Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

We serve 2 types of customers. External and internal. The external customer is the one that comes in for a coffee and spends money and time with us as guests in the cafe. The internal customer comes in for a job and spend their energy and time helping us serve the first customer well. In this environment, managers are critical leaders in caring for both groups. Not only this, managers are under pressure to serve the big vision of the business and those who own it. No wonder management burns out as much as they do!

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about serving your managers. The servant leadership model is one that fits neatly in coffee and we will discuss how to adjust our mindsets and schedules to properaly and actually care for those who care for others. This shift makes all the difference.

I have noticed a lot of noise in the industry. The coffee shop and its owner are the targets of a crushing and never ending stream of marketing that does not care about your success, but only moving units. The uncertainty that was supposed to be solved, is made worse, and the simple desire to serve coffee professionally, gets over complicated. No wonder we burn out so often.

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how simplicity is the best strategy for any coffee shop and is worth establishing as a central pillar of the business so you can navigate the pressured environment of entrepreneurship and build something on a stable foundation.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE SUMMER WEBINAR SERIES!

Great coffee shops don't happen by accident. They are built by hiring the right people, training them well, and leading them with clarity and consistency.

In this live three-part Summer Webinar Series, Chris Deferio shares the practical systems and coaching insights that have helped coffee businesses build stronger teams, healthier cultures, and more resilient operations.

Each webinar includes:

• Live instruction and Q&A
• PDF workbook
• One hour of virtual consulting for each live attendee
• Lifetime access to the recording

Register for the individual sessions that fit your current needs, or scroll down to save 20% when you bundle the last two in our series.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE SUMMER WEBINAR SERIES!

Sign up for 1:1 CONSULTING AND COACHING

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 [email protected]

OR... book a free call now to talk about working together

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

Related episodes:

• 109 : Leadership Abandonment Syndrome : Lack of development in senior staff and what to do about it
• 475: Essential Tools for Cafe Management
• 419: Behaviors That Establish Excellent Management Culture
• Proactivity in the Owner – Manager Relationship

In the world of specialty coffee, the relationship between roaster and cafe is one of the most vital. In a healthy relationship, there is a support for the client that mirrors the hospitality and quality that the roaster hopes the cafe produces using their coffee.

There may be nobody more qualified to speak to both side of this relationship of mutual support than today guest, Sam Lewontin!

Sam is a veteran coffee professional whose nearly 30 year career has taken him from barista in many small and obscure shops, to owning and growing one of NYC best Cafes Everyman Espresso along with Sam Penix. Sam Lewontin carved out a niche for himself as one of coffee's most thoughtful, clear, and intentional operators as well as decorated barista competitors.

After a long career in barista work and cafe hospitality and ownership, Sam took the listening, communication, and service skill he honed in th shop, and applied it to the world of sales and wholesal support for Stumptown Coffee Roasters and now most recently is representing Counter Culture Coffee!

Literally every time you interact with Sam, he is not just enthused to see you, but in genuinely interested in your good. This is why we are talking with him today to learn about how we can develop our hospitality approach in like fashion, but take a page from him play book in sales to truly help our clients solve problems and thrive in their business.

We discuss:

• The evolution of Sam's career from hobby to professional and the importance of continuous learning how friend and mentors shaped his world.
• Creating accessible and welcoming coffee experiences through thoughtful design and hospitality
• The role of networking, community building, and trust in growing coffee businesses
• Meeting customers where they are: making coffee approachable and familiar
• Practical tips for supporting wholesale clients with streamlined resources and support
• Prioritizing high leverage support tools instead of generic offerings
• Facilitating connections between wholesale customers, tech support, and global producers
• The philosophy that the core value of cafes is delivering an approachable, memorable hospitality experience

REGISTER NOW FOR THE SUMMER WEBINAR SERIES!

Great coffee shops don't happen by accident. They are built by hiring the right people, training them well, and leading them with clarity and consistency.

In this live three-part Summer Webinar Series, Chris Deferio shares the practical systems and coaching insights that have helped coffee businesses build stronger teams, healthier cultures, and more resilient operations.

Each webinar includes:

• Live instruction and Q&A
• PDF workbook
• One hour of virtual consulting for each live attendee
• Lifetime access to the recording

Register for the individual sessions that fit your current needs, or scroll down to save 20% on the complete Summer Webinar Series.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE SUMMER WEBINAR SERIES!

[email protected]

of book a free call now:

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

Related episodes:

• 246 : Selecting a Wholesale Coffee Provider
• 473: A Master Class in Wholesale Coffee w/ Honor Forte of Olympia Coffee Roasters
• Be honest with your Wholesale Accounts
• 133 : 5 Keys to Successful Wholesale w/ Sarah Richmond

I have noticed a lot of noise in the industry. The coffee shop and its owner are the targets of a crushing and never ending stream of marketing that does not care about your success, but only moving units. The uncertainty that was supposed to be solved, is made worse, and the simple desire to serve coffee professionally, gets over complicated. No wonder we burn out so often.

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how simplicity is the best strategy for any coffee shop and is worth establishing as a central pillar of the business so you can navigate the pressured environment of entrepreneurship and build something on a stable foundation.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE SUMMER WEBINAR SERIES!

Great coffee shops don't happen by accident. They are built by hiring the right people, training them well, and leading them with clarity and consistency.

In this live three-part Summer Webinar Series, Chris Deferio shares the practical systems and coaching insights that have helped coffee businesses build stronger teams, healthier cultures, and more resilient operations.

Each webinar includes:

• Live instruction and Q&A
• PDF workbook
• One hour of virtual consulting for each live attendee
• Lifetime access to the recording

Register for the individual sessions that fit your current needs, or scroll down to save 20% on the complete Summer Webinar Series.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE SUMMER WEBINAR SERIES!

Sign up for 1:1 CONSULTING AND COACHING

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 [email protected]

OR... book a free call now to talk about working together

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

Related episodes:

• 421: Encore Episode: Simple, Powerful, Hospitality w/ Philip Paul Turner
• Keep Systems Simple!
• Founder Friday! w/ Amos Gillespie of Wheelhouse Coffee, Kentville, Nova Scotia, CA
• Menu Simplicity as Hospitality
• Building your Coffee Shop's Capacity from Simplicity

A cafe's culture is built by intentionally investing in values, hiring, training, and leadership structures and behaviors. These areas are integral to any cafe's success. The issue is that for many, they tend to be rushed or even afterthoughts, leaving the people part of our coffee shops under developed and the resulting culture fragile.

In this episode we will go over the three areas we are covering in an upcoming webinar series and how each of them factor into your cafe's success.

Today we will discuss:

• Values+ Hiring
• Onboarding + Training
• Leadership + Management

REGISTER NOW FOR THE SUMMER WEBINAR SERIES!

Great coffee shops don't happen by accident. They are built by hiring the right people, training them well, and leading them with clarity and consistency.

In this live three-part Summer Webinar Series, Chris Deferio shares the practical systems and coaching insights that have helped coffee businesses build stronger teams, healthier cultures, and more resilient operations.

Each webinar includes:

• Live instruction and Q&A
• PDF workbook
• One hour of virtual consulting for each live attendee
• Lifetime access to the recording

Register for the individual sessions that fit your current needs, or scroll down to save 20% on the complete Summer Webinar Series.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE SUMMER WEBINAR SERIES!

[email protected]

of book a free call now:

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

We are notorious in coffee for promoting people into management based only on technical skills or that they might not be quite as unreliable as others on the team. We also rush good people who need more time to develop resilience into the position and set them up for failure. In order to make good decisions, there are many traits we need to look for in a a manager, but one in particular is important enough that I feel every manager should possess at least the beginnings of it.

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the need for a particular kind of resiliency that I have seen the best managers have. If you look for this in your team and in those who apply for roles in the shop it will set them up for success in their technical, admin, and leadership responsibilities well into the future.

Worth a note is the fact that owners are also hugely responsible for how they bring in, train, and provide standards and structures for leadership. You cannot lead based on intuition and some "it" factor. The argument here is not that management make up for and excuse the the lack of systems and structures, but that they would be and can be part of the process of helping lead others in those things and help advance them as well.

Sign up for 1:1 CONSULTING AND COACHING

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 [email protected]

OR... book a free call now to talk about working together

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

Related episodes:

• 109 : Leadership Abandonment Syndrome : Lack of development in senior staff and what to do about it
• 419: Behaviors That Establish Excellent Management Culture
• 383 : How to Train a Manager
• Proactivity in the Owner – Manager Relationship
• 314 : The 6 Essential Qualities of Coffee Shop Leaders

Today we have access to information about the world of coffee that is unprecedented. At times it can be overwhelming to consider all the areas of the coffee industry that need fixing while we also work daily to care for those we have immediately with us.

The trick is to tune into sources that convey not just the reality of the problem, but can also feature stories that showcase hope as we work to make progress.

Today we get talk with someone whose work in writing about coffee has helped countless people grapple with and take steps to address our industry's most pressing issues.

Sarah Charles is the founder of Underscore Communications, former Editor of Coffee Intelligence, and Senior Communications Officer at the International Trade Centre (ITC/WTO agency). A principal author of the ITC Coffee Guide 4th Edition, she writes for print and online publications and produces industry reports and books covering coffee trends, trade, and development.

Her work makes sense of the world's messiest systems – climate, trade, culture, food – through sharp storytelling, fresh angles, and analysis. She holds an MSc in Sustainable Development from SOAS, University of London and is a founding member of the Greek IWCA chapter.

Today we will discuss:

• Sarah's start in coffee writing
• Romanticism vs. Reality in Coffee
• The Impact of Writing on the Coffee Industry
• Navigating Challenges and Finding Inspiration
• Hopeful Futures for Coffee Farmers
• The Power of Necessity in Innovation
• Community and Connection in Business
• Hopeful Trends from China's producing Community
• Knowledge as Leverage in Coffee Trade
• The Impact of Consolidation on Specialty Coffee
• Balancing Ethics and Profit in Business

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/unprincipledwriter/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-e-charles/

https://iwcagreece.org/

https://www.intracen.org/resources/publications/the-coffee-guide-fourth-edition

KEYS TO THE SHOP OFFERS

CONSULTING + COACHING

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

[email protected]

of book a free call now:

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

Related episodes:

• 451: Business Growth, Integrity, and Coffee Farmer Equity w/ Martin Mayorga of Mayorga Coffee
• 602: Renata Henderson | Cxffeeblack | Putting The Heart Back Into Coffee
• 560: Bio-Innovation and Securing the Future for Coffee Farmers and Their Land w/ Felipe Sardi of La Palma y El Tucan
• 510: Advancing Equity in Farmer-Consumer Relationships w/ Ethiopia's Beamlak Bekele!
• Sustainability Series #1 : The Farm

Sometimes we hope against hope that we can eventually win the customer over to that one flavor, those later hours of your cafe, or the new menu item that the internet said was a sure-fire winner. Whether it is our own pride or some other reason, we can hang on to things a bit too long and damage our business in the process.

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the signals your customers are sending you regarding your coffee shops hours, menu etc and how we can get the hint, get over our stubbornness, and free ourselves to make discussions informed from the conversation we have with our community.

Sign up for 1:1 CONSULTING AND COACHING

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 [email protected]

OR... book a free call now to talk about working together

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

Related episodes:

• The Conversational Reality of Your Business : Thought on how to approach creative projects in the new year
• SHIFT BREAK: Embracing Problems as Blessings
• 227 : Connecting with Hearts and Minds
• SHIFT BREAK: Make Customer Feedback a Priority
• Feedback Culture : Making feedback a part of what you do not just something you sometimes do

I am so glad that I came across this jewel of a cafe in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. We hear often about direct trade relationships, local sourcing, excellent hospitality, and servant leadership all as aspirations of mindful operators. This place is living these aspirations as a part of the daily rhythm. Coffee and Cacao from their backyard. Signature drinks and a food menu made from ingredients direct from local farms. A deep focus on Oaxacan culture and tradition. I am so happy to welcom to the show the founder of Cafeto Cacao, Yaren Maya! Yaren Maya is the Founder and Owner of the amazing Cafeto Cacao, a specialty coffee shop in Oaxaca, Mexico. She has been working in the coffee and cacao industry for three years already and the cafe has established itself as the premier destination for thoughtful and excellent hospitality and menu items sourced from Oaxaca. A beautiful business showcasing local flavor, creativity, and kind service to neighbors and tourists alike. Yaren is also the co-creator of an Oaxacan fusion restaurant, which has been operating for five years and caters for lunches, dinners, and events. Working by the side of others professionals of the industry in Food and Beverages in Oaxaca City, Yaren continues to grow her professional skills as she creates, leads, and serves. Prior to the restaurant and Cafeto Cacao, Yaren gained professional experience and internships in Mexico and the United States in the hotel industry, basic studies of the English language in Ireland, as well as experience in coffee shops and eventual catering services in the aforementioned country. In Todays conversation we will cover:

• Yaren's background in hospitality and how it shaped her approach to café ownership
• The importance of local ingredients like cacao, vanilla, and seasonal fruits in menu development
• The fusion concept: blending Oaxaca's traditional cuisine with innovative techniques
• Strategies for staff training on product knowledge and hospitable interactions
• How maintaining integrity and values in sourcing creates a loyal customer base
• The role of small-scale, traditional equipment like clay pots in preserving culture
• Tips for fostering a passionate, adaptable team that shines in a small setting
• Motivation and continuous learning in a competitive, evolving industry

Links:

Instagram: @Cafeto_cacao

KEYS TO THE SHOP OFFERS

CONSULTING + COACHING

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

[email protected]

of book a free call now:

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

Related episodes:

• 332: Founder Friday! w/ Iman Kusumaputra & Putri Yulandari of Kopikalyan, Jakarta, Indonesia
• 530: Founder Friday w/ Aisha Bullard and Modou (MAD) Diongue of Original Drip in Dakar, Senegal
• 289 : Founder Friday w/ Ochen Simon Eidodo of Chariots Coffees, Uganda!
• 256 : Founder Friday w/ Varat Vichit-Vadakan of Roots Coffee Roaster in Bangkok, Thailand

As hard as starting a coffee shop can be, growing that shop is where the real work begins. The industry is riff with examples of cafes and roasteries that have suffered and even failed as a resulting how they approach growth. The industry also has many whose businesses have grown well but we can only admire their work as outsiders to the work that was done to get there.

Enter Colin Harmon. Just like he did with his first book "What I know About Running Coffee Shops", Colin once again give us a look behind the curtain in his new book, "What I Know About Growing Coffee Shops!

Colin Harmon is a 4x Irish Barista champion and founder of the iconic cafe and roastery 3fE in Dublin, Ireland.

Under Colin's leadership 3fE has grown to 8 cafes, a massive roasting and wholesale program, and stands as an example of a what a thriving quality focused specialty coffee business looks like.

Today we get to welcome Colin back to the show 9 years after his first appearance in 2017 shortly after the release of his first book to open up the ages of his new book and share with us his hard earned lessons and perspectives on growing a coffee shop!

We Discuss:

• Colin's reflection on the eight-year process to write his latest book and the importance of allowing ideas to mature
• Balancing hands-on work with business growth, including fixing toilets and managing staff
• The concept of a "stay here plan" to sustain long-term engagement in the coffee industry
• The realities behind scaling coffee shops and the pitfalls of growth for ego versus long-term purpose
• How to evaluate and choose opportunities like spin-offs, markets, consulting, and events prudently
• The impact of perception, staff development, and consistency across multiple locations
• Practical frameworks for evaluating new sites and scaling while staying true to core values
• The significance of transparent communication within teams and the importance of self-awareness
• Insights into wholesale relationships, maintaining quality, and marketing without overextending
• Colin's advice on avoiding burnout, overgrowth, and the importance of focusing on what works

Links:

https://www.scottrao.com/

https://eightouncecoffee.com

@colinharmon

Keys to the Shop

CONSULTING + COACHING

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

[email protected]

of book a free call now:

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

Related Episodes:

• 022 : Founder Friday w/ Colin Harmon of 3fe Coffee, Dublin Ireland & Author of the new book, "What I know About Running Coffee Shops"
• 608: The Best Behaviors for Building Resilient Cafe and Roastery w/ Tracy Allen of Brewed Behavior Consulting
• 283 : 5 Bad Reasons to Open a Coffee Shop
• 242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann
• SHIFT BREAK: Are You Growing With Your Business?
• SHIFT BREAK! When Changing Things, Pay Attention to the Heart of the Business
• The Power of "No"

As time goes on, opportunities to grow your business will present themselves and you need to make a decision on whether you will say yes, no, or not yet. In order to make a good decision there are a few things you should consider.

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about six areas of your current business that need to be healthy in order to set your next venture up fopr success.

Whether it is adding services and departments to your current business or expanding to another location, this episode will challenge you to attend to the foundations before adding on.

Sign up for 1:1 CONSULTING AND COACHING

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 [email protected]

OR... book a free call now to talk about working together

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

Related episodes:

• RoR #27 : Scaling and Relationships in a Small Roastery w/ Cody Gordon, Cerberus Coffee
• Scaling Values
• 588: Prioritizing the Right Things as Your Cafe Grows
• 583: Unifying Teams Across Multiple Cafes
• SHIFT BREAK: Reassessing Growth
• Before you Expand