Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Latest Episodes:

102 : Founder Friday! w/ Justin Hartman of Ozo Coffee Co. in Boulder, CO : Operations, hiring, expansion, management, restructuring leadership, Jul 27, 2018

Show notes

It's Founder Friday!!! Today we get to sit down with Justin Hartman who is the Founder of the standard bearing OZO Coffee Company. Justin brings a very down to earth perspective to all he undertakes. We discuss his journey into coffee working as a barista in the best shops he could find, the founding and evolution of OZO Coffee from one small shop using other roasters to now 4 busy cafes with a thriving (Good Food Award Winning)roasting operation. We also dive into management, leadership, scaling the business, the challenges of growth, hiring, and Justins 3 pieces of advice to other shop owners. There is a lot here and I know you will walk away informed and inspired!

LINKS:

Ozo Coffee Co.

Instagram

Twitter

Justin@ozocoffee.com

Don't Just Do It! : Delegation, Burnout, facilitating skills development, mistakes coffee shop managers make, teaching and coaching for future return Jul 26, 2018

Show notes

SHIFT BREAK #11 : When it comes to work that needs to get done in the shop the default for a manager can be to just do it ourselves. It's faster and at least we know the job will get done correctly. This, however, is a mistake and will ultimately lead to longterm negative consequences for both you and the employee to whom the task should have been delegated.

In today's Shift Break I talk about the trap of just doing it yourself and why it is best to lean into the work of investing in delegation, training, and helping develop the skills of others.

101 : Avoiding Legal Pitfalls in Coffee Retail w/ Marshall Fuss, Attorney at Law : Coffee shop leases, business types, build out, partnerships, raising capital, and trademarks Jul 23, 2018

Show notes

There are countless details that go into setting up a great coffee shop. At the top of the list of priorities are the legal considerations that provide you with a foundation on which to build your dream cafe in a way that won't turn that dream into a nightmare. Today we welcome long time attorney and general counsel to the Specialty Coffee Association, World Coffee Events, and Coffee Quality Institute, Marshall Fuss!

We dive into 5 critical areas where most shops run into trouble and Marshall details how you can avoid mistakes in each of them. This is a VERY practical and valuable episode that gives you some serious keys to being a legally sound and thriving shop. I can't think of a better subject for ep.101 than some legal 101. Enjoy!

Links:

Marshall's Website

Free help from retired business pro's S.C.O.R.E.

Taste the Rainbow! : Menu knowledge, tasting, flavor, coffee cupping approach to your offerings Jul 19, 2018

Show notes

SHIFT BREAK #10: We take our coffee very seriously. We obsessively taste, cup, evaluate, and discuss all to perfect the way we extract and serve it to the guest. Not so, however, for the rest of the menu that is not a small milk drink or straight espresso or brewed coffee. We tend to hold certain alterations and items in contempt. Today we chat about how we can raise our game by becoming serious about getting to know and appreciate the whole menu and, in so doing, be able to offer a much better customer experience.

100!!! : Why YOU are the Key : Community, being a resource, conspiring to each others success, trusting in you experience, providing insight, inspiration, and tools. Jul 17, 2018

Show notes

Wooo Hooo! It's the 100th episode of Keys to the Shop!!! Thank you so much for listening to and supporting this show! I can think of no better way to use this time than to highlight what a critical role you all play in the industry. Today I want to talk to you about why you are the the key. You can provide others with insights, inspiration, and tools that will have a positive impact on your circle of influence no matter what you do in the industry or how long you've been doing it. I hope that after todays episode you feel confident to take what you have and put it to work even more within specialty coffee community.

I can't tell you how humbled and honored I am to be able to do this work on this platform and I will always work to make what is done here increasingly valuable and impactful for you and your success.

Thank you!

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

In honor of the 100th episode I am giving away a mini-library consisting of these books:

What I know About Running Coffee Shops -Colin Harmon (Donated by Prima Coffee)
It's OK to be the Boss -Bruce Tulgan
Setting the Table -Danny Meyer

To enter the contest:

Follow Keys to the Shop & Prima Coffee on Instagram
In the comments section of this episode's IG post:Tag a friend & Leave a comment telling everyone your favorite episode of KTTS.

Winner announced Thursday July 19th!

Links:

Remember the first episode? Ep: 001 Intro and What to Expect

Why it's OK to be the Boss w/ Bruce Tulgan

Founder Friday w/ Colin Harmon

Leadership and Management Master Class w/ Eva Attia

Fix the Small Stuff! : Management, Morale, Coffee Bar Culture Jul 12, 2018

Show notes

SHIFT BREAK #9 : One of the best ways we can make a big difference in the cafe is by taking care of the small stuff. Unfortunately we all know that the small problems like broken timers, leaky sinks, and rotting sponges tend to accumulate quickly and become a real morale killer for baristas and point of stress for management. Today we chat about why you should resist the Siren song of resigning yourself to these little dysfunctions and take on the habit of consistently fixing the small stuff.

099 : The Barista League w/ Steven Moloney : Community, Competition, accessibility, fun Jul 10, 2018

Show notes

Competitions don't have to be expensive, complex, or stressful! The Barista League is proof. Today we are talking with Barista League founder, Steven Moloney about this community focused, engaging, and refreshing competition. We discuss the benefits of this type of format, what people who attend are saying, his perspective on specialty retail, and advice for how we can support and liven up our shops and cities on our own. This is a great chat that will leave you encouraged to connect with and learn from your your fellow baristas and maybe even join the Barista League.

Enjoy!

LINKS:

www.thebaristaleague.com

Instagram

Thanks to our Sponsors!

www.prima-coffee.com

www.pacificfoods.com

Laziness & the Most Important Decision Jul 05, 2018

Show notes

SHIFT BREAK #8 : We all have a bit of laziness in us. Throughout the day there are dozens of opportunities to make decisions that will either pave the way to excellence or to compromise and mediocrity. Who we become as people and an industry is built by of thousands these important decisional micro-moments. Today on Shift Break #8 we explore this subject and what you can do to break the cycle and create a personal culture of excellence that you take with you wherever you go.

This is a critical episode so I hope you take it to heart and put it into action!

Links/Resources:

Do the Work - Steven Pressfield

Leadership and Self Deception- The Arbinger Institute

Mindset -Dr. Carol Dweck

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 thr Jul 03, 2018

Show notes

As 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 a way that the close an honor rather than a punishment? Today we discuss the both the issues and the virtues of the closing shift and give managers and baristas practical solutions, steps, and tools to reframe the mindset around it and achieve a higher level of excellence and satisfaction.

Thank you for listening and Enjoy!

Related Episodes:

Episode 46 : Death by Comparison

Episode 56 : The Sleepwalking Barista

Episode 31 : Essential Advice for New Baristas

Contact me:Chris@keystotheshop.com

Remember to rate, review, and subscribe!

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!

WWW.PRIMA-COFFEE.COM

WWW.PACIFICFOODS.COM

097 : Founder Friday w/ Erica Escalante, Founder of The Arrow Coffeehouse : Jun 29, 2018

Show notes

It's Founder Friday! Today we are honored to hear from the owner of The Arrow Coffeehouse, Erica Escalante. Erica is a 10 year veteran of the specialty industry and went from Starbucks barista to coffee shop owner. Her story is one of extraordinary hard work, dedication, building relationships, constant learning, vulnerability, and servant leadership. Her perspectives on communication, making business decisions, hiring, and where she draws energy and joy in her busy life will leave you refreshed and enlivened to work hard to do good.

Enjoy!

Links:

www.thearrowcoffeehouse.com

Our Sponsors!