Why Baristas HATE Coffee Shop Owners – 05/21/2025

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep143Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way!We’ve heard it all—baristas don’t trust their owners, owners feel misunderstood, and coffee shop culture feels broken. In this episode, we unpack the real reasons why baristas and owners feel disconnected and how to build bridges instead of barriers. We reflect on our own missteps, share stories from cafes across the country, and offer actionable insights into cultivating trust, leadership, and clarity. We also sip on a delicious cup from Cathedral Coffee and chat about expanding our HQ and dialing in better coffee brewing processes. If you’re a cafe owner or barista looking to strengthen your culture, this one’s for you.*If you purchase something through one of our links, we may be entitled to a share of the sale*Buy Valor Coffee: ⁠⁠https://valor.coffee/shop?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep143⁠⁠Watch on Youtube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/valorcoffee16⁠⁠Want to become a Wholesale Partner? Email us at [email protected] to set up an account!Want to send us coffee? Have a question you want to answer on the show? Send us an email to [email protected]'re partnered with Clive to bring you sweet deal at a discounted rate! Use Discount Code VALOR5 at checkout for 5% off Mahlkonig, Anfim and Eureka products!Shop Clive products here: ⁠⁠https://clivecoffee.com?sca_ref=5315485.6axWuRlcEr⁠⁠Want to get your business in front of more people? We partnered with Local Eyes Growth to grow our business through SEO and the results have been incredible. Local Eyes is offering a FREE backlink ($300 value) to Valor Coffee Podcast listeners who partner through our exclusive link. Visit ⁠⁠https://localeyesgrowth.com/valor⁠⁠ to get the ball rolling!Follow the Valor Coffee Podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valorcoffeepod⁠⁠Follow Valor on Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/valor.coffee⁠⁠Subscribe to Riley's YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@rileywestbrook⁠⁠Follow Riley:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rileywestbrook⁠⁠Follow Ross: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/rosswalters⁠⁠Follow Ethan's Parody Account:  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/ethanrivers77700:00:00 We back00:02:12 That was my cold open 00:02:41 Intro II (kinda mid IMO) 00:05:59 Coffee of the day 00:10:59 Hot Topic 00:13:52 For Owners 00:25:43 Hypocrisy 00:29:22 Under Promise - Over Deliver 00:32:06 Let's get PRACTICAL 00:36:03 Owner Absence v.s. Owner Availability 00:37:02 Lack of Clarity In the Job Description 00:45:15 Tolerating Toxicity 00:50:24 The Pay Gap (DUH DUH DUH)