Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

I witnessed a heartbreaking scene unfold while at SCA EXPO in Boston. The situation was a common one in most of our cafes but in this context it really impacted me and inspired this Shift Break.

What are we doing in specialty? Is our talk about accessibility just talk? Are the best expressions of coffee the most exclusive? Lot's of questions rolling around the ol' noggin after this trip and today I wanted to chat about it with you.

As you listen, ask yourself what you would do in this scenario and how we as an industry might be able to do better in welcoming a larger variety of people into our spaces while we simultaneously pursue excellence.

Related episodes:

262 : Understanding the Homeless Community w/ Natalie Harris, Executive Director of The Coalition for the Homeless

338: A Conversation w/ Martell Mason of The Sepia Coffee Project, Detroit, Michigan

337: Founder Friday w/ Diana Martinez of Cafe Calle, Los Angeles

Building an Accessible Coffee Menu w/ Joe

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The best espresso machines in the world!

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Custom branded mobile apps for your shop!

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It is the 5 year anniversary of episode #19 titled "10 Reasons to Love the Customer"!

Coffee professionals tend to pit themselves against the customer as and us vs them battle. The original episode in 2017 was inspired by a magazine article about what baristas hate about customers. This mentality does not good for anyone and because we easily fall into thinking negatively about the customer, I thought it was time we refocus and exercise thankfulness and positivity.

All of these reasons are general enough to be true of almost any car or coffee shop. Truth be told, beyond the general reasons, there are a ton more specific ones that are unique to your own community.

It is my hope that you take this episode and contextualize it, and put in place as a regular thankfulness practice for yourself and your team.

Related Episodes:

Ignoring the Customer

Spiders! What they can Teach us About Hospitality

045 : Simple, Powerful Hospitality w/ Philip Turner

016: Raising the Bar on your Customer Experience w/ Michael Butterworth

277: Encore Episode: How to respond to Negative Feedback

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We love the idea of developing a culture of trust. A place where it is safe to open up and be honest without worrying. Vulnerability is the new metric (among others) by which we judge how successful we are as leaders and I am happy that is. But if we are not carful then we risk using vulnerability as a weapon against people.

In today's Shift Break we will be chatting about how our desire to have a team where there is openness and trust can lead to us resorting to coercion and essentially forcing people into vulnerability, making it weird for everyone.

Related Episodes:

• Toxic vulnerability
• One on ones
• Above and beyond
• Reasonable expectations

Visit our Sponsors!!!

The best espresso machines in the world!

www.lamarzoccousa.com

Custom branded mobile apps for your shop!

www.espressly.co

What does you baristas training produce? For many shops barista training is a loose and rushed experience that falls short in equipping staff with what is needed to succeed. It also creates stress in leadership who desperately want to see good results but through poor mindsets toward training, sabotage the chance of seeing them.

In today's episode we will be talking about what goals and outcomes you need to be shooting for when thinking of and developing your your training programs.

We discuss:

• Why we don't see the things we want
• What baristas need vs what we give them
• Pitfalls of rushed and overly wrought training
• Memorization and Understanding
• Standards and Consistency
• Excitement and Curiosity

Related episodes:

194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017

330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop

080 : Changing things in the Cafe : A workflow for Refinement

248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team

301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence

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www.pacficfoodservice.com

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How do we get people to come to our shop? This is the question at the root of most of our marketing efforts. So many of us have stories of how customers will tell us, even after years of business, "I never knew you were here!". It's frustrating.

In todays Shift Break we will be chatting about how we have been limiting ourselves with the way we are approaching marketing and the change of mindset and tactic that I think may help get people in your shop and aware of your brand.

Related episodes:

215 : Communication and Marketing Master Class w/ Spencer M. Ross, PH.D.

304 : Inside the Coffee Data Trends Breakout Report w/ Katie Von Der Lieth of the SCA

120 : Social Media 101 w/ Jenn Chen

234 : Actions and Strategies to Improve your Messaging w/ Garrett Oden

Visit our Sponsors!!!

The best espresso machines in the world!

www.lamarzoccousa.com

Custom branded mobile apps for your shop!

www.espressly.co

How do we test the energy efficiency, emissions, and impact of or roasting machines?. We all want to be responsible with our environmental impact but all we have to go on for data is supplied by marketing from the manufacturer. Wouldn't it be nice to have a real measure of the performance of a roasting machine? Well that is exactly what today's guest is out to provide.

Today on the Rate of Rise series from Roast Magazine we are going to be talking with Dave Baxter about The Norm Roast Protocol!

Dave Baxter has avidly roasted coffee for more than 15 years. He applies an analytical approach to master the enigmatic art of coffee roasting. Dave joined the Artisan team in 2015 and is a founding member of the NORM-ROAST Consortium. Many of the analytical tools and other features in Artisan were created by him. Dave is an inventive engineer with over 60 granted patents.

In our conversation we cover:

• How Norm Roast Protocol was conceived
• Verifying Marketing claims
• Key components of the protocol
• Establishing specification for the protocol from research
• Incentivization of manufactures to adopt a universal protocol
• How to begin using the protocol
• Balance of Innovations focus on emissions vs maintaining quality
• Mass adoption as key to create efficacy
• Small vs large roasters
• Optimizing existing equipment for efficiency

Links:

www.norm-roast.org

Subscribe to Roast Magazine! Use code "ROR" to get $5 off

Related Episodes:

RoR #1: A Conversation w/ Anne Cooper of Equilibrium Master Roasters

RoR #2: Exploring Quality Control w/ Spencer Turer of Coffee Enterprises

RoR #3: Making Contingency Planning a Reality w/ Andi Trindle Mersch of Philz Coffee

RoR #4: Practical Thermal Dynamics w/ Candice Madison of Royal Coffee / The Crown Oak

RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind"

RoR #6: Buying Less and Doing More w/ Ever Meister

RoR #7 Illustrative Sample Roasting w/ Mike Ebert of Firedancer Coffee Consultants

ROR #8 How Post-Harvest Processing Impacts Flavor w/ Siva Subramanian and Byron Holcomb of Olam Food Ingredients

RoR #9 Inside the Roaster's Tool Kit w/ Kat Melheim of Black and White Coffee and The Coffee People Zine

RoR #10 : What Your Broker Wishes You Knew w/ Scott Merle of La Minita Coffee

RoR #11 : Exploring Scent w/ Sandra Elisa Loofbourow

RoR #12 : Inside Coffee Packaging w/ Ever Meister

In order to have clarity on how to operate effectively in coffee we need to view it thought a global lens. The tapestry of people and cultures that make up our industry are rarely represented and even less often do they benefit from coffee culture. The answer to this problem is something that today's guest calls "The Sepia Coffee Project".

Martell Mason is Co-Founder of the Sepia Coffee Project(SCP), a boutique roastery based in Detroit's North End. Although a native of the city, Martell has lived a very nomadic life with years spent throughout Asia, East Africa and Scandinavia. With a BA in International Affairs and grad work specializing in Sustainability and Coffee Value Chains; Martell continues to search for ways to bridge the gap from "farm to cup" while ensuring there is greater representation of all persons involved with an emphasis placed on those of color.

In 2017, he established Arabica Trading House in Istanbul, Turkey, being one of the first specialty traders to import high-quality, transparent coffees direct from origin. Pivoting after the shocks of the pandemic, Martell arrived back in the US in 2021 and saw an opportunity to be of service to a young, yet vibrant coffee community in Detroit.

Sepia Coffee Project's mission is to make specialty coffee more accessible to underserved markets, creating a more inclusive and equitable platform for coffee consumers, industry peers and the greater community at large.

In our conversation today we are going to be learning about Martell's unique journey through coffee and how his experiences shaped his views and the work he does today to create equity and inclusion for all.

We cover:

• Getting into coffee and developing a broad perspective
• Global travels and working in coffee
• How story adds value
• Learning by connecting directly with people
• Improve systems through deeper understanding
• Looking at what quality is and who defines it
• Farmer livelihoods and mainstream coffee
• Celebrating a wider range of coffee
• Addressing "Coffee Deserts"
• The establishment and goals of The Sepia Coffee Project
• Bringing coffee to the underserved and marginalized

Related episodes:

116 : Understanding Gentrification w/ Dr. Stacey Sutton

183 : Exploring Diversity w/ Phyllis Johnson

233 : A Conversation w/ Anthony Ragler, Black and White

297 : Making Coffee Education Fun w/ Suneal Pabari of Leaderboard Coffee

092 : Tony "Tonx" Konecny of Yes Plz : Consumer Accessibility, roasting, 3rd wave, subscription

227 : Connecting with Hearts and Minds

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www.coffeefest.com

Diana Martinez is one of those people that I am thrilled to see find success in coffee. She had a dream to open a coffee shop and consistently pursued knowledge and experience right out of the gate by working at a roastery and coffee shop then setting up a table on a sidewalk in her neighborhood to serve good coffee to those who did not have access to it. Today she has a brand new brick and mortar shop and the loyal support of her community. I dod not come easy though and that is what today's conversation is all about.

In this Founder Friday we will get to hear details of Diana's journey into coffee entrepreneurship, the challenges, lessons, opportunities, and mission that drives her to continue to build this dream. Not just for herself but for her culture and her community.

I know you will be inspired by this one!

We cover:

• How the dream began during COVID
• Gaining experience and taking the first step
• Starting on the sidewalk to serve the underserved
• Getting a loyal following and the role of social media
• Lessons learned in catering
• BET Awards and other opportunities
• When things got real
• How getting in "trouble" led to a brick and mortar
• Realities of finding and building a space
• Community reception
• Advice to other entrepreneurs

Links:

www.cafecalle.com

Instagram @cafecalle

Related Episodes:

236 : Founder Friday! w/ Meil Castagna-Herrera & Curtis Herrera of Cafe Corazon!

284 : Founder Friday! w. Jackie Nguyen of Cafe Cà Phê | Kansas City, MO

187 : A Conversation with Nikki Outlaw of Anecho Coffee

097 : Founder Friday w/ Erica Escalante of The Arrow Coffeehouse

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The Barista Series: Best Plant Based Beverages on Earth!

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Giving up control and taking on a new role can be scary. As a result a lot of owners and managers rely on rigid and controlling way of leading that ends up doing more harm than good.

In today's Shift Break we will be talking about the value of flexibility for both owners and managers and how it benefits the new context we find ourselves in when leading and delegating leadership.

Recommended episodes:

261 : The Basics of Managing Managers

194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017

229 : 7 Tips for New Managers

Shift Break: The One-on-One

165 : The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli

Visit our Sponsors!!!

The best espresso machines in the world!

www.lamarzoccousa.com

Custom branded mobile apps for your shop!

www.espressly.co

It's not very often you come across someone who has spent decades as a true example of what it is to be an exemplary manager, leader, and professional. When you do find them you better be prepared to absorb their wisdom and let it help guide your own career.

Well, today we are privileged to sit down with some one who has done exactly that. We are talking all about leadership, management, and training, with Selina Viguera of Blue Bottle Coffee!

Selina Viguera is well-known in specialty coffee mostly for being an amazing and dedicated barista. She leads the Barista Guild Café at Specialty Coffee Expo and U.S. CoffeeChamps; she's been a lead barista at TED in Vancouver, as well as TEDxWomen and TEDxMed; her latte art is featured on the Pacific Barista Series Oat and Rice packages. And she's been "the face" of Blue Bottle, especially in her adopted home in Los Angeles, for years. Selina Viguera is a coffee professional who has worked in the industry for over 20+ years. Selina has managed some of the busiest Blue Bottle cafes in the North American market such as San Francisco's Ferry Building location and LA's Abbot Kinney location, where she is currently the cafe leader for over 7 years. In our conversation we explore here long career and the experiences that have shied who she is as a leader today. We cover:

• Discovering the work of the cafe and then specialty coffee
• Connecting with customers and becoming a leader
• Leading the change to specialty in her first cafe
• Learning to train and teach
• Doors opening for management and leadership
• Leading "Team First" and the metric of staff happiness
• Training and onboarding effectively
• Empowering feedback and conflict resolution
• Balance of structure and culture
• Embracing difficult conversations and being courageous
• What she is most proud of accomplishing
• Advice to fellow managers

Links:

Instagram: @sellybean_13

Email: [email protected]

Recommended Episodes:

329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff

313 : Coffee Education and Training w/ Michael Phillips of Blue Bottle Coffee

306 : A Conversation w/ 2004 U.S. Barista Champion, Bronwen Serna!

305 : Founder Friday! w/ Andrew Sinclair of MadLab Coffee, Los Angeles, CA

305 : Founder Friday! w/ Andrew Sinclair of MadLab Coffee, Los Angeles, CA

In Praise of Long Term Imperfect Employment

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www.groundcontrol.coffee

www.pacficfoodservice.com

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