Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

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

What do customers love and hate about coffee shops? It feels like a question that is too easy to answer and as a result I believe we do not spend nearly enough time researching it.

This past weekend I spoke in Chicago at Coffee Fest. In preparation we analyzed the most positive reviews and negative reviews of the worst rated and best rated cafes on Google and Yelp in the Chicago area. The results fell in line with some assumption I had based on what I have seen from my own years in coffee and consulting. In addition though, when compiled and organized, there were a few things that I found very interesting that we all need to think deeply about.

So today we are going to be going over the list of things that people love and hate about coffee shops from this research and how this speaks to the greater issues in how we approach running our shops and the the path forward from here.

1:1 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:

• SHIFT BREAK! How To Keep Your Customers Excited
• SHIFT BREAK! Why Won't My Baristas Engage Customers The Way I Want Them To?!
• SHIFT BREAK! Every Customer is a Judge
• 480: Focus on What Your Customers Love
• SHIFT BREAK: Make Customer Feedback a Priority
• 151 : How to Respond and React to Negative Feedback : 5 Step Process
• 340 : Encore Episode of "10 Reasons to Love the Customer"!

In too many cafes we find staff trained only in the areas they work in with minimal to no knowledge or understanding in other parts of the business. This derails a cafes growth and effectiveness. Staff in the front are not equipped to speak with understanding and confidence to customers and those those who work in the back or in production areas are isolated from the up-steam results of their work.

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why cross training staff is the way forward for fostering understanding between departments, effective sales and hospitality, and a deeper bench of talent to draw from across your employees.

This is especially important for FOH staff as they are the ones representing all you offer to the customer.

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:

424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides

Taste the Rainbow! : Menu knowledge, tasting, flavor, coffee cupping approach to your offerings

Taste the Rainbow! : Menu knowledge, tasting, flavor, coffee cupping approach to your offerings

582: Maximizing Existing Opportunities in Your Cafe

The Key to Up-Selling

583: Unifying Teams Across Multiple Cafes

SHIFT BREAK! How to Have Healthy Communication Between your Cafe's Departments

More than just a 3rd space, some cafes are platforms for ideas, catalysts for change, and a space specifically organized and designed to grow and nurture their communities.

Led by people with deep convictions and a vivid vision for what can be, these spaces transform and help support the community beyond the coffee.

Today we get to catch up with someone who has spend decades pouring into her community and has learned a lot of very valuable lessons to help you do the same.

Inspired by her afro-indigenous lineage, Blew kind creates transformational experiences where folks can connect deeper within themselves and each other toward their highest self. She offers moments of pause, conversation, and discovery where we can experience daily magic, while being open to heal individually and collectively. Her play involves poetry, crafting, dance, listening to stories, and community space making.

Blew kind has developed multiple cultural community organizations in Philadelphia including Franny Lou's Porch cafe, Koku-Roko Learning Co-operative, d'griot café & gallery, and rad.Love; a non-profit fiscally sponsored by the Painted Bride Arts Center to support community programming.

Grateful to be involved in the good work, Blew also supports other black, brown, and community leaders on their journey through public speaking and coaching.

We discuss:

• Journey from Franny Lou's Porch to D'griot
• The Meaning of D'griot and Its Cultural Roots
• Pandemic Impact and Business Growth
• Overcoming Resistance and Building Resilience
• Wealth, Value, and Community Support
• Community Heart and Giving Back
• Balancing Personal Fulfillment and Community Service
• The Value of Humility and Collective Effort
• Community Collaboration and Unexpected Opportunities

KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS

1:1 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:

• 232 : Founder Friday w/ Blew Kind of Fanny Lou's Porch
• 380 : Founder Friday! w/ Cary and Cindy Arsaga of Arsaga's Coffee Roasters
• 602: Renata Henderson | Cxffeeblack | Putting The Heart Back Into Coffee
• 367 : Designing Your Coffee Shop for Community w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman
• 230 : Making room for Community in your Shop

We have heard this phrase before and, if we are honest, we have said it a couple times too. The statement is problematic since it assumes that the world around us is the reason we can't seem to find the help we want.

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why it seems like we can't find good help, and the reality of how our own behaviors, lack of preparation, and well thought through systems related to hiring and leader support are the real cause behind this illusion.

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:

• SHIFT BREAK: Three BIG Hiring Mistakes (and how to avoid them)
• SHIFT BREAK! With or Without Experience? Hiring the Best Baristas
• Raising Your Hiring Standard
• Hiring for Future Leadership
• 301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence

Our businesses are the results of the small and large decisions we make over the years. It is our behavior in the business that ultimately determines the success and Impact we can realize. Some have said that the 4th wave is ,marked by more passionate coffee balancing that passion with good business practice and strategy.

Today will be talking with someone who has been hugely influential in teaching solid and sustainable business behavior to countless coffee professionals and companies world wide.

I happy to welcome Tracy Allen to the show!

Tracy Allen founded Brewed Behavior, a global consulting and education firm dedicated to advancing the specialty coffee industry worldwide in 2008.

Through Brewed Behavior, Tracy has trained and advised hundreds of coffee professionals, roasters, café owners, and organizations across multiple continents. His consulting work focuses on elevating bean quality, optimizing operations, developing world-class training programs, and preparing teams for top-level competition.

With more than 30 years of hands-on experience, Tracy brings unmatched depth to his clients. His journey began as a passionate home roaster in the 1990s, followed by roles as Beverage Specialist at Procter & Gamble (Millstone and Folgers), Operations Manager for a Kansas City roaster, and Co-Owner of Zoka Coffee Roaster & Tea Company in Seattle. At Zoka, he helped establish the company as a leader in both quality and barista training — with its baristas consistently ranking among the top in U.S. Barista Competitions.

Today, Tracy channels this extensive expertise through Brewed Behavior to help clients worldwide achieve excellence. He is the last full-term President of the SCAA and Founding Chair of the WBC Rules & Regulations Committee. He has been a certified U.S. and World Barista Competition judge, an SCA Certified Cupper, a certified Q Grader and Instructor, and a three-time "Super Taster." Through Brewed Behavior, Tracy Allen continues to shape the future of specialty coffee on a global scale.

We Cover:

• Understanding Business and Passion in Coffee
• The Importance of Financial Discipline
• Navigating Growth and Corporate Culture
• Consumer Behavior and Coffee Trend
• Best Practices for Long-Term Success
• Developing Financial Acumen
• The Importance of Financial Discipline
• Navigating Projections and Inventory Management
• Understanding Market Dynamics and Unique Value Propositions

Links:

www.brewedbehavior.com

KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS

1:1 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:

576: Financial Stability Using Profit First for Coffee Businesses w/ Kim Logsdon of Caffeinate Your Cash

447: Understanding the Business of Coffee w/ Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood

022 : Founder Friday w/ Colin Harmon of 3fe Coffee, Dublin Ireland & Author of the new book, "What I know About Running Coffee Shops"

283 : 5 Bad Reasons to Open a Coffee Shop

SHIFT BREAK! Become Immune to Fear-Based Coffee Marketing

327: Founder Friday! w/ Phuong Tran of Lava Java

489: Tips for Creating a Resilient Cafe

223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll

The best coffee businesses are built on solid values, local community, and small consistent steps taken toward deeper connection through hospitality and excellence in the product. The story of Wheelhouse Coffee is one that demonstrates the power of intentional people-first work over time and what happens when you make growth a conversation with those your serve.

I am thrilled to get to talk with the founder of Wheelhouse Coffee in Nova Scotia, CA, Amos Gillespie!

Wheelhouse Coffee began with an eight-year-old Amos sharing morning coffee with his dad. By 17, that simple joy had grown into a coffee dream. After an espresso machine, a barista job, and a life-changing Portland coffee show, Amos launched Wheelhouse in 2018.

However, being a single owner with a small sample roaster and a full-time job became increasingly challenging.

In 2020, after a beautiful summer wedding, he and his wife set out to grow Wheelhouse together. From basement beginnings to a thriving café, their journey is driven by their love for coffee and the people they serve.

We discuss:

• How Amos Was Introduced to Coffee
• Beginning and Building Confidence in Roasting
• Navigating Stagnation
• The Shift Towards a Coffee Business
• Feedback and Growth in Coffee Roasting
• Understanding Customer Relationships
• The Move To Opening a Coffee Shop
• Balancing Vision with Financial Realities
• Building Relationships with Customers
• Advice for Aspiring Cafe Owners

KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS

1:1 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:

• 476: Founder Friday! The Story of Story Coffee w/ Don Niemyer of Story Coffee Co.
• 391 : Founder Friday! w/ Megan Wilson of Spuds Coffee in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
• 145: Founder Friday w/ Red Rooster Coffee Roasters co-founder, Haden Polseno-Hensley