Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

It's Founder Friday! Leaving a legacy and making an impact on the industry is something we all want for our businesses. Few companies get to the place where they can say they have not only achieved this but done so it a way that stays true to their values and traditions, while also artfully evolving with the changing landscape of coffee. Mr. Espresso in Oakland, CA is one such company.

Established in 1978 and now celebrating 45 years in business, Mr. Espresso is a specialty coffee roasting company that has stayed true to the Italian coffee culture and roots of founder Carlo Di Ruocco while embracing innovation to inspire the next generation of coffee drinkers. In keeping with the sensibilities of the modern coffee consumer, Mr. Espresso is committed to responsible sourcing, sustainable production and investment in community. Offering wholesale beans, premium commercial brewing equipment, and service and training support, Mr. Espresso made its mark as one of the first full-service, coffee roasting retailers in the U.S. and has since become a trusted supplier to noteworthy restaurants, cafes, bakeries and coffee houses around the San Francisco Bay Area and nationally. Additionally, Mr. Espresso has expanded its online presence and grown its retail customer base well beyond the Bay Area.

Mr. Espresso uses traditional wood-roasting methods over oakwood. This technique results in high moisture content and an increased retention of natural oils, producing a complex and full-bodied coffee with less acidity. Mr. Espresso has received numerous high-scoring reviews and accolades over its long history, and is a two-time Good Food Awards winner for its organic single-origin coffees. Founder Carlo Di Ruocco was awarded the 2015 Alfred Peet Passionate Cup, one of the Specialty Coffee Association's most prestigious awards. In early 2023, Mr. Espresso will open a cafe in downtown Oakland, not far from its roastery in Jack London Square.

Today we are talking with Carlo DiRuocco's sons, John and Luigi DiRuocco, who Co-Own and run Mr. Espresso.

Luigi Di Ruocco is Co-owner and Sales & Marketing Vice President of Mr. Espresso, and Co-owner of The Caffè by Mr. Espresso. An alumnus of Saint Mary's College, Luigi earned a double major in Business Administration and Economics, followed by two years in portfolio accounting. However, in 2001 at age 24, Luigi returned to the family business, drawn by the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the family enterprise. Currently, Luigi is at the helm of the newly opened – The Caffè by Mr. Espresso, in the heart of Downtown Oakland.

John Di Ruocco is Co-owner and Vice President of Coffee for Mr. Espresso, and Co-owner of The Caffè by Mr. Espresso. After earning an undergraduate degree in architecture from UC Berkeley. After receiving his degree, he returned to the family business, learning the art of wood-roasting coffee from his father. John went on to become roastmaster in the early '90s, and eventually Vice President of Coffee. John has moved the company forward as a leader in both single-origin and blended coffees. John has been instrumental in expanding the offerings to reflect changing coffee preferences, adding distinguished lighter-roasted coffees, most often organic and fair trade in origin.

In this conversation we discuss the rich history of this iconic company, their values, traditions, and how they have grown and evolved over the past 45 years!

We discuss:

• The beginning of Mr. Espresso
• The importance of tradition and craft
• Creating an authentic product and brand
• Why wood roasting is unique in method and outcome
• How they source coffee and approach QC
• Evolving with the industry
• Knowing what to say no to and trusting your gut
• Advice for impact and longevity in coffee
• Offering a product that appeal widely but keeps tradition

Links:

www.mrespresso.com

Instagram: @mrespressooak

@thecaffeoak

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• 380 : Founder Friday! w/ Cary and Cindy Arsaga of Arsaga's Coffee Roasters
• 327: Founder Friday! w/ Phuong Tran of Lava Java
• 320 Founder Friday! w/ Francesco Sanapo of Ditta Artigianale, Florence, Italy

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In all the building of systems and curating of culture we do, the one culture that tends to get short changed is the managers. Whether it is just you and one manager or a team of admin staff, the relationship between leaders in a coffee shop is critical to focus on and develop.

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about this important set of relationships and why it is critical to the health of the entire company.

Stay tuned to next week's episode where we dive even deeper into this subject with some solid practical steps.

Related episodes:

• Don't Forget Relationships
• Proactivity in the Owner - Manager Relationship
• 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aire
• Expectations for Growth
• Reasonable Expectations
• The Myth of Hands Off / Automated Leadership

Visit our Sponsors!!!

The best espresso machines in the world!

www.lamarzoccousa.com

Custom branded mobile apps for your shop!

www.espressly.co.

For a long time the coffee you could get at home was limited in quality because the average home user, while able to purchase gear and coffee, was not able to match the commercial water quality of their favorite cafe. All that changed when ThIrd Wave Water democratized ideal water for coffee and helped unlock the potential for innumerable coffee lovers world wide.

Taylor Minor is Co-Founder of Third Wave Water. With a passion for technology and having owned and ran his own roastery, Taylor eventually applied this experience to customizing his own water then, along with business partner Charles Nick, developed Third Wave Water. 3W Water was featured on Shark Tank and has been had a global impact on how people view and can access ideal water for the various coffees they brew.

In our conversation wee discuss the genesis of 3W Water, the evolution of the industry, how they have grown along with it, the science behind the products, and Taylor's views on specialty coffee.

We Cover:

• Cafe ownership and Beginning Third Wave Water
• Making great water accessible to the masses
• Philosophy on coffee quality
• Water make up for various roast styles
• Considerations for espresso
• Selecting the right water
• Importance of equipping your customers for success

Links:

www.thirdwavewater.com

Related episodes:

• 347 : Brewing Coffee and a Career w/ U.S. Brewer's Cup Champion, Elika Liftee
• 168 : How to get the Best from your Coffee w/ WBC 2013 Champ, Pete Licata
• 406 : Five Ways to Immediately Improve Your Coffee Quality
• 372 : Milk Steaming Master Class: Science + Craft w/ Morten Munchow and Emilee Bryant!
• RoR #17 : Evolving Our Approach to Cupping w/ Charlie Habegger of Royal Coffee

Visit our awesome Sponsors!

GROUND BREAKING BREWING MADE SIMPLE!

www.groundcontrol.coffee

THE BEST PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES ON THE PLANET!

www.Pacificfoodservice.com

30 years of resourcing you with the best products and education!

www.coffeefest.com

Use Code: "KEYS" for 50% General Admission

Part 2 of 2023 Coffee Fest Live Louisville, KY interviews!

In these interviews I sit down with stellar presenters and lecturers to dig deep into a range of relevant and important topics that will help make you and your coffee business better.

For this part 2 we get to talk with Lauren Lathrop and Rob Arnold!

First up is Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters! For well over a decade Lauren has been a leading educator and impactful member of the coffee industry. From barista, to shop manager, to trainer some of the best brands and companies in the world, Lauren's approach to education creates progress and understand for all she teaches. That educational prowess is has, in recent years, been applied to roasting through Mill City Roasters where she helps roasters achieve quality and repeatability and gives them the keys to unlock their potential. At Coffee Fest I sat down with Lauren to discuss the most important aspects of training roasters and how we can not only learn well under instruction and give effective instruction, but how we can guide our own roasting education.

​​Next we chat with Rob Arnold of Pre-Game Coffee

Rob is the founder, owner, roaster, and creative at Pre-Game Coffee here in Louisville, KY. For 4 years now Pre-Game has been the premier sports, coffee, and cocktail venue in Louisville and focuses on providing what is likely one of the most unique hospitality experiences in the city. Cocktails and signature drinks have been a focus since day one and Rob was able to talk with the attendees at Coffee Fest about the secrets to success with these beverages. I sat down to chat with Rob about that very thing so you too can benefit from his field tested approach to cafe cocktails and sig drinks!

Links:

Lauren:

www.millcityroasters.com

Rob:

www.pregamecoffee.com

Related episodes:

• 159 : Addressing Unconscious Bias w/ Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters
• SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! Chicago 2022 Part 1 w/ Luke Waite, Kris Christian, and Perfect Cube
• SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! Chicago 2022 Part 2 w/ Marissa Childers, Jess Gulino, and Tony Dreyfuss
• 157 : Four from the Floor : Interviews from Coffee Fest Indianapolis 2019
• 142 : Entrepreneur Interviews from Coffee Fest NYC!

www.coffeefest.com

Part 1 of 2023 Coffee Fest Live Louisville, KY interviews!

In these interviews I sit down with stellar presenters and lecturers to dig deep into a range of relevant and important topics that will help make you and your coffee business better.

To start us off on part 1 we are going to talk with Jackie Nguyen of Cafe Caphe!

Jackie Nguyen is the founder of Cafe Caphe in Kansas City, MO. From broadway to coffee shop owner, Jackie has been a dynamo in the coffee scene of KC with Cafe Caphe. A space focused on highlighting Vietnamese coffee as well as marginalized communities, Jackie has lead the way for vibrant cafe culture. Part of her success is a strong and deep social media presence that connects people to her brand before even visiting. Today we get to chat with her about how we too can use our social platforms to connect and grow our community and our business.

​​Next we chat with Sean Roberson of West Lou Coffee!

Sean Roberson is the founder and roaster at West Lou Coffee in Louisville, KY. A West Louisville native Sean fell in love with coffee roasting after a career in finance and has been running an growing West Lou coffee as a business based in West Louisville and with an aim to enrich and inspire locals in West Louisville and other overlooked and under resourced areas of cities world-wide. Today we chat with Sean about his journey in starting West Lou Coffee, the challenges, importance of his work, and advice to other who live in marginalized areas to start and build something for their communities as he has.

Links:

www.westloucoffee.com

@westloucoffee

www.cafecaphe.com

@cafecaphe

Related episodes:

SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! Chicago 2022 Part 1 w/ Luke Waite, Kris Christian, and Perfect Cube SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! Chicago 2022 Part 2 w/ Marissa Childers, Jess Gulino, and Tony Dreyfuss 157 : Four from the Floor : Interviews from Coffee Fest Indianapolis 2019 142 : Entrepreneur Interviews from Coffee Fest NYC!

www.coffeefest.com

If we work with people long enough, we are going to face frustrations and challenges. Too often these normal relational issues go unresolved and solidify into something called resentment.

Today on Shift break we will be talking about how boss and barista alike can fall into this trap and what to do to avoid the toxicity that results by leaving it unaddressed.

Related episodes:

• Don't Forget Relationships
• Avoiding Toxic Loyalty
• Proactivity in the Owner - Manager Relationship
• Understanding and Bitterness

Visit our Sponsors!!!

The best espresso machines in the world!

www.lamarzoccousa.com

Custom branded mobile apps for your shop!

www.espressly.co.

As an industry, our flavor preferences turn into what we market, which turn communicates a message about quality and what people should care about when it comes to "the best" coffees. Too often we are content to let the our message be incredibly narrow regarding flavors and preferences. Without context this leaves a lot of great coffee that may be more enjoyable for the consumer, at a disadvantage.

On this Rate of Rise episode we will be talking about tools to bridge the flavor preference gap with coffee legend, Phil Beattie of Dillanos Coffee Roasters!

Phillip Beattie is the Director of Coffee for Dillanos Coffee Roasters. He is an experienced coffee industry leader with over 20 years in roasting, sourcing and quality control. Known for his contagious energy and passionate leadership. He served as chair the Roasters Guild, been on international cupping juries, and has been a certified Q Grader. He had the privilege of roasting for two United States Barista Champions, once in 2015 and again in 2019. Phillip feels fortunate and blessed to work in the world of coffee.

In our conversation Phil gives us wonderful insights on the state of roasting, how we market, and what tools or system changes are needed to correct the current imbalance that favors our own tastes vs that of the consumer.

Links:

• www.dillanos.com

Related Episodes:

• 282 : How to Listen to your Customers
• 196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano Transcript
• RoR #17 : Evolving Our Approach to Cupping w/ Charlie Habegger of Royal Coffee

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Growing you coffee shop is about more than just adding locations. Growth has to do with developing internal resilience, culture, and practices that are life giving to those who work in the business and to you as the owner. Ultimately the path for sustainable growth is a people-first path and today we are talking with someone who has a lot of experience charting that path. I am thrilled to welcome back to the show, Mike McFall of Biggby Coffee!

BIGGBY is a fast-growing coffee franchise with over 350+ locations across the U.S. Within the company, Mike has worked every position, from minimum-wage barista to his current role of Co-CEO.

Grow, the second book in Mike's three-book series, picks up where Grind leaves off–when an entrepreneur is in the midst of the bootstrapping entrepreneurial phase and asking, "what's next?" The book offers a strategic blueprint for entrepreneurs trying to reach the promised land of stability and sustainability in their businesses.

Filled with real-life examples from Mike's 26 years of experience, Grow plants the seeds to help readers recreate themselves as the leaders their organizations need them to be and take their business from chaos to calm.

In this conversation we dive into some of the most critical element outlined in his book that, if applied and practiced, will definitely help you grow your business the right way.

We cover:

• How to recognize the lessons you learn in business
• Telling the truth
• Becoming irrelevant
• Providing emotional stability
• Cultivating trust
• Mastering time management and prioritizing
• Being a constant learner and helping others do the same

Links:

www.Michaeljmcfall.com

www.biggby.com

Related episodes:

• 263 : Founder Friday w/ Mike McFall, Co-Founder of BIGGBY Coffee!
• 239 : 5 Best Practices for the Best Small Business w/ Henry Lopez
• 223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll
• 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017

Visit our awesome Sponsors!

GROUND BREAKING BREWING MADE SIMPLE!

www.groundcontrol.coffee

THE BEST PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES ON THE PLANET!

www.Pacificfoodservice.com

30 years of resourcing you with the best products and education!

www.coffeefest.com

Use Code: "KEYS" for 50% General Admission

All of us have had the conflicted emotions of having baristas that are simply amazing but then also knowing that those baristas will eventually leave the coffee shop. Try as we may, most staff will not be long term and this can either cause you to feel defeated, or you can embrace it and the opportunity these exemplary employees bring.

Today on Shift break we will be talking about how we can lean on the examples of our best staff to essential bottle that magic and allow our systems and structures to be shaped by their example and the ideas their work brings to the business.

Related episodes:

• The Conversational Reality of Your Business : Thought on how to approach creative projects in the new year
• 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge
• Your Employee Handbook is Worthless

Visit our Sponsors!!!

The best espresso machines in the world!

www.lamarzoccousa.com

Custom branded mobile apps for your shop!

www.espressly.co.

Learning how to listen is the cornerstone of effective and transformative communication. In the hustle and fast paced daily activities of the coffee shop, it is easy to forget about listening and truly understanding what is being said beyond the words we hear. Add to this that emotions are often high, listening deeply and well can seem daunting.

Thankfully we have a guest on the show today who is a listening expert and has built incredible resources to help show use exactly how to listen!

Oscar Trimboli is an author, host of the Apple award-winning podcast Deep Listening and a sought-after keynote speaker.

His third book is how to listen – discover the hidden key to better communication – the most comprehensive book about listening in the workplace. Along with the Deep Listening Ambassador Community, he is on a quest to create 100 million deep listeners in the workplace.

Through his work with chairs, boards of directors, and executive teams, Oscar has experienced first-hand the transformational impact leaders can have when they listen beyond words.

In this conversation we dig deep into the principles of listening, especially when emotions cloud our mind. Through deeply personal examples, role playing scenarios, and impactful insight, Oscar lays out a master class in listening here on his second appearance on KTTS. Enjoy!

Links:

www.oscartrimboli.com

We discuss:

• The listening compass
• Our agendas
• Creating and preparing for understanding
• Listening when emotions are high
• Assumptions and anxiety
• Tools for recharging your listening battery

Related episodes:

• 165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli
• 125 : Confidence in Conflict w/ Kwame Christian : A framework for Compassionate Curiosity
• 104 : How to Deliver Difficult Feedback w/ Tom Henschel
• 399: Encore Episode! How to Change Things in the Cafe

Visit our awesome Sponsors!

GROUND BREAKING BREWING MADE SIMPLE!

www.groundcontrol.coffee

THE BEST PLANT-BASED BEVERAGES ON THE PLANET!

www.Pacificfoodservice.com

30 years of resourcing you with the best products and education!

www.coffeefest.com

Use Code: "KEYS" for 50% General Admission