Waiting For"

2018-02-2058 min

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders 073 : How to be Awesome at Your Job w/ Pete Mockaitis : Career development, strategy, prioritization, productivity, relationships, communication to make you successful and happy at workDo you want to be awesome at your job? Of course! We all do. Today we will be discussing the foundational principles and focuses that will get you there and grow you even further if you're there already. I am thrilled to welcome to the show, the host of the Awesome at Your Job Podcast, Pete Mockaitis. Pete is an incredibly talented career coach and his show has featured hundreds of professionals all weighing in on what it takes to thrive at work. The 6 areas we discuss today are the common link between all the experts Pete h...

2018-02-1356 min

Coaching for Leaders How to Lead Part-Time Staff, with Chris DeferioChris Deferio: Keys to the Shop Chris Deferio is the host of Keys to the Shop, a podcast that helps coffee service professionals to advance their careers by discovering more about barista work, management, leadership, and the operational knowledge to run a coffee shop. Chris has decades of experience managing teams of part-time staff in a high turnover industry. In this episode, he shares the most practical tips his team has discovered for helping leaders be most effective with part-time employees. Key Points You can only go so far with positive feedback, you should also seek feedback on how you...

2017-03-2043 min

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore 291: Leading from where you are with Chris DeferioIn this episode we talk about leading from where you are, staying in touch with what fascinates you about this industry, how to overcome the lens through which a manager is seen, and representing the product and the story behind it. 16 years of experience as a barista, trainer, USBC competitor, competition creator, writer, consultant, and manager have been good to Chris Deferio. Along the way he has picked up key tips and insights into the foundational elements of what it takes to run a thriving and successful cafe. Today, Chris serves as Shop Operations Manager for Sunergos Coffee in L...

2016-12-221h 16