All Episodes
Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders — 1000 episodes
Why You Need the Onboarding and Training Webinar!
SHIFT BREAK! Are Holding Your Business Back? Let it Grow!
616: How to Run a Boardgame Cafe w/ Kevin Kerkhof of Hitherto Coffee and Gaming Parlour!
SHIFT BREAK! Avoid Burnout By Serving Your Managers
615: The Key to Excellent Cafes, Sales, and Wholesale Support w/ Sam Lewontin!
SHIFT BREAK! The Best Strategy is Simplicity
614: 3 Areas to Prioritize for Your People's Success
SHIFT BREAK! Every Manager Should Have This Trait
613: Challenges and Opportunities in Changing the Industry w/ Writer Sarah Charles of Underscore Communication
SHIFT BREAK! Getting The Hint From Your Customers
612: Founder Friday! w/ Yaren Maya of Cafeto Cacao in Oaxaca, Mexico!
611: What Colin Harmon Knows About Growing Coffee Shops!
SHIFT BREAK! Are You Ready To Scale?
610: What People Love and Hate in a Coffee Shop |Research Results from Chicago Coffee Fest
SHIFT BREAK! Why You Need To Cross-Train Staff
609: Lessons On Running a True Community Space w/ Blew Kind of D'griot Cafe | Philadelphia, PA
SHIFT BREAK! Why It's Hard To Find Good Help These Days
608: The Best Behaviors for Building Resilient Cafe and Roastery w/ Tracy Allen of Brewed Behavior Consulting
Founder Friday! w/ Amos Gillespie of Wheelhouse Coffee, Kentville, Nova Scotia, CA
SHIFT BREAK! You're Only as Good as Your Worst Drink
605: What To Do When You've Been Promoted To Manager
SHIFT BREAK! Addressing "Bad Apples" On Your Staff
Special! Interviews From Coffee Fest NYC 2026! w/ Rachel Apple and Ivana Chan (Raise the Bar), Jeremy Lyman (Birch Coffee), Lauren Tran (Bahn by Lauren)
604: 5 Habits Holding You and Your Team Back
SHIFT BREAK! Why You Will Always Be A Small Coffee Shop
603: Innovation, Progress, and your Coffee Shop: Finding the Signal in the Noise
SHIFT BREAK! The Mindset of Working Clean
602: Renata Henderson | Cxffeeblack | Putting The Heart Back Into Coffee
SHIFT BREAK! "What's Next in Coffee"
601: Why Your Cafe Staff Meeting Might Be Doomed To Fail
600: Founder Friday w/ Sammy Piccolo of Prado Cafe | Vancouver, BC
SHIFT BREAK: Forget Productivity
599: How To Raise Your Baseline Coffee Knowledge w/ Dylan Siemens | Head of Coffee Education at Cafe Imports
SHIFT BREAK! How To Keep Your Customers Excited
598: When To Quit
597: John Gordon: Developing Institutional Wisdom, Efficiencies, and True Expertise in Coffee
SHIFT BREAK! Don't Waste Your Presence
SHIFT BREAK: Making Leadership A Real Process
596: 7 Reasons Why You Have High Turnover
595: Founder Friday | Advocating for Independent coffee shops w/ Peter Dore-Smith of Kaffeine London UK
SHIFT BREAK! Fixing My Face: Why Optics Matter in the Shop
ROR #40 w/ Chris Johnson of Purefi Coffee Roasters, Spring Texas : Roasting Excellent Coffee With Purpose
594: Encore : Don't Get Stuck: Retraining Staff on New Standards
SHIFT BREAK: Cupping is Overrated
593: Why You Should Not Manage Gen Z
SHIFT BREAK! Become Immune to Fear-Based Coffee Marketing
592: The Criteria For The World's Best Coffee Shop
591: The Problem w/ Focusing On The Numbers vs The Guest Experience
SHIFT BREAK! Please Don't Be THAT Kind of Content Creator
590 : Founder Friday! w/ Patti and Jesse Ventura of Lontra Coffee | Los Angeles, California
SHIFT BREAK! What We Lose When We Don't Listen
589: How Coffee Sets the Stage For Conversation w/ Actor + Director Grant Garry!
SHIFT BREAK! Time Management to Beat Overwhelm
588: Prioritizing the Right Things as Your Cafe Grows
SHIFT BREAK! Have We Made Coffee (and ourselves) Miserable?
587: How To Apply Insights To Your Coffee Bar
SHIFT BREAK: Cafes, We Need To Train Harder
586: How to Dial In Your Cafe
585: Founder Friday! w/ Tara and Martyn Knight of Southsea Coffee in Portsmouth, UK!
SHIFT BREAK! When Changing Things, Pay Attention to the Heart of the Business
584: Refining Your Retail w/ Retail Coach Wendy Batten!
SHIFT BREAK! Embracing the Meaning of Money
583: Unifying Teams Across Multiple Cafes
SHIFT BREAK! How to Think About Quality
582: Maximizing Existing Opportunities in Your Cafe
SHIFT BREAK! Maybe You Are Doing Enough For Your Baristas
581: Lessons From "America's Best Coffee House"!
SHIFT BREAK! How to Have Healthy Communication Between your Cafe's Departments
580: Four Cafe Leadership Mindsets to Adopt in the New Year
SHIFT BREAK! The Difference Between Numbers and Quality Numbers in The Cafe
579: How to Really Care For People in the Cafe
SHIFT BREAK! New Things are Overrated
578: Founder Friday w/ Matt and Elise Higgins of Origin Coffee Bar, Savannah, GA
577: What You Need to Know About Rural vs Urban Coffee Shops
SHIFT BREAK! Identifying Values on Shift
576: Financial Stability Using Profit First for Coffee Businesses w/ Kim Logsdon of Caffeinate Your Cash
SHIFT BREAK! Is Anyone Else Slow Today?
575: Celebrating Barista Culture w/ Steve Moloney of The Barista League!
574: Founder Friday! w/ Mackenzie Cohen of Kittitas Cafe in Kittitas, WA!
SHIFT BREAK! What Thankfulness Should Lead To: Thoughts on How Beliefs Inspire Action in the Shop
573: Myths Baristas Believe Part 2
SHIFT BREAK! The Urgent Need for Training in Today's Coffee Shop
572 : Understanding Water For Coffee w/ Maxwell Dashwood
Special Announcement From Chris: New Webinar "Principles for Cafe Success" launching Novemeber 5th
SHIFT BREAK! Get Your Cafe to Stand Out Without Losing Your Footing
Special! Interviews From Coffee Fest Orlando 2025! w/ Claudio Martinez (Golden Bush Coffee), Vanessa Jaramillo (Florida Coffee Culture), Maria Esther Thome-Lopez (Coffee Flock), and Katherine Morris (Cherry Coffee Shop)
571: Worrying and Other Deceptive Replacements for Good Leadership
SHIFT BREAK! How Does Your Staff Know They Are Doing a Good Job?
570: Myths Baristas Believe Part 1
RoR #39: Making Big Impact with Small Batch Roasting w/ Adrian Seligman Founder of Scandinavian Alps Coffee Roasters!
569: Founder Friday! w/ Hong Shin and Kenny Kuk of Haan Coffee Roasters in Orlando Florida!
SHIFT BREAK! The New Classic Cafe: An Era of Understated Excellence
568: The Keys to Espresso Machine Care w/ Jon Ferguson, Author of the new book "Coffee Under Pressure"
SHIFT BREAK! How Well Do You Know Your Business?
567: James Hoffmann on Cafes, Hospitality, and the Influence of Home Coffee
SHIFT BREAK! When To Break The Rules
566: The Problem With Systems
SHIFT BREAK! Don't Overwhelm Your Managers
565: Making Specialty Coffee Shops Special -or- (how to avoid closing 400 stores)
SPECIAL! Interviews from Coffee Fest LA 2025! w/ LaNisa Williams, Kat Padlan, Darell Baskin, and Seidy Selivanow
SHIFT BREAK! Why Won't My Baristas Engage Customers The Way I Want Them To?!
564: Why It's Not the Bricks, It's the Mortar! w/ Mike Cosentino of Big Peach Running Co.
RoR#38 : A Better Way to Think About Roasting Dark, w Erik Johnson of Thinkwell Coffee
SHIFT BREAK! Refreshing the Owner's Soul
563: Founder Friday! w/ Jared Linzmeier of Ruby Coffee Roaster
562: Encore Episode! The 10 Essentials of a Barista Manual!
SHIFT BREAK! Is That Character or Neglect?
561: How to Motivate Baristas
SHIFT BREAK! What Customers Value and How to Deliver It
SHIFT BREAK! Taking the First Steps Toward Change in the Cafe
560: Bio-Innovation and Securing the Future for Coffee Farmers and Their Land w/ Felipe Sardi of La Palma y El Tucan
559: Myths Coffee Shop Owners Believe Part 2
SHIFT BREAK! The Trend of Backwards Hospitality
558: Digital Natives and the Future of Coffee Shops w/Kosta Kallivrousis
557: Founder Friday! w/ Andre Chanco of Yardstick Coffee in the Philippines!
Shift Break! The Problem of Commiseration
556: Myths Coffee Shop Owners Believe Part 1
SHIFT BREAK! Considering the Future You When Making Decisions
555: 3 Ways to be Better Cafe Manager
Message From Chris: Explaining Key Holder Coaching Groups, Consulting, Coaching, and the Goals of KTTS Services
SHIFT BREAK! The Right Place for Creativity in the Cafe
554: Formal Education vs Real World Experience : Which is Better?
SHIFT BREAK! New Managers: Learning Before Changing
RoR #37 : Tariffs, Relationships, and Resiliency for Roasters | A Conversation w/ Steve Green of Mill City Roasters
553: Career Success, Hospitality, and Cafe Culture w/ Akaash Saini
552: Founder Friday w/ Kristen Redfield and Jenna Currier of Goldie's Coffee Roasters in Anchorage, Alaska!
SHIFT BREAK! Should You Remodel or Renew Your Cafe?
SPECIAL! Live from Portland Coffee Fest 2025! w/ Laila Ghambari, Ryan Jie Jaing, Emily Smith, and Sebastián Villamizar
551: Encore: Designing the Guest Experience w/ Doctor Lisa Waxman!
SHIFT BREAK! Better Than Bad is Not Good
550: Replace These Distractions and Watch Your Cafe Grow!
549: The Power of Great Consistent Work Over Time
SHIFT BREAK! What Should Coffee Cost a Customer?
SHIFT BREAK! Seasonal Staff
548: Cool Ideas For Customer Engagement
547: Founder Friday! w/ Jake Heenan, Founder of Burra Bristol in the UK!
SHIFT BREAK! Time Management For Managers and Owners
546: Tools That Every Coffee Shop Should Have
SHIFT BREAK! The Entrepreneurial Case For Stopping
545: Breathing Life Into Your Coffee Shop
SHIFT BREAK! Tips For Signature Drink Success
544: Love Coffee, Control Caffeine w/ 2013 WBC Champ Pete Licata of Caffeine Control Coffee
SHIFT BREAK! Don't Rush Your Customers
543: A Philosophy On Employee Turn-over
542: Founder Friday! w/ Nori and Tin Burmudez of Corridor Flow, Lomita, CA
RoR #36: Community and Continual Learning w/ Alex Jacob of Vital Coffee Roasters w/ Alex Jacob
SHIFT BREAK! You Need to Avoid This HUGE Training Mistake!
541: Repetition, Reminders, and Guidance
SHIFT BREAK! Why The Best Hospitality Starts With The Transactional!
540: The Good and Bad of Job Descriptions
SHIFT BREAK! Vendor Hospitality
539: Helping Regular People Enjoy Coffee w/ Matthew Bryce, Seven Sleepers Coffee Lab
SHIFT BREAK! Explaining the Manager's Landscape | A Framework For Leading Staff
538: The Most Important Things to Focus In The First Year (or any year)
SHIFT BREAK! Small Wins Build Trust
SPECIAL! Interviews from Coffee Fest NYC 2025: Antoine Franklin, Mo Hashmi, Caroline Bell, and Maria Sinatra!
537: Success as a Coffee Tech : Training and Relationships w/ Brady Butler W/ Trail Braze Coffee Academy
RoR #35: The Core 7 : Practical Disciplines for a Successful Roastery w/ Luke Waite | Pomelo Coffee Consulting
SHIFT BREAK! Two Types of Continued Education for Baristas
536: What It Means to Set Up Staff For Success
535: Founder Friday! 30 Years of Coffee! w/ Ana Burgos and Amanda Jones of Hyperion Espresso, Fredricksburg, VA
SHIFT BREAK! Don't Force The Wrong People To Do The Right Work
534: Encore! Helping Your Team Work Through Their Strengths w/ Lisa Cummings of lead Through Strengths!
SHIFT BREAK: Getting Over the Awkwardness of Leadership
533: Principles of Quality Control
SHIFT BREAK: The Myth of a Saturated Market
532: Start with Hospitality
RoR #34: Roasting for Different Cultivars w/ Rob Hoos | Rob Hoos Coffee Consulting
SHIFT BREAK! Why Following Through is the Key to Better Coffee Shops
531: Why the Rise Convenience Coffee is a Good Opportunity for Coffee Shops
530: Founder Friday w/ Aisha Bullard and Modou (MAD) Diongue of Original Drip in Dakar, Senegal
SHIFT BREAK! How To Get The Most From a Coffee Event
529: 10 Years of Coffee w/ Luke Adams of Standart Magazine
SHIFT BREAK! Holding Baristas (and Yourself!) Accountable
528 : Growing Yourself and Your Cafe Through Delegation
SHIFT BREAK! Adding Value in the Cafe
527: Thoughts on How to Approach Training and Onboarding
SHIFT BREAK! The Work of Offering Kindness in the Cafe
526: Founder Friday w/ Fount Coffee and Kitchen Owners, Shawn and Kristen Preissner and George and Katie Kilgore!
525: Encore: Focusing on What is Essential w/ Greg McKeown
RoR #33: The Other Kind of Sourcing Every Roaster Needs w/ Mark Kutrovski of Mirror Coffee Roasters
SHIFT BREAK! You Are Not a Third Wave Coffee Shop
524: Embracing Professional Development for Your Coffee Shop Team
SHIFT BREAK! Every Customer is a Judge
523: Encore: How We Ruin Specialty Coffee Experience
SHIFT BREAK! The Necessary Death of the Superstar Barista
522: Why Celebration and Specialization Make Coffee Better w/ Tim Williams of Fieldwork Coffee and The World Aeropress Championships
521: Founder Friday! w/ Bow Smith of Rowan Coffee, Asheville, NC
SHIFT BREAK! The Two Kinds of Margin You Need in the Cafe
520: Tips For Great Workflow and Bar Presence
SHIFT BREAK! Cortado Confusion
519: The World of Coffee People w/ Ryan Woldt of The Coffee People Podcast
RoR #32: New Season! Should You Pre-blend Your Green Coffee or Blend Post Roast? w/ Bryant Banker Scannell or Relative Coffee Co.
SHIFT BREAK: Don't Rely on Brand Identity
518: How to Run a Coffee Shop w/ Meaningful Hospitality
SHIFT BREAK: Back to the Basics
517: Culture and Connection Through Coffee Spaces w/ Armen Alajian of Arto Brick
SHIFT BREAK: The Delegation Dip
516: The Impact of Home Coffee Culture on the Cafe w/ Justin Piercy of Daddy Got Coffee
SHIFT BREAK: Keeping the Shop
515: 7 Areas to Pursue in the New Year
SPECIAL! Interviews from Coffee Fest Minneapolis 2024 w/ Jaime Becker-Finn of Makwa Coffee, and Frederick Dubose of SunBean Coffee
514: Founder Friday! w/ Raoul Adwan of Thrd Coffee in Chicago, IL!
SHIFT BREAK: Adjusting Our View of Labor Cost
513: Rock n' Roll, E-Commerce, and Opening a Coffee Shop w/ Acey Slade of Cat Fight Coffee!
SHIFT BREAK! The Good and Bad of a Training Lab
512: The 5 Non-Coffee Books You Need to Read!
SHIFT BREAK! How Not To Be a Jerk When Training Baristas
SHIFT BREAK! How Long Should it Take To Train a Barista?
511: The Art of Designing Unique Coffee Bars w/ Scott Magic of Magic Architecture
510: Advancing Equity in Farmer-Consumer Relationships w/ Ethiopia's Beamlak Bekele!
509 : Founder Friday! (Special 2 Part Before + After Episode w/ Nic and Krystal Tanaka of Kohiko Coffee House, Sugarland, TX!
SHIFT BREAK! Engaging in the Right Conversations (or how not to accept undue guilt)
508: Fighting Exploitation and Human Trafficking Through Coffee w/ Jenny Barber and Jake Jiron of Talitha Coffee Roasters!
SHIFT BREAK! With or Without Experience? Hiring the Best Baristas
507: How High-Level Systems Help Your Cafe Thrive w/ Preston Lee, The 30% Rule
SHIFT BREAK! Should You Up-Charge for Alternative Milks?
506 : Critical Workflows Every Coffee Shop Needs
SHIFT BREAK: The Best Way for Every Shop to Train Baristas
505: Maintaining Excellence in the Everyday Work of Coffee Shops w/ Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood
504 : Founder Friday! w/ Parviz Dadashov of United Coffee Beans in Azerbaijan!
SHIFT BREAK: Is Your Love for Coffee Sabotaging Your Success?
503 : 5 Coffee Industry Movements Your Shop Needs to Embrace
SHIFT BREAK: Finding Time for Change in the Cafe
502: Creating Meaningful Coffee Experiences
SHIFT BREAK: Why Your Shop Needs to Tell Stories
501: Teamwork, Mentorship, and Translating Coffee w/ 2024 Brewers Cup Champion of Turkey, Nida Fetullahoğlu
SHIFT BREAK: Want to be Effective? Don't Use Chat GPT
500! Reflections and The Role of the Coffee Shop in the Industry
499: Founder Friday! w/ Kenzel and Tio Fallen of Three Keys Coffee, Houston, TX
SHIFT BREAK : How to Design Cafe Station Responsibilities
498: 10 Small Things to Fix in Your Coffee Shop This Week
SHIFT BREAK: Hard Work is Hard | Part 2
497: Caught in the Middle: Answering Questions from Frustrated Management
Special Part 2 : Live from Coffee Fest LA! w/ Anna Gutierrez of Barista 22 and Sandra Elisa Loofborow of Loupe Coffee Consulting
SPECIAL! | PART 1 Coffee Fest LA! 2024 w/ Shanita Nicholas of Sip and Sonder + Elisa Hoyos and Leo Abularach of Picaresca Barra de Cafe
SHIFT BREAK: Don't Celebrate Unhealthy Wins
496: Hard Decisions and High Standards
Special Message: What is a Key Holder Coaching Group and Why Join?
SHIFT BREAK: Making Sense of Marketing Promises
495 : Encore Episode: Loving the Closing Shift: Problems, Solutions, and Transformational Mindsets
493 Founder Friday! w/ Rachel Lehman of Crema Coffee Roasters in Nashville, TN
SHIFT BREAK: Embrace Your Space
492: How to be The Best Coffee Shop
SHIFT BREAK: Focusing on the Whole, Not the Part
491: Graceful Exits: How to Sell Your Coffee Shop w/ Aaron Friedman
SHIFT BREAK: Setting Staff Up For Success
SPECIAL! | Coffee Fest NOLA 2024 w/ Turgay Yildizli of Specialty Turkish Coffee, Doron Petersan of Sticky Fingers Sweets and Eats, and Jonathan Riethmaier of Mammoth Coffee
490: 7 Vital Things to Include in Daily Shift Work
SHIFT BREAK: Reassessing Growth
489: Tips for Creating a Resilient Cafe
488: Founder Friday! Honoring Coffee's Root w/ Bartholomew Jones of Cxffee Black!
SHIFT BREAK: Are You Growing With Your Business?
487: How to Think Fast and Talk Smart in the Cafe w/ Matt Abrahams
SHIFT BREAK: Don't Give Up
486: Why You should Fire Your Landlord and Consider Owning Your Building w/ Paul Neal
SHIFT BREAK: Don't Manage by Crisis
485: Your Shop vs The Industry - How to Free Yourself From Dependency
SHIFT BREAK: Three BIG Hiring Mistakes (and how to avoid them)
484: Demystifying Mentorship w/ Dr. Ruth Gotian, Author of "The Financial Times guide to Mentorship""
SHIFT BREAK: Hiring based on Staff Preference vs Business Needs
483: Encore: 6 Essential Qualities of Coffee Shop Leaders
482: Founder Friday! w/ Rahul Reddy of Subko Coffee Mumbai, India
SHIFT BREAK: The Best Marketing Strategy
481 : Exploring Sensory Analysis Using "The Coffee Rose"/ Ian Fretheim, Director of Sensory Analysis at Cafe Imports
SHIFT BREAK: Stop Talking, and Start Doing
480: Focus on What Your Customers Love
SHIFT BREAK: Respecting Your Barista's Professional Boundaries
SHIFT BREAK: Why You Need Exit Interviews
479: Automation and the Future of Coffee Shops w/ Andre Eiermann, Eversys
478: Building Efficiencies Into Your Roastery w/ Scott Stouffer of Probat Coffee
SHIFT BREAK: When Numbers Lie
477: Inspiring the next generation of Coffee Farmer w/ Yolima Taborda Rojas of Paisa Coffee, Colombia
476: Founder Friday! The Story of Story Coffee w/ Don Niemyer of Story Coffee Co.
SHIFT BREAK: Owners, It's OK to Make Mistakes
475: Essential Tools for Cafe Management
SHIFT BREAK: How to Assess a Barista's Performance
474 : On Roasting and Representation w/ 2024 U.S. Roasting Champion, Eduardo Choza | Mayorga Coffee
SHIFT BREAK: Feedback is Not a Lecture
473: A Master Class in Wholesale Coffee w/ Honor Forte of Olympia Coffee Roasters
SPECIAL! Grocery, Community, Roasting, and Mobile Coffee | Live Interviews fromCoffee Fest NYC 2024!
SHIFT BREAK: Evil Owners and Lazy Baristas
472: Why Technical Skill as a Leader is Not Enough w/ Jonathan Raymond, Refound, Author: Good Authority
471 Founder Friday! Encore Episode w/ Emi Fukahori of Mame Coffee in Zurich Switzerland!
SHIFT BREAK: Beyond the Metrics
470: SPECIAL! Raising Barista Wages | KTTS x Valor Coffee Podcast Recorded Live at SCA Chicago!
SHIFT BREAK: Minding Our Business
469: Unremarkable Hospitality and Cafe Terroir
SHIFT BREAK: The Art of Letting Go
RoR #31 : Improve your Roasting Range by Focusing on the Fundamentals w/ Willem Boot of Boot Coffee
468: How to Be a Shift Lead
SHIFT BREAK: Embracing Problems as Blessings
467: How to Create Coffee Magic with Your Menu w/ Ryan Castelaz of Discourse Coffee, Milwaukee, WI
SHIFT BREAK: How to Fine Tune Your Coffee Bar
466: The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection w/ 2024 U.S. Barista Champion, Frank La, Be Bright Coffee
465: Founder Friday! w/ John Piquet of Caffe D'bolla in Salt Lake City, UT
SHIFT BREAK: Detail Oriented Staff Starts With You
464: Encore : Making Order Out of Chaos, Handling Groups in the Cafe
SHIFT BREAK: Managers, You Don't Need To Do It All
463: Tips on Having the Right Meetings
SHIFT BREAK: You Don't Want Loyalty
462 : What a New Children's Book Teaches About Mistakes in Coffee and Life w/ David Foster, Kiln Coffee Bar and Author of Jett Goes to Work With Dad
SHIFT BREAK : Trends You Can Ignore
RoR #30 : Challenging Dogma With Data w/ Coffee Roaster and Chemical Engineer Mark Al-Shemmeri
461: A Conversation With 2023 World Barista Champion, Boram Um, Um Coffee Co
Special Interview! Ian Williams of Deadstock Coffee talks about marketing staying true to your culture, and leading in hard times | Live interview from Coffee Fest 2023
SHIFT BREAK: How to Take Criticism as a Barista
Special Announcement: 2024 Key Holder Coaching Groups May be the Key to Unlock the Next Level in Your Business
460: What to Look for in a Manager
459 : Founder Friday! w/ Kymme Williams-Davis of Bushwick Grind Cafe in Brooklyn, NY
SHIFT BREAK : 2 Tips for Bar Design
458: Encore Episode! My Wife Interviews Me about My Career and How Coffee Brought Us Together
SHIFT BREAK: No Cell Phones
457: Finding Your Place in Coffee w/ John Luke Robertson | Kings Lane Coffee
SHIFT BREAK: Too Many Managers!
456: Competitions and What Makes a Good Barista w/ Scott Conary, Carborro Coffee / WCE Judge
455 : Founder Friday! w/ Nick Kassouf of Tru Bru Organic Coffee
SHIFT BREAK : The Scourge of Nitpicking Bosses
454: Creating a Vibrant Coffee Bar w/ Charles Babinski of Cafe 143 in Sydney, AUS
SHIFT BREAK: Questions Are Not Threats
453 : The Craft of Operations
RoR #29 : A Coffee Roaster's Career Journey, Leigh Wentzle, Cedar Coffee
SHIFT BREAK : Candid Advice for Baristas, Managers, and Owners
452: Championing the Customer Experience in Coffee w/ 3x SA Barista Champion, Winston Douglas Thomas of Cedar Coffee
SHIFT BREAK : Setting and meeting Standards in the Coffee Shop
451: Business Growth, Integrity, and Coffee Farmer Equity w/ Martin Mayorga of Mayorga Coffee
SHIFT BREAK : Evolution Through Small Steps
RoR #28 : Ease and Accessibility in Sample Roasting w/ Andrew Stordy, Inventor/Founder of IKAWA
450: A Conversation About Mobile Apps and Hospitality w/ Joe Capone of Espressly
SHIFT BREAK: Embracing Your Constraints
449: Convenience and Automation in Coffee w/ Tim Cox of Franke Coffee Systems
448: Founder Friday! Part 2 "Switching Gears" | w/ Doug Zell of Intelligentsia and The Meteor!
448: Founder Friday! Part 1 "Switching Gears" | w/ Doug Zell of Intelligentsia and The Meteor!
SHIFT BREAK : It's OK to Have Reasonable Tolerances
447: Understanding the Business of Coffee w/ Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood
SHIFT BREAK: How to Approach Holiday Hospitality
446: Building a People-First Coffee Tech Culture w/ Jason "Double J" Johnson, Black Rabbit Service Co.
SHIFT BREAK: We Need Inconvenient Coffee
RoR #27 : Scaling and Relationships in a Small Roastery w/ Cody Gordon, Cerberus Coffee
445: Evolution of the Barista-Machine Relationship w/ Ryan Willbur, Middleby Coffee
444: Founder Friday! w/ Julia Peixoto Peters of Peixoto Coffee, Arizona
SHIFT BREAK: The Weight of Relationships
443: Keep Your Communication Simple! w/ Author Ben Guttmann
SHIFT BREAK: Make Customer Feedback a Priority
442 : We Need Confidence, Celebration, and Joy!
SHIFT BREAK: Your Manager Has No Time To Manage!
441: How to Achieve Operational Excellence w/ Laila Ghambari
SHIFT BREAK: Quality Still Matters
440 : What Should Scare You About Coffee
Founder Friday! Youth, Foster Care, and Human Connections Through Coffee | w/ Miah Sommer of Astute Coffee in Omaha, NE
SHIFT BREAK: Wrong Fit For the Role, or Wrong Fit For Your Business?
438 : How to Build a Successful Cafe w/ Erin Young of Red Buffalo Cafe
SHIFT BREAK: Making Minimum Viable Changes
437 : The New Age of the Barista: Mindsets + Habits for Success
SHIFT BREAK: Rest and Meaningful Work
436: Stop Burn Out! and Make Work Effortless w/ Greg McKeown | Best Selling Author "Effortless"
SHIFT BREAK: I Learned it from Watching You!
435 : Encore! It's OK to be the Boss, w/ Bruce Tulgan
434 : Founder Friday | Leo Ferreira | Puzzle Coffee Shop, Tanzania!
RoR #26 : How to Approach Roasting Fine Robusta w/ Cleia Junqueira | Consultant + Q-Robusta Grader
Defining Excellence and Success
433: How to Earn Loyalty
You Need to Prioritize In-House Training!
432 : How to Win in Specialty Retail Coffee
Raising Your Hiring Standard
431: An Exercise in Listening to Coffee w/ Alexander Roach of Boycott Coffee + The Alphabet Book of Coffee
Pull Out The Fridge
430 : Embracing "Unreasonable Hospitality" w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference
RoR #25 : Training Up the Next Generation of Roasters w/ Steve Lee of Pocket Knife Consulting + Linea Caffe
Insecurity in Management
SPECIAL! Part 2 | Coffee Fest Anaheim 2023 w/ Steve Chang of Copa Vida Cafe and Jon Ferguson of Coffee Tech Central
SPECIAL! Part 1| Coffee Fest Anaheim 2023 w/ Kenneth Davids and Madeleine Longoria Garcia
429 : Believing You CAN Run a Great Shop w/ Michael Ryan of Threadbare Coffee Consulting
428 : Founder Friday | Maxwell Mooney's Final Chapter at Narrative Coffee and New Beginnings
For Here or To-Go?
427 : Encore Episode: What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap
426: Fostering a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Generate More Urgency!
425 : Some Thoughts on Supporting Your Manager
Faithfulness and Honesty
424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides
423 : Founder Friday! w/ Danny and Michelle Quiroz of Reserva Coffee Roasters | McAllen, TX
Three Questions for Better Cafe Decisions
ROR #24 : Perspectives on Roasting for Espresso w/ Jaroslav Tuček of Doubleshot, Czech Republic
422: Coffee Truck Success w/ Vincent LaVolpa of Green Joe Coffee School
The Courage to Correct
421: Encore Episode: Simple, Powerful, Hospitality w/ Philip Paul Turner
Who Are We Creating Our Standards For?
420: Meaningful Roles in the Cafe
Are YOU Using Your Manual?
419: Behaviors That Establish Excellent Management Culture
418: Founder Friday! w/ John and Luigi DiRuocco of Mr. Espresso, Oakland, CA
Focus on Your Manager Culture
417: Dialing in Your Water w/ Taylor Minor of Third Wave Water
SPECIAL! Part 2! Coffee Fest Live Louisville, KY 2023 w/ Lauren Lathrop and Rob Arnold | Learning to Roast Coffee + How to make Great Cocktails and Signature Drinks
SPECIAL! Part 1 Coffee Fest Live Louisville, KY 2023 w/ Jackie Nguyen and Sean Roberson | Master Social Media + Serving Great Coffee to Underserved Neighborhoods
Resentment in the Cafe
ROR #23 : How to Close the Industry-Consumer Flavor Gap w/ Phil Beattie, Dillanos Coffee Roasters
416 : People-First Principles for Growing Your Shop w/ Mike McFall of Biggby Coffee
Bottling Your Best Barista
415: The Best Lessons On How to Listen w/ Listening Expert, Oscar Trimboli
Seeking to Learn Across Age Divides
414: Secret Ingredients for a Successful Coffee Shop
Menu Simplicity as Hospitality
413 : Coffee Education and Training at Origin w/ Fabiola Solano of Soy Barista
RoR # 22 : Master Insights on Roaster Maintenance and Care w/ Doug Graf, Vintage Coffee
412 : Founder Friday! w/ Lem Butler and Kyle Ramage of Black and White Coffee Roasters
The Myth of Hands Off / Automated Leadership
411 : Excellence, Approachable Coffee and Always Learning w/ Kenneth Thomas of Umble Coffee and Coffee 101 Podcast
Don't Forget Relationships
410 : A Conversation w/ 2023 U.S. Barista Champion, Isaiah Sheese of Archetype Coffee!
Embrace the Fallout
409 : The Science of Optimizing Your Espresso w/ Samo Smrke
Avoid These Cafe Meeting Mistakes
408: Coffee Tools, Music, and Serving the Community w/ Anita Tam of Slow Pour Supply Co.
RoR # 21 : Data, Community, and the Art of Roasting w/ U.S. Roasters Champion Andrew Coe of Elevator Coffee
407 : Founder Friday! Encore Episodes, David Schomer of Espresso Vivace!
Coffee, Integrity, and A.I.
406: Five Ways to Immediately Improve Your Coffee Quality
Things the Owner Can't do for You
405 : Beyond the Schedule w/ Wil Brawley of Schedulefly
Pitching your Ideas to Your Boss
404 : Education, Home Brewing, and Launching a Roastery w/ Kyle Rowsell, September Coffee
Baristas Are Not Magic
403 : The Craft of Food, Coffee, and Writing w/ Matt Rodbard, Founder of TASTE
Service, Spite, and Compromise
RoR #20 : Challenging the Status Quo w/ David Lalonde of Rabbit Hole Roasters, Montreal, Quebec
402 : Innovating a Generous Wage Structure w/ Mike Schroeder of Oddly Correct
SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! NYC 2023 Part 2 w/ Jesse Harriott, Jenna Gotthelf, Anu Menon!
SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! NYC 2023 Part 1 w/ Jordan Brown and Anand Patel
401 : Founder Friday! w/ Jack Benchakul of Endorffiene Coffee Bar in Los Angeles
Stop Glorifying Chaos
400 : The Values of Speed and Service w/ Jaime Denney of Scooter's Coffee
More Power To Them
399: Encore Episode! How to Change Things in the Cafe
Are You Open?
398: The 5 Biggest Mistakes Coffee Shops Make
RoR #19 : A Vision of Sustainable Roasting w/ Arno Holschuh of Bellwether Roasters
Slow is Fast?
397: Diversity and The Color of Coffee w/ Keith Hawkins, The Color of Coffee Collective
396 : Founder Friday: Before + After Edition! w/ Jonathan Pascual of the Newly Opened Opo Coffee
Loving Where You Are
395: Connecting Roasters and Producers w/ Henry Wilson of Perfect Daily Grind and The Producer Roaster Forum!
SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! L.A. + PNW 2022 Part 2 w/ Shad Baiz, Jeremy Lyman, and Melind John!
SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! L.A. + PNW 2022 Part 1 w/ Manish Shah, Stephanie Alcala, Maria Cleaveland, and Jim Ngokwey!
Right Tools, Wrong Job
394 : Happy Coffee People w/ Wendelien van Bunnik
Two Tips on Hiring an Outside Manager
393 : The Tyranny of Taste w/ Kosta Kallivrousis
Community as Avoidance
392 : Cafe Management and the Importance of Team w/ Justin Duenne of Quills Coffee
391 : Founder Friday! w/ Megan Wilson of Spuds Coffee in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
RoR #18 : Expert Tips on Avoiding Tipping w/ Rob Hoos
Values At The Heart of KTTS
390 : 7 Ways to be Consciously Competitive
Leaner Teams, Better Results
389: How to Approach Modern Coffee Processing w/ Christopher Feran
Making Yourself More Valuable
388 : Coffee Shop Insurance and Risk Mitigation w/ Brennan Pothetes of Butter Insurance
Handling Staff Complaints
387: Innovation and Building a Better Coffee Business w/ Miranda Caldwell
Focus on These Areas in the New Year
386 : A Look Back at the Lessons of 2022
385: Founder Friday! w/ Arick Davis and Sarah Layman of Last Mile Cafe, Grand Rapids, MI
Avoiding Toxic Loyalty
384: How to Set Up a Successful Coffee Cart w/ Sarah Naylor of Daybreak Coffee Cart
Authenticity and Performance
383: How to Train a Manager
RoR #17 : Evolving Our Approach to Cupping w/ Charlie Habegger of Royal Coffee
Should You Hire Back a Fired Barista?
382 : Hospitality, Innovation, and the Birth of a Brewer w/ Etkin Design Co-founders, Michael Butterworth and Ozgur Jerdan
Ineffective Training
381 : Changing our Perspective on Tea in the Cafe w/ Annie Xiang of Volition Tea
380 : Founder Friday! w/ Cary and Cindy Arsaga of Arsaga's Coffee Roasters
Thankfulness and Giving Energy to the Positive
379 : Encore Episode! How to Deliver Difficult Feedback w/ Tom Henschel : Plus Bonus Content
Imperfect Action and Finding Time
378: 5 Areas to Develop in Managers
The Insult of Sink or Swim Training
377 : Coffee, Mindfulness, and the Art of Observation w/ Rob Sykes
Emotions, Self-Sabotage, and Telling Ourselves the Truth
376: Career, Coffee Quality, and Advancing the Industry w/ Mat North, of Raw Material
375 : Founder Friday! w/ Roland Horne of WatchHouse
Some Tips on Signature Drinks
374: Opening a Coffee Shop: Fantasy vs Reality (w/ bonus commentary)
RoR #16 : Ideal Resting Times for Roasted Coffee w/ Joey Stazzone of Cafe Kreyol
What Sanding Taught Me About the Cafe Refinement Process
373 : The Owner's Role: 5 Behaviors for Effectiveness
A Shift Break...on Shift Breaks
372 : Milk Steaming Master Class: Science + Craft w/ Morten Munchow and Emilee Bryant!
How Should Managers be Appraising Staff?
371: Baristas, Don't be a Hero
370: Founder Friday! w/ Tony Dreyfuss of Metropolis Coffee Company, Chicago, Illinois
The Wrong Way to Improve Morale
369: Encore Episode! How to be a Cash Register Hero
Make Your Problems More Specific
368 : Walking the Line Between Leadership and Friendship
Your Bathroom Stinks
367 : Designing Your Coffee Shop for Community w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman
Investing in Financial Education
366 : A Conversation w/ Chris Baca of Cat and Cloud Coffee
On "Quiet Quitting"
365 : Spilling the Beans on Global Coffee Culture w/ Lani Kingston
364 Founder Friday! w/ Sarah Alakeel of Hjeen Coffee, Saudi Arabia
Why You Need to Back up Your Policies
363 : Setting Boundaries in the Coffee Shop w/ Tom Henschel
Increase Costs? Increase the Value!
362: How to Handle Growth in Your Coffee Shop
RoR #15 : Managing LTL Freight and the Nuances of green Shipping w/ Evan Gilman of Royal Coffee
Managing Expectations in Systems
361: Managing Roastery Relationships and Logistics w/ Corey Turner of Andytown Coffee Roasters
Excellence In The Things We Hate
360: Encore Episode! Hosting Consumer Coffee Classes: 7 Tips for Success
359 : Founder Friday! w/ Nigel Price of Drip Coffee Makers NYC
Language Barriers and Understanding
358 : Changing Coffee Through Proportional Pricing w/ Andy and Nanelle Newbom of Torque Coffee
SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! Chicago 2022 Part 2 w/ Marissa Childers, Jess Gulino, and Tony Dreyfuss
SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! Chicago 2022 Part 1 w/ Luke Waite, Kris Christian, and Perfect Cube
Vanity Metrics
357 : A Conversation w/ Michael Tan of JWC Roastery in Malaysia
Don't Hire on a Trial Basis
356: 5 Unseen Barriers to Progress in Your Coffee Shop
Do You Need to be the Best Barista in Your Cafe?
355: Baristas! 6 Essential Qualities to Get Yourself Hired
Using Slow Times Well as a Barista
354 : Management Master Class w/ Ryan Fisher of Erewhon Market, L.A.
353 : Encore Episode! Founder Friday w/ Kathy Turiano of Joe Bean Roasters
Turning Radius
352: Music, Culture, and Coffee w/ Hip Hop Artist, Propaganda
Four Steps to Inspiring Your Staff
351 : Pro Tips for Using Spreadsheets w/ Maxwell Mooney, Narrative Coffee
Sacrificing Productivity
350 : The Physics of Filter Coffee w/ Jonathan Gagné
Up-selling and Hospitality: Helping Customers Make Good Decisions
349 : Talking About 21st Century Coffee w/ Kenneth Davids
Doing What You Want -vs- Doing What is Needed
348: Founder Friday! w/ Benito Burmudez of Cafe Unido, Panama City, Panama!
RoR Live! #10 : A Conversation w/ Kevin Nealon Green Buyer and Director of Coffee for Hucklberry Roasters
RoR Live! #9 : Roasting Innovation and Consistency w/ Scott Rao
RoR Live! #8 : Risk Mitigation for Roasters w/ Kat Nolte Ferguson, Sucafina Specialty
Special Message: Love and Sacred Space
347 : Brewing Coffee and a Career w/ U.S. Brewer's Cup Champion, Elika Liftee!
RoR Live! at SCA #7 Will Frith, Building Coffee | The Rise of Asian Coffee
RoR Live! at SCA #6 Chris Kornman| Author of Green Coffee : A Guide for Roasters and Buyers
RoR Live! at SCA #5 Nicki Amouri of Caffe Amouri | Understanding Roast Curves
RoR Live! at SCA #4 Anne Cooper of Equilibrium Master Roasters | How to Teach Roasting
Specific Expectations and Due Dates
346: Connecting People Through Coffee w/ Celeste Wong of The Girl in the Cafe
RoR Live at SCA #3 Karl Wienhold | Cheap Coffee Book
RoR Live at SCA #2 Areli Barerra Grodski | Little Waves Coffee
RoR Live at SCA #1 Peter Giuliano | The New Definition of Specialty Coffee
The Importance of Debriefing
345: A Conversation w/ 2022 U.S. Cup Tasters Champion, Julien Langevin
Messy Can Be Beautiful
344 : From Fine Dining to Coffee w/ Nicolas Simon of El Condor Coffee Roasters
343 : Founder Friday! "Curated Edition" | Hospitality + Meeting People Where They Are
Making a Decision Pipeline
342 : A Conversation w/ 2022 U.S. Barista Champion, Morgan Eckroth!
RoR #14: How to Roast New Processing Methods w/ Mike Ebert of Fire Dancer Consultants
An Essential Habit for Every Coffee Shop Worker
341 : How to Think About Success
Are We Giving our Best to the Least?
340 : Encore Episode of 10 Reasons to Love the Customer!
Don't Force Vulnerability
339: What Good Barista Training Produces
Getting Them In By Getting Out!
RoR #13 : The Norm Roast Protocol w/ Dave Baxter
338: A Conversation w/ Martell Mason of The Sepia Coffee Project
337: Founder Friday w/ Diana Martinez of Cafe Calle, Los Angeles
Flexibility for Owners and Managers
336: Cafe Leadership Masterclass w/ Selina Viguera of Blue Bottle Coffee
In Praise of Long Term Imperfect Employment
335: A Better Business Model for Coffee Farmers w/ Thaleon Tremain of Pachamama Coffee
When Patience is not a Virtue
334: How to Approach Deescalation in the Coffee Shop w/ Melissa Tucker of Mind of Matters Institute
Building your Coffee Shop's Capacity from Simplicity
333: Bridging the Professional and Home Barista Gap w/ Lance Hedrick of Onyx Coffee Lab
332: Founder Friday! w/ Iman Kusumaputra & Putri Yulandari of Kopikalyan, Jakarta, Indonesia
How to Talk to Each Other
331 : The 7 Deadly Sins of my Career
RoR #12 : Inside Coffee Packaging w/ Ever Meister
Proactivity in the Owner - Manager Relationship
330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop
Customer Caricatures and Inside Jokes
329 : How to Teach Company Values to Your Staff
Two Reasons to Not Install a Manager...Yet
328 : Relationships and Resiliency w/ Xavier Alexander of Metric Coffee
327: Founder Friday! w/ Phuong Tran of Lava Java
Irresponsible Encouragement
RoR #11 : Exploring Scent w/ Sandra Elisa Loofbourow
326 : A Conversation w/ Alan Jarrar of 50%Arabica and JokesAside Coffee Roasters
Pre-Closing Madness
325: How to Manager your Trainers
Taking Offense to Critique
324 : Encore Episode! Organizing the Community w/ Espresso State of Mind Founders, Javier Alvarez and Joseph Gonzalez
Hiring for Future Leadership
323 : Reflecting on 5 Years of Keys to the Shop w/ my Wife, Lynnsy Deferio
Expectations for Growth
ROR #10 : What Your Broker Wishes You Knew w/ Scott Merle of La Minita Coffee
322 : A Conversation w/ LaNisa Williams of Barista Life L.A.
Limiting New Things
321 : Marketing and Moral Injury w/ Josh Tarlo of Kiss the Hippo
320 Founder Friday! w/ Francesco Sanapo of Ditta Artigianale, Florence, Italy
The Key to Up-Selling
319 : A Conversation w/ World Barista Champion Diego Campos!
Ignorance vs Preference
318 : Why Your Coffee Shop is Key for the Success of Coffee
Why DIY
317 : Encore Episode: Death by Comparison
316 : Founder Friday! w/ Jim Sanders of Heartwood Coffee Roasters, Cleveland, Ohio
Priorities and Deep Thankfulness
315 : Growing and Connecting w/ Stephen Zinnerman of The Coffee Enthusiast!
RoR #9 Inside the Roaster's Tool Kit w/ Kat Melheim of Black and White Coffee and The Coffee People Zine
How You Show Up
314 : The 6 Essential Qualities of Coffee Shop Leaders
Getting Over Guilt
313 : Coffee Education and Training w/ Michael Phillips of Blue Bottle Coffee
Metrics Mindset
312 : How to Choose the Right Machine for Your Shop w/ Chad little of La Marzocco
Exclusivity is a Bad Strategy
311 : Why Your Coffee Shop Needs Open Book Management w/ Larry Chase
310 : Founder Friday w/ Jelynn Malone and Beverly Magtanong of Mostra Coffee
Passive-Aggressive Management
309 : A Conversation w/ Sarah Allen and Ken Olson of Barista Magazine
Do You Need Experience to Open a Coffee shop?
308 : A Conversation w/ Italian Brewers Cup Champion, Alessandro Galtieri
ROR #8 How Post-Harvest Processing Impacts Flavor w/ Siva Subramanian and Byron Holcomb of Olam Food Ingredients
You Can't Automate Quality
307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop
Why "Next in Line" promotion Might be a Bad Idea
306 : A Conversation w/ 2004 U.S. Barista Champion, Bronwen Serna!
305 : Founder Friday! w/ Andrew Sinclair of MadLab Coffee, Los Angeles, CA
Small Steps = Big Impact
Sustainability Series #4 : Consumer
Sustainability Series #3 : The Cafe
Sustainability Series #2 : Importing & Roasting
Sustainability Series #1 : The Farm
304 : Inside the Coffee Data Trends Breakout Report w/ Katie Von Der Lieth of the SCA
Announcing: "The Sustainability Series" Brought to you by Biocaf !
Make Everything Like Latte Art
303 : Create Authentic Partnerships w/ Marc Gessler of Cat & Cloud Coffee
Study the Rules
302 : Data's Roll in the Success of your Shop w/ Mark Calhoun and Jim Strarcev of Perfect Cube
The Quality Standards Equation
301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence
300 : Founder Friday! w/ Jermey Lyman of Birch Coffee, NYC
Hard Work is Hard
299 : 5 Rules for a Successful Coffee shop
Care Assurance is the New Quality Assurance
298: A Trophy, or Atrophy?
Encore! Curbing Their Enthusiasm
297 : Making Coffee Education Fun w/ Suneal Pabari of Leaderboard Coffee
Motivating Staff Through Culture
296 : Holistic Barista Training w/ David Castillo of Go Get Em Tiger in Los Angeles
295 : Founder Friday! w/ Justin Shepherd of Spencers Coffee, Bowling Green, KY
Helping Managers Avoid Burnout
294 : At Origin Roasting Revolution w/ Luis Fernando, founder of Amor Perfecto!
Skewing Positive
293 : Thoughts on Defining Professionalism
Ignoring the Customer
292 : How to Take Charge and Drive Your Career w/ Ed Evarts
When Experience is a Liability
291 : What to do if Your Baristas Won't Listen to You
ROR #7 Illustrative Sample Roasting w/ Mike Ebert of Firedancer Coffee Consultants
Tips on how to Replace a Manager
290 : Coffee Connections in Central Africa w/ Keith White Jr of Paraiso Trading
289 : Founder Friday w/ Ochen Simon Eidodo of Chariots Coffees, Uganda!
When Small Problems Grow Up
288 : The Truth behind Cheap Coffee w/ Karl Weinhold
Reasonable Expectations
287 : Learn how to Shift your Mind w/ Brian Levenson
Understanding and Bitterness
286 : Coffee Roasting Best Practices w/ Scott Rao
RoR #6: Buying Less and Doing More w/ Ever Meister
Hiring Friends and Making Enemies
285 : Better Systems, Better Connections w/ RoasterTools Founder, Jon Ewalt
284 : Founder Friday! w. Jackie Nguyen of Cafe Cà Phê | Kansas City, MO
Over Optimization
283 : 5 Bad Reasons to open a Coffee Shop
Curse of the Favorite Barista?
282 : How to Listen to your Customers
Exercising Self-control as an Owner
281 : The Vietnamese Coffee Revolution w/ Sahra Nguyen of Nguyen Coffee Supply
RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind
Turning the Ship
280 : A Conversation with Jesse Hartman of The Coffee Podcast
279 : Founder Friday! w/ Daniel Brown and Nephthaly Leonidas of Gilly Brew Bar
The Problem with "Should"
278 : Making good Hiring Decisions
Eliminating menu items Humanely
277: Encore Episode: How to respond to Negative Feedback
Positive Doubt
Special! "Thinking Differently" Series |Radical Sustainability w/ James Combs of Combs' Coffee
276 : Six Ideas for Increasing your Revenue
Who do we Serve?
Special! "Thinking Differently" Series |1% Better w/ Paul Magda of Pause Coffee House
275 : The Changing Landscape of Cafe Spaces w/ Dr. Jennifer Ferreira
RoR #4: Practical Thermodynamics w/ Candice Madison of Royal Coffee / The Crown Oak
You need an Owners Job Description
Special! "Thinking Differently" Series | Filipino Coffee w/ Ron Dizon of Teofilo Coffee!
274 : Crafting Specialty Drinks in your Shop w/ Matt Foster
273 : Founder Friday w/ Anne Lunnel and Charles Nystrand of Koppi Coffee Roasters, Helsingborg, Sweden
Keep Systems Simple!
272 : Coffee for Dummies w/ Major Cohen
Scaling Values
271 : Why the Cash Register Controls Everything
The Myth of the All-Star Team
270 : A Conversation w/ Mark Michaelson of Michaelson Consulting!
RoR #3: Making Contingency Planning a Reality w/ Andi Trindle Mersch of Philz Coffee
Commit before you Communicate
269 : What to Focus on after you Launch
268 : Founder Friday! w/ Adam Obrátil of Industra Coffee, Brno, Czech Republic
Speed is not the Goal
267 : The Power of Delegation
Are you Excited?
266 : Building Physical Resilience W/ Dr. David Dahl DPT, CAFS
Two responses to Accountability
265 : Gaining Clarity on Transparency w/ Jonas Lorenz of The Pledge
RoR #2: Exploring Quality Control w/ Spencer Turer of Coffee Enterprises
How to talk to Customers about Coffee
264 : A Conversation with Abner Roldan of Cafe Comunion and La Crema Podcast!
263 : Founder Friday w/ Mike McFall of Biggby Coffee
Paving the Way
262 : Understanding the Homeless Community
Be honest with your Wholesale Accounts
261 : The Basics of Managing Managers
Training TMI
260 : Is you Current Job the right Job? w/ Scott Anthony Barlow
Digital Hospitality
259 : Solving Toxic Customer Service Culture
RoR #1: A Conversation w/ Anne Cooper of Equilibrium Master Roasters
6 Things to Focus on in Your Coffee Shop
258 : Prioritizing your Mental Health in the New Year w/ Dr. Lara Pence
257 : A Conversation w/ Morgan Eckroth of MorganDrinksCoffee
Slowing down your Response Time
256 : Founder Friday w/ Varatt Vichit-Vadakan of Roots Coffee Roaster, Bangkok, Thailand
The Difference of Deference to your Staff
255 : The Triumph of Black Brazilians in Coffee w/ Phyllis Johnson
When "Going above and Beyond" goes too Far
254 : Holiday Hospitality Part 2
The pain of Detoxing your Work Life
253 : Mindsets that Sabotage Success
252 : Founder Friday w/ Klaus Thompson of the Coffee Collective, Denmark!
Not just "One of the Gang"
251 : Fermentation and the Future of Farming w/ Lucia Solis
The Impact of Absence
250 : Planning better Events w/ Steven Moloney of The Barista League
Just re-make it!
249 : The Path to Cooperative Ownership w/ Christopher Feran and Shane Hinde of Phoenix Coffee
The Neighbor's Tree
248 : The 5 Elements of Resourcing your Team
Special: Grossest Stories from the Bar
247 : Founder Friday! w/ Ritesh Doshi, of Spring Valley Coffee, Kenya
The Dark Roast Night of the Soul
246 : Selecting a Wholesale Coffee Provider
Promotion Commotion
245 : A Conversation with the World's Youngers Q Grader, Frankie Volkema, Founder of Joven Coffee
Good Baristas aren't born, they're Made
244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees
Keeping it Real
243 : Encore Episode! "The Sleepwalking Barista (Owner)"
Lack of-Self-Awareness
242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann
241 : Founder Friday! w/ David Morris of Dillanos Coffee Roasters
Prep for Performance Reviews
240 : What to do before you Build your Bar
SPECIAL: Stories from the Ground #3 w/ Chi Sum Ngai of Coffee Project NY!
Poaching and Hiring from other Shops
239 : 5 Best Practices for the Best Small Business w/ Henry Lopez
SPECIAL: Stories from the Ground #2 w/ Jay Sanders of 392 Caffe
Shifting the Shadow Shift
238 : Leading, Hiring, and working with your Coffee Tech w/ Hylan Joseph of Espresso Partners
SPECIAL: Stories from the Ground #1 w/ Scott Carey of Sump Coffee
My #1 Interview Mistake
237 : Thoughts on Post-COVID Coffee
236 : Founder Friday! w/ Miel Castagna-Herrera & Curtis Herrera of Cafe Corazon!
You are not your Competition
235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff
Your Employee Handbook is Worthless
234 : Actions and Strategies to Improve your Messaging w/ Garrett Oden
Bridging the Values-Actions Gap
233 : A Conversation w/ Anthony Ragler, Black and White Coffee
Tips on Job Descriptions
232 : Rebuilding your Staff with Excellence w/ Dave Stachowiak
231 : Founder Friday! w/ Blew Kind of Fanny Lou's Porch
Don't fall into FOLO! (Fear of Limited Options)
230 : Making room for Community in your Shop
Don't Stress about Stress
229 : 7 Tips for New Managers
Work Alchemy
228 : Cracking the Leadership Code w/ Alain Hunkins
No News is Bad News
227 : Connecting with Hearts and Minds
Long-game Management
226 : The Art of being Indispensable at Work w/ Bruce Tulgan
225: Encore Episode : Founder Friday w/ Dorian Bolden, Beyu Caffe, Durham, NC
Who you are & What you Do
224 : Essentialism: Focusing on what truly Matters w/ Greg McKeown
The Right People?
223 : Building a Financially Resilient Business w/ Andrew Carroll
Higher Degrees of Imperfection
222 : How to have Difficult Conversations about Race and Justice w/ Kwame Christian
Encore Episode : 6 Truths about Power
221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant, Dana Goodwin
220 : Founder Friday! w/ Sarah Barnett Gill of Mama Mocha's in Auburn , AL
The COVID Communication Bubble
219 : Building a Winning Food Program w/ Marilei Denila, Culinary R&D Manager, Go Get em Tiger
2nd First Impression : Tips for Welcoming Customers Back
218 : An Expert's Guide to Elevating your Cold Brew w/ Matt Bushman of Alto Cold Brew
COVID-19 Focus : Starting the Grocery / Pantry Model in your Shop w/ Ben Shellack of Penstock Coffee Roasters
Building an Accessible Coffee Menu w/ Joe Marrocco
217 : Should you Roast your own Coffee? w/ Joe Marrocco
3 Keys to Building a Better Normal
COVID-19 Focus w/ John King, Walkie Talkie Coffee, Canton, OH
216 : Helping Customers Brew at Home w/ Brian Beyke, I Brew my own Coffee Podcast
COVID-19 Focus: Perspective form Burundi w/ Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, JNP Coffee
In this Together, but for how Long?
COVID-19 Focus w/ Maxwell Mooney, Narrative Coffee, Everette, WA
215 : Communication and Marketing Master Class w/ Spencer M. Ross, PH.D.
214 : Founder Friday w/ Peter Moses of Mighty Oak Roasters in Astoria, NY
You're not Letting People Down
213 : Coping with Corona using Emotional Intelligence w/ Andrea Hoban
COVID-19 Focus w/ Lauren Crabbe of Andytown Coffee Roasters
Keep or Throw Away?
212 : Refining your Leadership and Systems in a Crisis
COVID-19 Focus : Jonathan Pascual | Taproom Coffee and Beer | Atlanta, Georgia
Grace and High Standards
211 : Straight Talk for Coffee Shops w/ The Retail Doctor, Bob Phibbs
COVID-19 Focus : Impact on the Supply Chain w/ Ricardo Pereira , COO, Ally Coffee
Development in a Crisis
210 : The Future of Retail w/ Doug Stephens | CEO of The Retail Prophet
COVID-19 Focus : Karl Purdy of Coffee Angel, Dublin, Ireland : Not going quietly, not giving up, and serving well
209 : Founder Friday! w/ Linda Thach of Little Skips, Brooklyn, NY
Leading and Understanding Staff Bitterness
COVID-19 Focus : Erica Escalante, The Arrow | Acting Quickly, Leading Well, and Fighting for Connection
208 : Building a Company that Cares w/ Kyra Kennedy of Baratza
COVID-19 Focus : General Guidance on Talking with your Bank and Landlord w/ Marshall Fuss, Attorney at Law
On a Resilient Coffee Community
207 : Hope in Difficult Times w/ Kathy Turiano of Joe Bean Coffee Roasters
It's not You, It's Me
206 : The Emotional and Social Impact of the Cafe Space w/ Noa Berger
Fear and Trust
205 : Inside the World's Oldest Coffee Shop, Caffe Florian, Venice, Italy
204 : Founder Friday! w/ Jeff Taylor of PT's Coffee and Bird Rock Coffee
Facilitating Success
203 : Empowering Women in Business w/ Katherine Knapke
Customer Loyalty
202 : Mastering your Finances and Accounting w/ Keila Hill-Trawick of Little Fish Accounting
Bonus Valentine's Day Episode aka "My wife made me do it"
Prioritizing your Work
201 : Igniting your Curiosity w/ Cody Gough of the Curiosity Daily Podcast
Don't Waste Problems
200! : From Tragedy to Triumph : Navigating Change w/ Talor Browne of Talormade, Oslo, Norway
199 : Founder Friday w/ Mario Jimenez of Banana Dang Coffee!
3 Keys for Work-life Balance
198 : The Evolution of the Coffee Shop w/ Prof. Jonathan Morris
Asking for Help
197 : Getting the most from your Equipment w/ Melissa Vaiden of Counter Culture Coffee
Example > Words
196 : Understanding Consumer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano
Empowering Staff to make the right Call
195 : Organizing the Community w/ Espresso State of Mind founders Javier Alvarez and Joseph W. Gonzalez
Building Trust-Credit
194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017
193 : Founder Friday w/ Colin Whitcomb of Canary Coffee Bar (Before & After Episode!)
The Power of "No"
192 : Freedom through Coffee w/ Esther Hope-Gibbs of Manumit Coffee
How to ruin a Game of Telephone
191 : Retraining your Staff on new Standards
High Expectations + Low Control
190 : 6 Tips for better Scheduling
In Praise of the "Transactional"
189 : Talking Tea! w/ Jeffery Champeau of Rishi Tea and Botanicals
188 : Founder Friday! w/ Jon Allen of Onyx Coffee Lab
"Local" does not Equal Quality
187 : A Conversation w/ Nikki Outlaw of Anecho Coffee
Source vs Supplement
186 : Interviews from Coffee Fest PNW, Tacoma, WA
Being the Point of Clarity
185 : Exploring the La Marzocco Cafe w/ Amy Hattemer and Carolyn Reddy
Build it for the Business, not the Person
184 : Making Great Business Decisions w/ Dave Stachowiak
Blood Sucking Bosses!
183 : Exploring Diversity w/ Phyllis Johnson
182 : Founder Friday! W/ Alec Tod of Indie Coffee Roasters, Indianapolis, IN
The Customer Service Pro is not Always Right
181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge
Systems as Care
180 : A Conversation W/ Rugid Grind Founders, Brian Washington and Averett Barksdale
Sink or Swim
179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap
2 Qualities of Quality Baristas
178 : Training Masterclass w/ Emma Haines of London School of Coffee and Caffeina Consulting
177 : Founder Friday w/ Jonathan Pascual of Taproom Coffee and Beer in Atlanta, Georgia
Should You be Behind the Bar Right Now?
176 : Harnessing Emotions at Work w/ Andrea Hoban of Oji Life Lab
The Counterbalanced Barista
175 : How to Keep your Cool : A Fridge, Cooler, and Ice Machine Masterclass w/ Luke Peterson of The Maintenance Department!
I've Got Your (bar) Back
174 : Saying Yes to Business Opportunities w/ Kyle Wells of Torpedo Coffee & Close Quarters
Your Customer's Relational Baggage
173 : 5 Areas of Focus for Retailers
Your Peers are not your Customers
172 : Why Tracking Performance is a Must!
171 : Founder Friday w/ Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters in India
Fear or Inspiration?
170 : Why your Inventory Counts w/ Albert Amar and Pierre-Francois Rio of SwiftCount
Selfish Self-Awareness
169 : Designing the Guest Experience w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman
The Currency of Urgency
168 : Getting the Best From Your Coffee w/ Pete Licata
Familiar Apathy
167 : Handing off the Shift : 4 Tips to Avoid Chaos
166 : Founder Friday! (Special Curated Edition) : Four Awesome Perspectives on Caring for Staff from past Founder Friday Episodes
When You're "Losing it"
165: The Art of Deep Listening w/ Oscar Trimboli
"I'm Sorry"
164 : Six Tips for Cooler Cold Brew w/ The Cold Brew Chick, Rachel Dillon
Exceptions to the Rule : Toxic Traditions
163 : Lessons from Crush the Rush w/ Josh Littlefield
The Broken Chair
162 : Discussing "Baristastainability" w/ Jenna Gotthelf of Counter Culture Coffee
161 : Founder Friday Drive-Thru Edition! w/ Jasmine Diedrich Wilson of Diedrich Espresso, Everette, WA
Differentiation Takes Time!
160 : The Smart Way to Approach Money w/ Jill Schlesinger
Customer Experience - vs - Coffee Quality
159 : Unconscious Bias w/ Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters
Self-Betrayal and the Art of Action
158 : A Managment Masterclass w/ Jon Felix Lund, VP of Operations for Coava Coffee Roasters
Would You Hire You?
157 : Four from the Floor : Interviews from Coffee Fest Indianapolis
156 : Founder Friday w/ Lauren Crabbe of Andytown Coffee Roasters
Don't You Forget About Me
155 : A Conversation w/ T. Ben Fischer of Glitter Cat Barista
The Agreement
154 : Decoding Decaf w/ Mike Strumpf of Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffees
Before you Expand
153 : Exploring the Peace Trade in the Congo w/ Mighty Peace Coffee
Endo / Exo Professional Development
152 : Jen Apodaca : Essential Advice for Starting a Roastery
I Don't Want to Talk to You
151 : How to React and Respond to Negative Feedback
150 : Founder Friday w/ Kyle Wells of Torpedo Coffee, Denver, CO : Before & After Episode
Stop Lying
149 : Celina Velez, Head Roaster at Merit Coffee
Unofficial Trainers & Fair Compensation
148 : Exploring the Ground Control Brewer with Inventor Eli Salomon of Voga Coffee
People...not Objects
147 : U.S. Roasting Champion 2019, Shelby Williamson of Huckleberry Roasters, Denver, CO.
Learning -vs- LEARNING
146 : How to Host a Throwdown w/ Justin Shepherd of Spencer's Coffee in Bowling Green, KY
145 : Founder Friday with Red Rooster Coffee Roaster Co-Founder, Haden Polseno-Hensley
The Miracle of the Mundane: How curiosity helps our sustainability
144 : A Conversation with 2019 U.S. Barista Champion, Sam Spillman!
What is Professionalism? Some thoughts for the future of service
143 : Behind the Scenes of the new "Baristas" Movie w/ Director, Rock Baijnauth
Winning and Losing : Thoughts on pursuits and their wake
142 : Entrepreneur Interviews from Coffee Fest NYC! : British Coleman & Shabria Quinn Robinson, Peter Moses, and Ryan Vaxmonsky share their passion knowledge, and inspire us all
Empathetic Systems
141 : The 27 Challenges Managers Face w/ Bruce Tulgan : Solving the most common challenges with intuitive and straightforward solutions, coffee shop management, leadership, foundational principles
Please Clarify: Making sure you and your boss are on the same page
140 : A Conversation w/ Erika Vonie, Director of Coffee at Trade Coffee : Professional journey, challenges of retail, green buying, learning about coffee, finding the right fit, how to make a global impact, valuing yourself, competition highs and lows
139 : Founder Friday w/ Kusanya Cafe Co-Founder, Phil Sipka! : Community organization, non-profit, resident run, serving the neighborhood, creating a 3rd place, empowering staff and community, renewal vs. gentrification
The Acceptance of Dysfunction
138: Joseph A. Rivera on Organic Acids & the Importance of Coffee Science : We learn a bit about organic acids, caffeine, the importance of coffee science and quality
Feedback Culture : Making feedback a part of what you do not just something you sometimes do
137 : Essential Books for your Professional Development Vol. 2 : Five Books that will teach you team building, management, entrepreneurship, managing your manager, embracing your coffee shop as a community space
Approving Delegated Work: The overlooked element that keeps the cafe up to standard
136 : Nourishing the Barista's Soul : A conversation with Deb Kaminski of Pacific Natural Foods : Supporting baristas, learning coffee, product development, feedback, excellence, knowing your worth in coffee
Your Bird Box : Tuning in to the under-appreciated expertise of the customer
135 : Staying Motivated in the Midst of Difficulty : Principles and perspectives on healthy growth, finding the right motivation, and being inspired where you are
134 : Founder Friday! w/ Jeremy Zhang | M2M Roasters & Uni Uni , Nanjing, China : 2x Chinese Barista Champion and coffee entrepreneur, specialty coffee in China, hiring and training, keeping standards, leading multiple cafes
Curbing their Enthusiasm : How we put a damper on the customer's experience and what to do instead
133 : 5 Keys to Successful Wholesale w/ Sarah Richmond : How to set up an incredible wholesale program, servant leadership, mission driven values, integrity, team building, systems and operations, mindset and growth
Icing on the Cake: Competitions vs. the Shop
132 : Baristas Speak! Vol. 3 : Conversations form Coffee Champs Nashville! w/ Adam JacksonBey, Kat Melheim, & Kristina Jackson : Barista career, leadership, industry impact, overcoming challenges
Communicate, Duplicate, Repeat : Key habits that make information stick
131 : The Strong Women of Coffee w/ Laura Gonzalez : Behind the project giving a voice to the amazing women that make up our industry , challenges women face in coffee, and some practices to adopt to help open up opportunities
The Conversational Reality of Your Business : Thought on how to approach creative projects in the new year
130 : Anne Nylander | Training Principles for Specialty Coffee Professionals : Breaking down Anne's new book that helps trainers and educators conduct effective sessions and grow as professionals
129 : Founder Friday! : Casey & Jeremy Miller of The Mud House / St. Louis, MO
Accurate Reflection : A very important end of year challenge and encouragement to the Keys to the Shop community
128 : Terry's Top 10 w/ Terry Ziniewicz : How not to Kill you Espresso Machine : Best practices to give your machine a long life from a man with a life time of machine knowledge, preventative maintenance, scheduled maintenance, tools, tips, advice
Drink Drills! : Guidelines for using this powerful training tool in the coffee shop to get baristas ready for anything
127 : Passion and Curiosity: A Conversation w/ Major Cohen, Sr. Project Manager, Starbucks Global : Starbucks history, developing a career, working as a team, advocating for baristas, teaching coffee, future of baristas, customer experience, importance
Tips for Conducting Great Staff Meetings
126 : Kids in the Coffee Shop! | An exploration of approaches and best practices from two different cafes on opposite sides of the same specialty coffee coin
Patience & Passivity : Career Advice for the Long Game
125 : Confidence in Conflict w/ Kwame Christian : How to use compassionate curiosity in negotiating for your career's and your coffee businesses best interest
124 : Founder Friday! w/ Emi Fukahori, World Brewers Cup Champion and Co-Founder of MAME Coffee in Zurich, Switzerland : Behind her winning performance, the value of community, growing through competition, opening a coffee bar, the challenges and joy
From Barista to Owner | Tim Jones of Liturgy Beverage Company talks about 5 things that helped him on the journey to running his own coffee business!
123 : The 10 Essentials of a Barista Manual! : Writing an effective coffee shop manual, barista communication, management and leadership responsibility, casting vision, details of preparations, service, hospitality, dealing with harassment
Thankfulness : The key to joy in the journey
122 : How be a Cash Register Hero : 6 Essential skills to have in order to set up both the customers and your co-workers in the coffee shop to have a great experience / Changing our mindset toward register work
Just. Walk. Away. : A critical point of service in the coffee shop that makes a big difference but is hard to do
121 : Working from Your Strengths w/ Lisa Cummings : How to identify both your's and your staff' strengths in the coffee shop, placing people in positions that compliment their talents, affirmation on the job, framing all work through the lens of str
Gossip: How this toxic element destroys community in the coffee shop and what to do instead
The Hospitality Paradox : Preparing for the most critical & perplexing time in retail
120 : Social Media 101 w / Jenn Chen : The most critical elements for coffee companies to consider to have a great on-line presence
119 : Barista Training Masterclass w/ Gwilym Davies : 2009 World Barista Champion, Gwilym Davies joins us to talk hospitality based training, always learning, being ok with being wrong, structuring your coffee trainings, how to prepare yourself, and