Coffee Knowledge Hub

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Alejandro Gil Rivera, who inherited a coffee farm under challenging circumstances. With no prior experience, Alejandro has embarked on a journey to transform his farm into a thriving business. Discover how he leverages his project management skills to innovate and adapt, tackling issues like climate change, price volatility, and the complexities of the coffee market. Alejandro's story is a testament to resilience and the power of learning, offering valuable lessons for anyone facing adversity. Tune in to explore the intersection of tradition and technology in modern coffee farming.

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⁠Bella Vista coffee farm⁠

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In this episode of the coffee knowledge hub podcast, Tibor and Andrew speak to the co-founder of Lunjoe, Daniel Greenberg. Daniel discusses how Lunjoe (Lun-joe), a table reservation platform for coffee shops can help to optimise space and increase revenue for cafe owners. It also gives assurance to customers they will have a table, even in a crowded and bustling cafe.

He shares insights into the app's development journey, business model, user experience, and the challenges faced by coffee shops in a competitive market.

The conversation also explores growth strategies, membership programs, and the impact of the app on cafe culture.

As usual, Tibor and Andrew have a follow up chat about the conversation after saying good bye to Daniel. So stay tuned for the analysis at the end.

Takeaways

• Lunjoe aims to help coffee shops increase profitability by optimizing sit-in trade.
• The app allows cafe customers to reserve tables, ensuring availability for meetings and social gatherings.

• We interroagate the app's business model to understand implications for cafe margins
• User experience is prioritised, with a focus on minimising friction in the reservation process.
• The app offers a free trial of 50 reservations to encourage adoption among cafes.
• Lunjoe is designed to enhance customer experience while supporting local coffee shops.
• Feedback from users and cafe owners is crucial for continuous improvement of the app.
• The app includes features like waitlists and notifications to enhance user engagement.
• Daniel emphasizes the importance of providing value to coffee shop owners to ensure long-term success.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Lungo: A New Coffee Experience

06:11 Understanding the App's Functionality

11:28 From Idea to Execution: Building the Team

14:15 Growth Strategies and Future Plans

16:33 Customer Engagement and Loyalty Programs

19:09 Navigating Cafe Culture and User Behavior

21:50 Technical Aspects and Payment Processing

23:38 Future Developments and Features

26:29 Conclusion and Call to Action

33:24 The Value of Meeting Spaces Outside the Office

33:46 Engaging with Coffee Shop Owners

33:54 Pricing Strategies for Coffee Shop Reservations

35:17 Delivering Value to Coffee Shop Owners

37:02 Understanding Average Transaction Value (ATV)

38:34 The Concept of Selling Unused Capacity

40:05 Challenges of Reservations in Coffee Shops

41:58 The Pros and Cons of Reservations

43:43 Onboarding and Daily Operations for Coffee Shops

45:10 The Importance of Feedback and Iteration

56:18 Reflections

56:25 The Flow of Conversation

56:44 Challenges in Cafe Management

57:42 The Role of Technology in Cafes

58:08 Evolving Cafe Culture

59:00 User Journeys in Cafes

01:00:10 Customer Training and Adoption

01:01:02 Competing with Co-Working Spaces

01:01:54 Creating Unique Cafe Experiences

01:03:25 Behavioral Adaptation in Cafe Culture

01:03:58 The Impact of Technology on Cafe Dynamics

01:04:20 Revenue Models for Cafes

01:05:34 The Future of Cafe Reservations

Find out more:

Daniel Greenberg is the co-founder of Lunjoe, the patent-pending platform that helps coffee shops become more profitable by offering reservations at select tables.

Lunjoe has been crucial in helping coffee shops with a lot of laptop users.

Recently, Daniel graduated from Brown University with a degree in Behavioral Decision Sciences and a data fluency certificate.

If you would like to join Lunjoe, feel free to reach out to [email protected]

LinkedIn

TikTok

Lunjoe’s website: lunjoe.com

Download “Lunjoe” On the Apple App Store (Android Coming Soon)

See how it works: Coffee Island case study

Keywords

Lunjoe, coffee shop reservations, cafe culture, business model, user experience, growth strategies, loyalty programs, payment processing, cafe operations, startup journey

Roasted coffee packaging options are a minefield of misinformation, imperfect solutions and over-engineering. Our guest in this episode is Micah Sherer, co-founder of Skylark Coffee in Brighton UK. Micah spent 2 years researching and looking for the best solution available for Skylark, with one clear objective - remove plastic from the packaging.

Micah discusses the purpose of packaging, the full life-cycle of different packaging types - foil lined, 'recylable' LDPE type 4, compostible and paper. He describes the solution that Skylark is now using (14 micron layer of Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), or PVAL on paper) and its pros and cons. Micah is not selling this solution and his honesty in describing its pros and cons is refreshing.

There is a lot to learn from this episode for roasters, cafe operators and really anyone who takes the waste management of the coffee they are buying into consideration when buying coffee.

If you're interested in finding better packaging solutions for the specialty coffee industry, let us know via the poll below.

The conversation emphasizes the need for transparency and consumer awareness in the coffee industry regarding packaging choices and sustainability efforts.takeaways

• Packaging is crucial for transporting coffee and communicating brand values.
• Freshness in coffee is affected by packaging materials and methods.
• Plastic is prevalent in coffee packaging, but alternatives are being explored.
• Sustainability in coffee packaging involves trade-offs and challenges.
• Consumer perception plays a significant role in packaging choices.
• Innovative packaging solutions can reduce environmental impact.
• Education on recycling and composting is essential for consumers.
• The coffee industry must address the issue of waste management.
• Transparency in packaging claims is necessary to combat greenwashing.
• Sustainable practices can enhance customer loyalty and brand reputation.

Links:

Micah's blog on why they switched to the new packaging

Our previous interview on sustainability reporting

Akshat is the founder of Coffee Futures Fund, a  new initiative supporting early-stage coffee shop owners with capital, mentorship, and a trusted peer network.

Akshat has a background in brand storytelling and business strategy, he brings over a decade of experience as an operator, investor, and advisor to global growth-stage companies. He has supported founders in raising over $20 million in capital, building scalable systems, and aligning purpose with growth. He’s also the founder of the Coffee Owners Roundtable, a global peer community he launched during the pandemic to give coffee shop owners a space to connect, collaborate, and learn from each other.

The Coffee Futures Fund mission is to flip the industry’s survival rate, and help more coffee founders thrive, together. 

In this interview we dig into how the fund is being set-up, the criteria for applying, the benefits of being selected and some of the challenges. 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Coffee Futures Fund

05:54 The Genesis of Coffee Futures Fund

11:53 Understanding the Fund Structure

18:14 Investment and Revenue Sharing Model

23:50 Selection Criteria for Coffee Shops

29:50 Long-term Vision and Impact of the Fund

41:35 Understanding Revenue Sharing and Its Implications

43:46 Evaluating the Cost vs. Investment Perspective

45:52 The Importance of Revenue Growth for Sustainability

49:00 Flexibility in Investment Amounts and Revenue Shares

52:04 Mentorship Structure and Its Impact on Business Growth

56:56 Aligning Interests: The Investor and Cafe Relationship

01:00:04 The Role of Environment in Business Performance

01:03:02 Final Thoughts on the Coffee Futures Fund Model

We spoke to Jerome Ribot, founder of Coglode.com to get the behavioural scientists perspective on the concept of loyalty programs for cafes. Jerome is a coffee lover and was a regular at one of Andrew’s cafes from 2008. His passion for understanding people’s behaviours is contagious. In this interview we focus on the subject of loyalty. 

Why are we talking about loyalty - because it is at the heart of the success of many coffee businesses. Through loyalty we can increase revenue and margins at a time when revenue and margin gains are hard to come by.

Fundamentally, loyalty is a positive tool we can use to support our businesses, our people and our communities. 

The conversation flows. Starting with defining loyalty before Jerome offers 6 elements he would utilise in a cafe loyalty program. As we move past the hour, we were heading towards a conclusion but we kept talking. So stay to the end to hear the unscripted conversation about loyalty and the value of understanding our own behaviours for personal and professional growth.

Jerome Ribot

Coglode takes complex behavioural science research and distills it into practical insights that businesses can use for product development, marketing strategies, and customer experience design.
Coglode’s work has been used by large consultancies like BCGX, Mckinsey and Deloitte, alongside pioneering companies like Apple, Google, Spotify, Octopus Energy, Meta and Monzo Bank.
He also loves coffee...a lot.

Coglode.com

Coffee knowledge hub video

Summary

In this episode of the Coffee Knowledge Hub podcast, Filip Bartelak discusses the complexities of coffee assessment, exploring both subjective and objective measures of quality. He shares his journey in the coffee industry, the evolution of sensory assessment systems, and the importance of understanding different coffee markets. The conversation delves into the Coffee Value Assessment System and the role of Q Graders in establishing a common language for coffee quality. Filip emphasizes the need for professionals to be well-versed in various assessment methodologies to effectively communicate and evaluate coffee quality in a global market.

Takeaways

Coffee assessment can be both subjective and objective.

Quality in coffee is defined by market preferences.

The Coffee Value Assessment System is a new standard.

Q Graders play a crucial role in coffee quality evaluation.

Understanding different coffee markets is essential for professionals.

Communication about coffee quality must be standardized.

The evolution of coffee scoring systems reflects market changes.

Subjectivity in coffee tasting can enhance the experience.

Training in sensory assessment is vital for professionals.

The future of coffee assessment will adapt to new trends.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Sensory Assessment in Coffee

02:55 Philip Bartolak's Journey in Coffee

05:25 Defining Quality in Coffee

07:11 Understanding Sensory Assessment Systems

09:43 The Role of Q-Grader and Coffee Value Assessment

11:58 The Evolution of Coffee Quality Definitions

14:14 Communication in Coffee Quality

17:16 Attributes vs. Quality in Coffee

19:05 The Paradigm Shift in Specialty Coffee

21:39 Cultural Perspectives on Coffee Quality

24:23 Subjectivity and Objectivity in Coffee Assessment

26:41 The Future of Coffee Quality Assessment

34:05 Understanding Sensory Assessment in Coffee

37:44 The Role of Training in Coffee Evaluation

42:37 Affective vs. Descriptive Assessment

42:44 Navigating Coffee Quality Standards

46:43 The Impact of Market Preferences on Coffee Quality

51:33 Addressing Quality Disputes in Coffee Contracts

52:47 The Future of Coffee Value Assessment

This is an expansive episode about the price of coffee at this inflection point in the market and how it is impacting different actors along the coffee value chain.

We talk to our friend Stuart Ritson, the European manager of Osito coffee. Stuart has worked in the coffee industry for 14 years in roles spanning barista to wholesale manager for Workshop coffee and then European sales director for Cafe Imports and now Osito coffee. This experience gives him a wealth of knowledge that he has shared with us here.

Stuart introduces what the C-market is, why it exists and who uses it. We then look at the impact of higher prices and volatility on the value chain. We consider pragmatic solutions for roasters and cafe operators to mitigate the impact of higher prices and hopefully improve their businesses.

Tibor and Andrew finish 2024, season 1 of the CKH podcast, reflecting on trends in the South East Asian coffee industry and why we should be paying close attention to what they are doing in other parts of the world.

We also discuss trends for 2025, C-price, latte art patterns and more.

Watch the video on Spotify or on the coffee knowledge hub

Guidance for buying, selling, starting and operating a café business

Insights from John Richardson

Whether you are buying, selling or operating a café business, you need to understand what drives the sellable value of that business. The Café Expert, John Richardson shares his knowledge – defining a sellable business, understanding leases, all the variables to consider in valuing a business and what to consider as a buyer, or seller in single and multi-site businesses. 

The insights shared could save both time and money, it is essential learning for anyone working in café businesses. For those considering starting their own cafe, it is also worth listening because you should start with the end in mind.

We spoke about many topics in this interview and edited it mercilessly but it is still a long one. During the last 30 minutes with John we go into specific details and summarise how to create sellable value.

Tibor and I also do a wrap up at the end, reflecting on what John has said and hypothesising which cafes we would buy, if we were buying a business.

Find out more about John:

https://thecafeexpert.com

https://www.instagram.com/thecafeexpert/

If you’re a café operator struggling with rising costs and declining revenue, this episode of the Coffee Knowledge Hub Podcast is just what you need. We sit down with John Richardson, The Café Expert, to dive into the numbers and explore practical strategies to boost your margins. This episode is packed with actionable advice that you can start implementing right away.

With over 30 years of experience, John has founded, sold, and consulted on hundreds of successful businesses, helping them grow and thrive.

12 cups explainer: https://thecafeexpert.com/numbers/

Contact John:

Free cafe and coffee shop owners Facebook group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/cafeandcoffeeshopprofits/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/thecafeexpert/

Chapters:

0:00 - John's professional history, defining COGS and labour costs

41:00 - 12 cup model

44:00 - Wastage impact on profit as a percentage

46:50 - Increase revenue

51:00 - Evaluating the ‘we need more staff conversation

58:25 - Operational complexity

1:01.30 Top 10/bottom 10

1:09 - Improving variable costs

124:50 - Avoiding being overwhelmed