Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

As a roaster your career can go through many different unique phases, all of which will tech you different things about the craft, the business, leadership, and even entrepreneurship. Not least among the things you learn is how to use both resources and constraints as opportunities to serve others and grow as a roaster. These are the kinds of experiences that today's guest has had in the industry and today we will explore those career phases and what they taught him. I am so pleased to welcome Leigh Wetzle, Cofounder and roaster for Cedar coffee to Rate of Rise!

Leigh Wentzel is Co-founder and Head roaster for Cedar Coffee Roasters. He has been in the industry since 2014 so coming up to 10 years spent the majority of his coffee career working for Rosetta Roastery in various roles. Leigh started as a coffee delivery driver/part-time barista transitioned to full-time barista, head barista/cafe manager, and ended up as their roaster and roastery manager. Along the journey, they won Roastery of the Year 2018 and 2019 with Rosetta and then last year they won Best New Roastery with Cedar Coffee Roasters

In this conversation we discuss the lessons learned going from new roaster, roastery manager, starting Cedar, renting time on someone else's roaster, and now what is going into planning Cedar's own roastery.

Links:

https://cedarcoffeeroasters.com/

@cedarcoffeeroasters

Related episodes:

• 361: Managing Roastery Relationships and Logistics w/ Corey Turner of Andytown Coffee Roasters
• 452: Championing the Customer Experience in Coffee w/ 3x SA Barista Champion, Winston Douglas Thomas of Cedar Coffee
• 285 : Better Systems, Better Connections w/ Jon Ewald of RoasterTools
• RoR #3: Making Contingency Planning a Reality w/ Andi Trindle Mersch of Philz Coffee
• 246 : Selecting a Wholesale Coffee Provider

Subscribe to Roast Magazine!

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Visit www.roastertools.com for the best software to help you run a roastery!

The most important thing in coffee...is people. More to the point, managers and owners prioritizing hiring and caring for the right people, and baristas embracing taking responsibility for their own careers and how they show up in the shop vs blaming others for their lot in the industry.

On today's Shift Break we are going to be getting straight to the heart of what is important for managers and owners to know in hiring and caring for a team, and what is critical for baristas to know if they want to advance anywhere they happen to be.

I feel that this Shift Break is by far the one of the most important in terms of the kind of force-multiplying effect implementation of these ideas will have on the industry.

Related episodes:

• SHIFT BREAK: Wrong Fit For the Role, or Wrong Fit For Your Business?
• Raising Your Hiring Standard
• Things the Owner Can't do for You
• Making Yourself More Valuable
• 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017

In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people?

Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation!

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

Thank you to out sponsors!

Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co

The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

The world of professional specialty coffee can be both inspiring and intimidating with many customers and new baristas feeling lost in the mix of rules, methods, and information. How can we create a great experience for guests and staff who all really want to enjoy coffee and find their place in it?

Today we get to learn from the story of someone whose career in coffee took him from curious customer, to barista champion, and finally to teacher and business owner, all along the way finding his identity in coffee firmly rooted in providing the kind of hospitality that won him over at the start.

Winston Thomas is 33 years old and grew up in the small suburb of Strand in Cape Town. He studied Civil Engineering at CPUT but developed an interest in coffee after reading a letter in his local newspaper of a woman complaining that there was no good coffee in Strand/Somerset West. This sparked his interest in coffee and during his studies he completed a barista course. This changed his whole perspective on coffee and after completing his National Diploma in 2014 decided to work in coffee full time. Since then he has managed to win the South African Aeropress Championship in 2016, the Western Cape Barista Championship for 2017, 2018 & 2020, the South African Barista Championship in 2017, 2018 & 2020 title as well as the Africa Barista Championship title for 2019. He now owns and runs a coffee training and consulting business called Winston Douglas Coffee and a Coffee Roastery Called Cedar Coffee Roasters.

In this episodes you will learn about:

• Winston's entry into coffee and how his engineering mind helped him discover higher levels
• Curiosity and a desire to understand how things work are valuable traits in the coffee industry.
• Barista competitions can provide opportunities for growth and learning, but it's important to maintain a sense of humility and not let success cloud one's perspective.
• Hospitality as a fundamental aspect of coffee service
• Why baristas should strive to create meaningful experiences for customers.
• Building confidence and finding one's identity in the industry
• The blessing and burden of winning
• Avoid overemphasizing fame and titles in the industry
• How having control over the variables in coffee brewing enhances the hospitality experience.
• Creating an authentic coffee experience specific to a region or culture is a challenge worth pursuing.
• How disconnecting from social media can foster creativity and originality in coffee

Links:

@cedarcoffeeroasters

@winston_douglas

www.cedarcoffeeroasters.com

www.winstondouglascoffee.com

Related episodes:

• 290 : Making Connections in Central Africa w/ Keith White Jr of Paraiso Trading!
• 410 : A Conversation w/ 2023 U.S. Barista Champion, Isaiah Sheese of Archetype Coffee
• 119 : Barista Training Masterclass w/ 2009 WBC Champion, Gwilym Davies
• 282 : How to Listen to your Customers
• 430 : Embracing "Unreasonable Hospitality" w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference
• 331 : The 7 Deadly Sins of my Career

Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your coffee shop operations, quality, and people.

Custom consulting for your unique business.

Schedule a free discovery call now!

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

Thank you to our amazing sponsors!

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

Having high standards is part of what it means to be in specialty coffee. While it is true that we need to have reasonable tolerances built into our expectations, we also need to be specific in our communication, resourcing, and expectations so people know what it is they are aiming for in the cafe.

On today's Shift Break we talk about we we should be approaching setting and meeting standards in the shop and how your example and follow through is integral to your teams success.

Related episodes:

• Pre-Closing Madness
• SHIFT BREAK : It's OK to Have Reasonable Tolerances
• Defining Excellence and Success
• You Need to Prioritize In-House Training!
• 248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team

In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people?

Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation!

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

Thank you to out sponsors!

Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co

The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

When Martin Mayorga first entered the coffee industry it was not as someone whose singular passion was the product, but the people and communities behind it that were unseen and more often that not, unrewarded for their work. He had and still has a mission to address this disparity.

Born in Guatemala City to a Nicaraguan father and a Peruvian mother, Martin's early life was a mosaic of Latin American cultures and unique challenges, including losing everything to an earthquake in Guatemala and then again to a revolution in Nicaragua. This journey from Guatemala to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Peru, and finally the United States exposed him to a variety of perspectives and challenges faced by people across these regions while eventually providing him the opportunities unique to the United States

Returning to Nicaragua at 18, Martin was confronted with the harsh realities faced by local farmers and their communities. This experience was pivotal, shaping his mission to uplift Latin American communities through sustainable business practices. Leveraging his education in International Business and Finance from Georgetown University, Martin embarked on a journey to make a positive impact for farmers in Latin Americas well as consumers in the United States.

Under Martin's leadership, Mayorga Organics has become more than a coffee company; it's a symbol of hope and empowerment for over 6,000 small farmers across 10 Latin American countries. The company's commitment to organic farming and direct relationships with farmers has not only improved the lives of these communities but also helped to transform consumer perception of ethical consumption in the U.S.

Today we will be challenged, enlightened, and inspired as we get to explore the arc of Martin's journey and discuss the various critical components of what has gone into the mission that continues to guide Mayorga Coffee and more broadly Mayorga Organics- "To eliminate systemic poverty in Latin America through responsible trade of artisanal organic foods."

Here are just some of the things we cover:

• Martin's entry into the coffee industry
• Pivotal moments in Martins diverse upbringing that shapes his world view
• Values and vision for addressing the gap between consumer and farmer
• Why we need scale to make impact
• Being patient and steady in your goals in spite of naysayers
• Giving regular coffee farmers options
• Competition and collaboration vs domination
• Considering the impact of investors on the long-term efficacy of a business
• What to do now to make a difference in the future

Links:

www.mayorgacoffee.com

@mayorgacoffee on Instagram

YouTube Video on Mayorga Coffee

Related episodes:

• Sustainability Series #1 : The Farm
• 294 : At Origin Roasting Revolution w/ Luis Fernando, founder of Amor Perfecto!
• 265 : Gaining Clarity on Transparency w/ Jonas Lorenz of The Pledge
• 060 : Serving the Coffee Plant w/ Hanna Neuschwander, World Coffee Research
• COVID-19 Focus: Perspective form Burundi w/ Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, JNP Coffee
• 335: A Better Business Model for Coffee Farmers w/ Thaleon Tremain of Pachamama Coffee
• 447: Understanding the Business of Coffee w/ Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood

Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your coffee shop operations, quality, and people.

Custom consulting for your unique business.

Schedule a free discovery call now!

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

Thank you to our amazing sponsors!

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

When we set goals it is usually because we have come to realize a need for change. In the cafe this can result in making a large scale transformational effort that can often fall flat, We want to evolve and grow our cafe or even ourselves but the learned behaviors that got us here stand in our way.

On today's Shift Break we will talk about how evolution and change that is sustainable has to be based on small and consistent steps in the direction of your goal and how doing this in the New Year can make it your best year ever!

Related episodes:

• Pull Out The Fridge
• Slow is Fast?
• Turning Radius
• What Sanding Taught Me About the Cafe Refinement Process
• 426: Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement
• 406 : Five Ways to Immediately Improve Your Coffee Quality

In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people?

Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation!

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

Thank you to out sponsors!

Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co

The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

Sample roasting empowers people with the knowledge of possibility locked in the coffee. Bringing sample roasting that provides for more continuity and better communication to more professionals in the value chain, especially at origin, is critical not just for how coffee's potential is achieved but how the value of that coffee is distributed. Today we explore this dynamic through the lens of the IKAWA sample roaster with Inventor, Andrew Stordy!

Andrew, the inventor and founder of IKAWA, grew up in coffee growing countries including Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Burundi.Andrew is an engineer and industrial designer and developed the concept for IKAWA while studying Industrial Design at the Royal College of Art in London. He's dedicated years of toil to making IKAWA a reality.

In this conversation we discuss the start of the company, how and why the roaster was developed, the impact it has had, and the design/iteration process that they utilize at IWAWA that helps them continue to innovate.

Links:

www.ikawacoffee.com

@ikawacoffee

Related episodes:

• 063 : What Your Roaster Wants you to Know w/ Rob Hoos, Author, Modulating the Flavor Profile of Coffee
• RoR #7 Illustrative Sample Roasting w/ Mike Ebert of Firedancer Coffee Consultants
• RoR #17 : Evolving Our Approach to Cupping w/ Charlie Habegger of Royal Coffee
• RoR #13 : The NORM ROAST Protocol w/ Dave Baxter
• ROR #8 How Post-Harvest Processing Impacts Flavor w/ Siva Subramanian and Byron Holcomb of Olam Food Ingredients
• 395: Connecting Roasters and Producers w/ Henry Wilson of Perfect Daily Grind and The Producer Roaster Forum!

Subscribe to Roast Magazine!

https://www.roastmagazine.com/subscribe

Visit www.roastertools.com for a free e-book and the best software to help you run a roastery!

Hospitality is a pursuit that relies on our ability to not only offer our guests excellence in quality, consistency, and interaction, but it also relies on us being able to select tools for delivery of our service that line up with our values. Mobile apps and order ahead systems have become a part of the fabric of the coffee shop space based on their convenience and marketing potential. Beyond the question of whether you should utilize this tool, is the question of the role apps and convenience ordering systems play in hospitality and how we can integrate them in a mindful seamless way.

Today we get to talk all about this with someone whose life revolves around these questions and the pursuit of delivering a solution to cafes. I am please to welcome, Joe Capone, of Espressly!

Joe Capone is a Co-Founder and CEO of Espressly. Joe oversees and manages the team at Espressly as they continue to advance and sustain the mobile app ordering system for coffee shops across the US. He is an experienced software developer and previously ran a web development agency that helped clients throughout the US. Joe has a passion for using technology as the foundation to sales and marketing systems and loves how mobile apps are readily available to the masses, enabling things that we only dreamed of in years past.

Here are just some of the things we cover:

• Developing white label apps for coffee shops
• Possibility to enhance the customer experience.
• Balancing convenience and quality
• Prioritization and organization using apps
• Backup systems to avoid over-dependence on technology
• Efficient order flow management and pickup stations
• Grace and flexibility as essential for handling mistakes and maintaining strong customer relationships.
• Quest for a seamless customer experience
• Importance of capturing data for business growth and future exit strategies.

Links:

www.espressly.co

IG:@ESPRESSLYAPPS

Related episodes:

Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your operations, quality, and people. Schedule a free discovery call now!

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

Thank you to our amazing sponsors!

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

You can't always get what you want. In fact, getting exactly what you want may hinder your growth and creativity in the long run. Most of us in the cafe space work within constraints of budget, time, space, and capacity, and that is actually something to celebrate.

On today's shift break we will be talking about why embracing and even applying constraints is the key to unlock your own, and your coffee shop's potential.

Related episodes:

• SHIFT BREAK: Before you Expand
• 240 : What to do before your Build your Bar
• 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge
• blog : Simplicity is the MVP of the Cafe
• 327: Founder Friday! w/ Phuong Tran of Lava Java
• SHIFT BREAK: Turning Radius

In my consulting work through KTTS Consulting, management and leadership structures are one of the main conversations we have. Working to create clarity, understanding, and systems for success in leadership has a compound effect on the rest of the business. Would you like to work with me 1:1 to help your cafe thrive in quality, operations, and people?

Click below for a discovery call and lets have a conversation!

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

Thank you to out sponsors!

Custom branded apps for your coffee shop: www.espressly.co

The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

The coffee market is much bigger than just specialty coffee. In fact specialty makes up just a fraction of coffee consumed globally. The advent of convenience coffee service is growing lock step with innovations in automation and that has historically make those of us in the more craft forward markets nervous. While I will readily admit to being one of those nervous and doubting people when it comes to convenience and automation, I also enjoy exploring the other side of a subject that can help balance my (maybe a whole industry's) dogmatic assumptions. To help us explore the value of these ideas and to connect to a frequently maligned segment of coffee drinkers we have returning guest and friend of the show, Tim Cox!

Tim Cox is Marketing Manager for Franke Coffee Systems. He is a food and beverage professional with over 15 years of experience focusing on beverages and Specialty Coffee. With a career spanning diverse roles ranging from multi-unit retail management, restaurant ownership, product development for national brands such as 7-11, and marketing, Tim has developed his experience across multiple channels, including Specialty, QSR, and Convenience. In his role at Franke Coffee Systems, Tim is responsible for research & insights as well as product management.

Here are just some of the things we cover:

• Tim's Career Transition
• The Value of Automation in Coffee
• Defining Specialty Coffee and Ethical Concerns
• The Importance of Accessibility in Coffee
• The forgotten segments of consumers we need to engage
• Automations impact on Hospitality
• Transferable Skills and Intentionality in Automation
• Balancing Excellence in Coffee with market access
• The Blurring Lines Between Commercial and Specialty Coffee
• How convenience and automation can help elevating the Average Expectation in Coffee

Links:

www.franke.com

Tim on IG @booksandbanjos

Related episodes:

• 445: EVOLUTION OF THE MACHINE-BARISTA RELATIONSHIP W/ RYAN WILLBUR OF SYNESSO COFFEE SYSTEMS
• 400 : The Values of Speed and Service w/ Jaime Denney of Scooter's Coffee
• 263 : Founder Friday w/ Mike McFall, Co-Founder of BIGGBY Coffee!
• 127 : Passion and Curiosity: A conversation w/ Starbucks Global Sr. Project Manager, Major Cohen

Hire Keys to the Shop Consulting to work with you 1:1 to transform your operations, quality, and people. Schedule a free discovery call now!

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

Thank you to our amazing sponsors!

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