Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Latest Episodes:

499: Founder Friday! w/ Kenzel and Tio Fallen of Three Keys Coffee, Houston, TX Sep 27, 2024

Show notes

Today on Founder Friday are exploring the story of Three Keys Coffee in a wonderful conversation with the founders, Kenzel and Tio Fallen!

Kenzel Fallen is Co-Founder and CEO of Three Keys Coffee. Originally from Cincinnati, OH, Kenzel received a BA in Economics from Duke University and an MBA in Finance from Rice University. After building a career as a management consultant and corporate risk manager within the banking and energy industries, she co-founded Three Keys Coffee in 2019 along with her husband, Tio Fallen. Kenzel is a Q-Arabica Grader and wears many hats for Three Keys, primarily focused on business & financial operations as well as strategic planning and growth initiatives.

Tio Fallen is Co-Founder and Director of Coffee for Three Keys Coffee. Originally from Decatur GA, Tio has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Florida A&M University and MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. While working as an engineer in the energy industry, he began roasting coffee at home which soon expanded into a commercial venture that he started with his wife, Kenzel. His background in playing the trumpet for 15+ years influenced the branding and name of Three Keys, an homage to the valves of the instrument he picked up at the age of 8. He is a licensed Q-Arabica Grader and a licensed Professional Engineer (PE). Tio placed 9th overall in the 2023 US Roaster Championship Finals and 5th overall in the 2024 Finals.

Three Keys offers a more approachable and inclusive coffee experience through the sights and sounds of jazz culture, while remaining steadfastly committed to creating products that represent excellence and superior quality.

They are also focused on providing professional development opportunities for their staff and have recently opened up their first brick and mortar store, taking another step into caring for their coffee, and local community.

You are in for a treat!

We cover

The Convergence of Life Stories
From Side Gig to Full-Time Passion
Elevating the Familiar: The Story of Three Keys Coffee
Balancing Science and Creativity in Roasting
Receiving Feedback and Staying True to Vision
Creating Range and Accessibility
Transforming Employment and Developing Thought Leaders
Nurturing Growth and Aspirations
Building a Local Presence through a Cafe
The Power of Authenticity in Business
Maximizing Energy

Links:

Related Episodes:

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

SHIFT BREAK : How to Design Cafe Station Responsibilities Sep 25, 2024

Show notes

Workflow on the coffee bar is one of the most important things to design when considering how we will deliver excellent service and quality to our customers. Not only is it important to design your menu first and make the café design prioritize the production of that menu but you must also create clarity of responsibility within each station of that bar.

On today's episode of Shift Break, we will be talking about some principles for setting up effective station responsibilities behind the bar so that your staff not only have the have the best chance of success in serving the customer but also in helping on another during service.

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 chris@keystothshop.com 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

498: 10 Small Things to Fix in Your Coffee Shop This Week Sep 24, 2024

Show notes

Small things make a big difference in the coffee shop. Trouble is, that we tend to procrastinate addressing the natural falling away of doing small things well as we get busier, and those little actions and habits that create excellence end up atrophying causing big problems that are almost untraceable back to their small source.

On today's episode I am going to be giving you 1 small things to challenge yourself to fix in 7 days. That's right, one week to fix of begin the process of fixing 10 things that, when taken care of will help customers love your business more, or when not cared for will sow seeds of doubt and resentment in your customer's minds.

Will you and your team take on the 10 things in 7 days challenge? If you do I want to hear from you. How did it go? What kinds of positive change did it create?

I'd love to shout out you and your cafe on the show.

Have fun and don't forget to listen to the below related episodes as well.

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

SHIFT BREAK: Hard Work is Hard | Part 2 Sep 19, 2024

Show notes

We all work hard and face challenges in the cafe. The way we interpret the effort put in to the work of running a coffee shop will determine both the quality of the shop and our own ability to sustain our energy and effort. The truth is consistent effort is a normal and necessary investment that keeps life flowing through the business.

On today's addition of shift break we are going to follow up on our previous episode from a couple years back and add more detail and perspectives.The goal is to help clarify the difference between dysfunction and needed effort and how leaders and employees alike can embrace this work to better themselves and the shop to provide the next level of experience for the customer. This all ultimately helps the whole supply chain as we become resilient and energized to give consistent excellence in our coffee shops.

Related episodes:

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

497: Caught in the Middle: Answering Questions from Frustrated Management Sep 16, 2024

Show notes

The first place you're going to see burn out in the coffee bar is in the position of management. These lucky people are not only given the task to lead the team and serve them with their role, but they are also accountable to their bosses, creating a feeling of being caught between two different groups that they have to please in their work.

Almost without fail I am asked by managers over email or at conferences some version of the same question related to being frustrated at the lack of action from their boss, or that their boss is taking actions that are frustrating to them and to the team. These folks want to figure out how to navigate these situations that can often be demoralizing and creates tension in the café.

On today's episode, I am going to answer a few questions that have been sent to me that are related to this topic in hopes of creating some clarity and giving you some insights and next steps to take if you happen to find yourself in that place.

Questions we address:

How can a lead barista or shift lead effectively navigate a situation where an owner consistently undermines their authority? What strategies can help build trust between the owner and the staff?"

What are some effective ways to communicate with an owner who is very particular about small details, to help them see the bigger picture and trust their team

What are some constructive ways to address conflicts with an owner, especially when it feels like their approach is demotivating or causing unnecessary stress among the team?

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

Special Part 2 : Live from Coffee Fest LA! w/ Anna Gutierrez of Barista 22 and Sandra Elisa Loofborow of Loupe Coffee Consulting Sep 16, 2024

Show notes

Welcome to Part 2 of this special Coffee Fest live on the show floor episode! Interviews from Los Angeles 2024!

Los Angeles was so amazing and we got to sit down with 4 amazing coffee professionals who were presenting at this show.

Today we will be focusing on improving your coffee and training skills with two experts! Anna Gutierrez and Sandra Elisa Loofbourow!

Anna Gutierrez

Beginning her coffee career in 1997 as a barista, Anna currently manages the Barista 22 line of syrups, sauces and powders. Having extensive experience working with distributors and national coffee chains, she's an expert in product selection, marketing and branding, R + D of specialty coffee products, training and has a consistent passion for beverage development. Anna has presented at Coffee Fest shows since 2005, has been a certified United States Barista Championships and former Coffee Fest latte art judge, can be seen emceeing a variety of coffee events nationally and holds several Signature Drink Competition titles. She has also authored multiple coffee publication articles, is a Barista Guild of America member, is an SCA Level 1 Certified barista and was also co-featured on Barista Magazine's April, 2012 cover.

Anna and got to talk on the show floor about barista basics. What has changed? What is the same? What is most effective? Anna is incredibly gifted and skilled in teaching so I know this will be a great value.

Link:

https://www.barista22.com/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/annagutierrez/

Sandra Elisa Loofbourow

Sandra Elisa Loofbourow is a certified Q Instructor through CQI, a seasoned green buyer, roaster, barista, and published author. She was a founding Director of The Crown: Royal Coffee Lab & Tasting Room, and am co-host of the bilingual podcast Cafetera Intelectual. Sandra is dedicated to creating a sustainable, ethical, and quality-focused coffee supply chain and offers numerous classes and workshops to help you learn to assess and describe coffee.

At Coffee Fest she taught a class on expanding your coffee vocabulary and we got chat on the show floor all about how you can take steps to do that very thing in your coffee business.

Links:

https://www.sandraloofbourow.com/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-elisa-loofbourow-b8979333/

Related episodes:

Sponsor:

www.coffeefest.com

SPECIAL! | PART 1 Coffee Fest LA! 2024 w/ Shanita Nicholas of Sip and Sonder + Elisa Hoyos and Leo Abularach of Picaresca Barra de Cafe Sep 13, 2024

Show notes

Welcome to Part 1 of this special Coffee Fest live on the show floor episode! Interviews from Los Angeles 2024!

Los Angeles was so amazing and we got to sit down with 4 amazing coffee professionals who were presenting at this show.

Today we will be focusing on what amounts to a couple of mini-Founder Fridays with 2 cafe owners in the LA area providing ground breaking spaces and service!

Shanita Nicholas

While practicing law at the same law firm, Amanda-Jane Thomas and Shanita Nicholas became friends. Eventually, the two women also became business partners, their dreams and passions converging into the creation of Sip & Sonder.

Shanita's law practice has focused on general corporate start-up and venture capital financing work. She holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from the Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science and a J.D./M.B.A. from Columbia Law and Business Schools. She became a Certified Q Grader for Arabica Coffee summer 2023.

Established in 2017 in Inglewood, CA, Sip & Sonder is a global Black women-owned coffee brand with a portfolio of coffeehouses, a coffee roastery, and digital content spaces.

Link:

www.sipandsonder.com

Elisa Hoyos and Leo Abularch

Picaresca Barra de Cafe opened its doors inside of a mini mall complex located on the far south corner of Boyle Heights right in the middle of the pandemic. Their journey began in an unlikely place, hidden, with no visibility and minimal foot traffic, but they managed to stay afloat. '

Today they occupy a larger space with a full kitchen and an off site roasting operation providing world class hospitality and service to their beautifully diverse neighborhood in Boyle Heights.

Their coffee is truly some of the best in the city and I am thrilled to get to sit down with Leo and Elisa to talk about their journey.

https://www.barrapicaresca.com/

Related episodes:

Sponsor:

www.coffeefest.com

SHIFT BREAK: Don't Celebrate Unhealthy Wins Sep 10, 2024

Show notes

We 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 to celebrating the functional and quickly addressing the dysfunctional.

Related episodes:

https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min

Key Holder Coaching Group Applications are Open!

APPLY TODAY!

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

496: Hard Decisions and High Standards Sep 10, 2024

Show notes

Much of what gets written regarding the reasons behind declining standards in the coffee shop focuses on the leadership and what they can do to facilitate success. Here at KTTS there are dozens of interviews and solo episodes dedicated to this very thing. But what does not get so much air time is the reality that if we are to see a rise in standards of leadership, we must also call for a rise in personal professional work standards from staff.

Culpability for the miserable state of coffee service goes both ways and often it is the leaders avoidance of dealing with toxic employees that keeps them employed thus allowing their negative influence to sabotage the success of the business, the team, and, in fact, the whole industry whose reputation is built from the interactions consumers have with "professionals".

Today on this solo episode we will be exploring the reasons why so many owners refuse to deal with toxic employees in the cafe in favor of a misguided notion of giving perpetual grace that is more enablement than kind gesture. We will also talk about what is needed if we are to make progress in the business of coffee shops. High standards are not just for owners and managers, they are for all and it is time we started creating environments that reward and recognize great work, while also not tolerating corrosive behavior and attitudes, be ti from leaders or employees.

Related episodes:

Key Holder Coaching Group Applications are Open!

APPLY TODAY!

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

Special Message: What is a Key Holder Coaching Group and Why Join? Sep 09, 2024

Show notes

The things we learn in community with others can have a profound impact on both us and our businesses. Certainly learning by yourself is a good thing, but there's just something about having a group of people who have your back and have been where you are and are your peers that creates a different dynamic where you can have accountability encouragement insights and be challenged on your assumptions all in the same conversation.

In short, it's transformational.

Today in this brief recording I want to talk to you a little bit about the behind the Key Holder Coaching Groups that we launched last year how they work, and why joining us in these conversations in community might be the best thing for you as an owner to help you grow and gain clarity in the midst of an often chaotic and isolated existence.

There is only one week left as of today's recording date of September 9, 2024 to sign up for the fall groups!

You can find the link below that will take you to an application to fill out. From there we can have a conversation and you may just find yourself joining us in these dynamic conversations in the next six months.

Click below to learn more or just reach out to chris@keystotheshop.com

Key Holder Coaching Group Applications are Open!

APPLY TODAY!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected