SHIFT BREAK #3 : Hiring is one of the most important things you will do for the benefit of the cafe and great questions are key in helping you decide who to bring on and who to not. Today I talk about my favorite interview question and why it has been so instrumental in helping me gain clarity around who to hire. I hope this is helpful to you!
Great coffee should be for everyone! For the consumer today though, specialty coffee can be complicated. But it does not have to be! Today we talk with industry legend Tony "Tonx" Konecny, Founder of Tonx Coffee, and Co-founder of Yes Plz (the people behind the $1 cup of coffee at Locol) all about his mission to remedy this issue. In addition to discussing Yes Plz and some of Tony's professional history that informs the companies philosophy we will talk about:challenging orthodoxy, intentional blending, pricing for accessibility, coffee subscriptions, on-boarding customers, the industries echo chamber and much more. Tony has a lot to say that I think will help shape our approach to customers in the shop and really make an impact on how "into" coffee they get.
Throughout this talk ask yourself: What are we doing to help customers into specialty coffee in the shops? How can I apply these philosophies to how I act and speak with customers in the shop? What rules or orthodoxies am I holding onto that may need to be challenged in the name of progress?
I hope you enjoy this interview!
LINKS:
Thanks to our sponsors!
Boy do we have a great on in store for you! Talor Browne, Co-founder of Talor & Jorgen in Oslo, Norway chats with us on this May edition of Founder Friday. Talor is an absolute legend and through her career has been at the helm of some of the worlds greatest cafes and roasters. She and her business partner Jorgen opened Talor & Jorgen December 2017 and have put together what looks to be one of the industries most unique and fun concepts.
In this discussion we talk about Talor's path in the coffee and culinary world, the back story of how Talor & Jorgen was founded, their mission and vision, the key to hiring the right people, and the lessons learned in the process. We touch on delegation, burnout, passion, growth, strengths, and the importance of keeping great coffee easy and fun!
Talor has a lot of great advice to those of us in the industry and to those of us hoping to start a shop that is as much an authentic expression of our ethos as Talor & Jorgen is of theirs.
Enjoy!
LINKS:
SHIFT BREAK! #2 : Management is often the first position we get promoted to within the cafe and it comes with a lot of added responsibility and pressure. From my own experience and observations over the years there are 3 things that effective managers put into practice and are always looking to get better at. In todays Shift Break we discuss what those things are and why they are so important.
Thanks for listening and stay tuned for next week's Shift Break!
While many of us can say that we are students of coffee and coffee shops, not many can say that we study it on an academic level the way or guest Dr. Jennifer Ferreira does. In this discussion Dr. Ferreira talks about her research into coffee shops, their impact in society, and the things that she has learned along the way. We discuss the cafe's place in society and its various roles, as well as its impact on the environment, the community, and the economy. We also discuss whether more is always better when it comes to the increasing number of specialty stores opening globally and what might be the next phase for the growth of the cafe industry.
I hope you enjoy this chat and make time to discover Dr. Ferreira's work at the links below!
Links:
https://cafespaces.wordpress.com
https://www.jennifer-ferreira.com
https://twitter.com/jennywrenwatts
SHIFT BREAK #1 : Welcome to Shift Break! This is a new feature of Keys to the Shop that gives you quick and focused insights, tips, and tools you can use to thrive in the cafe. My hope is that if you are pressed for time you can take something away from these mini-episodes that will positively impact your life. Today I wanted to talk about anger and how you can overcome it when you are on shift. The 3 tips have proven effective in my own career and I hope they benefit you as well.
Thanks for listening and stay tuned for next week's Shift Break!
LINK:
Solving Coworker Conflict: http://www.keystotheshop.com/podcasts/52-2/
Today we have the immense honor of talking with Andrew Daday, General Manager of La Marzocco USA! We dive into his leadership, values, and goals as he heads up one of the worlds most iconic and respected equipment manufacturing companies. Also in this conversation we discuss the critical importance of La Marzocco's relationship with the coffee shop, their vision for sustainability, how they serve such a wide and varied customer base while still pushing the envelope on quality, how innovation goes from idea to implementation, and throughout all this, Andrew give us some excellent management and leadership advice that will have a huge impact on the way you serve.
I hope you enjoy this and are inspired!
LINKS:
Today we talk with the new U.S. Barista Champion, Cole McBride! Cole has always given 110% effort to improving both his own craft and being an advocate for specialty coffee and those around him. In his 15 years of professional coffee work he has gleaned an impressive amount of wisdom, skill, and perspective that is clearly on display both on the stage and in this conversation. We cover everything from his career's development, competition history, some deep dives into the details of his winning performance, lessons learned from challenges, how intention and awareness are key elements of being a successful barista, and his quest to uplift the barista in his role as an ambassador for specialty coffee. This conversation is packed! I was very much energized and inspired by Cole and I hope you feel the same way.
Enjoy!
LINKS FOR COLE:
EMAIL: colecoffeeseattle@gmail.com
Today we talk with Coffee Masters Champion, Agnieszka Rojewska! She is the multi-time Polish Barista champion, Latte Art champion, and now Coffee Masters champion, a trainer, consultant, and all around inspiration!
In this conversation we chat about her packed completion schedule, pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, her experience as a cafe owner and manager folding in lessons from competition into day-to-day operations, the importance of the customer being our focus, and how we can create opportunity to advance our careers.
It was an honor to talk with Agnieszka and I know you will get something valuable from this conversation.
Links:
Interested in Keys to the Shop Consulting? Email: chris@keystotheshop.com or call at 502-715-1465