Pulling Shots

Family Business: The Real Talk About Working With Your Spouse, Parents & Siblings What's it really like to run a family business? Sam and Kailee from Friedrichs Coffee share the real behind-the-scenes of mixing marriage, parenting, and ownership in a 35-year-old family-run coffee company.

From boundaries to trust, leadership to legacy—this episode dives deep into what makes family-owned businesses work (and what makes them hard).

🎙 Topics Covered

How Friedrichs Coffee became a multi-generation family business

Balancing marriage, parenting, and leadership at work

Setting boundaries between home life and café life

How to separate roles & prevent overlap in family operations

Trust, ownership, and why extreme ownership matters in family teams

Advice for anyone joining a spouse's or parent's business

Gary and Sam talk there experience with cold brew over the last 9 years and how the industry has changed

What you'll learn:

Light vs. dark roast for cold brew (and why light is tricky)

Nitro coffee: what it did well, why costs & ice ruined it in many shops

The "all-cold" future: energy drinks, cold-foam, and whether cafés even need espresso for iced menus

How to start cold brew cheaply (pitcher + filter + overnight) and how we scaled with bright tanks

🚀Upgrade you coffee game➡️https://friedrichscoffee.com/

☕️ Own a Cafe?➡️https://www.skool.com/coffee-shop-pros-7971

If your coffee shop only runs when you're on bar, you're stuck on the treadmill. In this episode of Pulling Shots, Sam and Gary share 30+ years of lessons on working on your business (systems, people, growth) versus working in it (shifts, daily ops).

We cover when to step back, how to delegate without losing quality, why owner presence matters (especially at one-store stage), and practical next steps if you're burnt out and spinning your wheels.

You'll learn: The "treadmill stage" and how to get off it

When it's time to step back—and what to do first Why absentee ownership fails (and the exceptions)

Building managers who outperform the owner Menu focus vs. bloat (and profitable "breakfast" you might be overlooking)

How to use your banker & accountant as a strategic brain trust

📌 Key Takeaways How to transition from bar shifts to systems without tanking quality

Owner presence vs. absentee ownership in independent cafés

Delegation frameworks that build manager autonomy

Avoiding menu bloat: focus, margin, and speed trade-offs

Using financial partners (banker + accountant) to validate growth moves

🚀Upgrade you coffee game➡️https://friedrichscoffee.com/

☕️ Own a Cafe?➡️https://www.skool.com/coffee-shop-pros-7971

🗣️To be unclear is to be unkind🗣️

Owning a café means having tough conversations—late shows, bad attitudes, write-ups, and sometimes letting people go. In this Pulling Shots episode, Sam & Kailee share real stories and practical frameworks for handling difficult conversations in a coffee shop setting without killing morale.

You'll learn:

When to address an issue vs. when to let it go

Why "to be unclear is to be unkind" (and how to be direct)

Paper trails & write-ups that protect you and coach fairly

Gen Z vs. Millennials: giving feedback that lands

Manager first, friend second—without losing heart

Why customers forgive quickly when you fix the team

👇 Helpful links • Try our premium Origin Stories coffee subscription: https://friedrichscoffee.com/product/limited-reserve-subscription/ • Wholesale coffee for cafés: https://friedrichscoffee.com/wholesale/ • Our café app / order ahead: https://friedrichscoffee.com/order/ • Podcast on Spotify/Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/pulling-shots/id1785396010

The Rise of Drive-Thru Coffee Chains (What It Means for Indie Cafés)

Sam & Gary unpack the explosive growth of Seven Brew, Dutch Bros, Black Rock Coffee, and Scooters—from double drive-thrus and outside order-takers to loyalty-by-phone and high-energy branding. Why convenience + culture + consistency are winning in 2025, what Starbucks' shifts signal, and how small cafés can still thrive with owner-present hospitality and smart menu ops

🚀Upgrade you coffee game➡️https://friedrichscoffee.com/

☕️ Own a Cafe?➡️https://www.skool.com/coffee-shop-pros-7971

What you'll learn:

Modern drive-thru playbook (design, staffing, loyalty)

How these chains scale so fast (and what actually works)

Practical ways independents can respond—and win long-term

Why hiring for culture is the real moat

Try our premium Origin Stories coffee subscription: https://friedrichscoffee.com/product/limited-reserve-subscription/

• Wholesale coffee for cafés: https://friedrichscoffee.com/wholesale/

• Our café app / order ahead: https://friedrichscoffee.com/order/

• Podcast on Spotify/Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/pulling-shots/id1785396010

#CoffeeShop #DriveThru #SevenBrew #DutchBros #BlackRockCoffee #ScootersCoffee #CafeOwner #Hospitality #CoffeeBusiness #PullingShotsPodcast

Is owning a coffee shop in 2025 still worth it? We break down the real numbers, rising costs, drive-thru vs. traditional cafés, mobile ordering, and the impact of chains like Starbucks, Dutch Bros, Seven Brew, and Black Rock Coffee—plus what actually keeps us in love with this business after 30+ years. If you're a current or future café owner, this episode is your practical playbook: pricing, wages, margins, competition, and why "loving coffee" still matters more than ever.

👇 Helpful links

• Try our premium Origin Stories coffee subscription: https://friedrichscoffee.com/product/limited-reserve-subscription/

• Wholesale coffee for cafés: [link] • Our café app / order ahead: https://friedrichscoffee.com/order/

• Podcast on Spotify/Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/pulling-shots/id1785396010 • Join our coffee shop owner community: https://www.skool.com/coffee-shop-pros-7971

👍 If you found this useful, subscribe and hit the bell. Comment your biggest 2025 café challenge—we'll answer on a live stream.

00:00 We're live — episode intro

00:35 Is coffee shop ownership still worth it in 2025?

01:20 Chains & competition (Starbucks, Dutch Bros, Seven Brew, Black Rock)

02:40 Mobile ordering & changing customer behavior

03:36 Green coffee prices & margin pressure

05:56 Is the "traditional café" broken—or just different?

08:58 What feels harder now than 5–10 years ago

11:35 Competing locally vs. mega chains

13:33 Wages, hiring, and building the right team

14:48 Third place value & why cafés still matter

18:08 Would we open a shop today? (drive-thru priority)

20:56 Drive-thru-only vs. café + drive-thru

23:50 Where the industry is heading (next 5–15 years)

24:58 Reality check: hours, workloads, and owner involvement 26:30 Why we still love it (family business & roasting)

27:14 Final answer: Is it still worth it?

Managing vs. Leading in a Coffee Shop (What Really Matters). In this Pulling Shots episode, Sam & Kailee break down the difference between management (hard skills: schedules, checklists, accountability) and leadership (soft skills: culture, communication, inspiration)—and how both drive a thriving café.

Expect real examples from Friedrichs Coffee: when strong leadership cuts turnover, why checklists still win the day, and how to balance daily ops with long-term culture.

What you'll learn Clear manager vs. leader roles in a café Day-to-day systems that keep service smooth Leadership habits that build loyalty & reduce churn How to hire/promote for both skill sets

#CoffeeShop #CafeOwner #Leadership #Management #Barista #TeamCulture #SmallBusiness #PullingShotsPodcast

Build a company culture your café crew and customers feel the moment they walk in. In this Pulling Shots episode, Sam & Gary from Friedrichs Coffee break down what an engaged coffee shop culture looks like— from greeting every guest to on-stage barista habits, drink-quality pride, mistake-friendly coaching, and growth paths beyond management.

Practical, story-driven tips you can start this week to boost hospitality, consistency, and team morale.

What you'll learn How to make values felt, not just posted Tiny daily habits that shape barista culture Coaching mistakes without killing confidence

Simple standards for cleanliness, dress, and workstation flow Career paths that attract and retain top baristas

#CoffeeShop #CompanyCulture #Barista #CafeOwner #CustomerExperience #Hospitality #SmallBusiness #PullingShotsPodcast

Own a cafe? ➡️ https://www.skool.com/coffee-shop-pro...

Elevate your coffee game🚀 https://friedrichscoffee.com/

Hiring baristas in 2025 the smart way. In this Pulling Shots episode, Sam & Kailee from Friedrichs Coffee share a repeatable 3-step hiring system (application screen → meet-and-greet → structured interview → manager handoff), proven barista interview questions, Day-7 & Week-4 training milestones, and simple checklists/policies that protect quality and culture while cutting turnover. Perfect for local café owners/managers who want a fast, fair, and transparent hiring process.

#CoffeeShop #BaristaHiring #CafeOwner #SmallBusiness #CoffeeManagement

Own a cafe? ➡️ https://www.skool.com/coffee-shop-pro... Elevate your coffee game🚀 Friedrichscoffee.com Build a repeatable barista hiring system for your café in 2025. Sam & Kaylee from Friedrichs Coffee share the exact 3-step funnel they use—application screen → meet-and-greet filter → formal interview → manager handoff. Learn barista interview questions that reveal service mindset, Day-7 and Week-4 training milestones, when prior experience (e.g., Starbucks/Caribou) helps or hurts, how to protect quality & culture, and the simple checklists/policies that cut turnover and late starts. If you're an indie café owner/manager, this episode will help you hire smarter, train faster, and keep your shop's vibe strong. What you'll get? Proven hiring funnel & interview prompts Training milestones (Day 7 / Week 4) Culture standards that empower baristas to "make it right" Where the best applicants come from (website vs. job boards) #CoffeeShop #Barista #Hiring #CafeOwner #SmallBusiness #CoffeeManagement #PullingShotsPodcast