Part of the work we do entails some pretty gross things. In today's episode I will be reading 8 selected stories submitted by listeners about the grossest things they have experienced while working to bring great coffee to the people.
Story order:
Links to related episodes:
Other resources:
The best Kenyan coffee tends to be exported to other countries. Spring Valley Coffee flips this on its head by sourcing, roasting, and serving the best for themselves and the local Kenyan community. Today we are going to be exploring this wonderful company's history, evolution, and impact as we talk with Ritesh Doshi!
Ritesh is the CEO of Spring Valley Coffee, Kenya’s oldest premium coffee roaster, a business he acquired in 2018. Having introduced the Flat White to Kenya, Ritesh wanted to combine his passion for coffee and his sense of purpose with his need to control his own supply.
Prior to Spring Valley Coffee, Ritesh founded Naked Pizza Kenya, a company he sold to Pizza Hut. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Ritesh worked in international finance in the US, Europe and Middle East for financial institutions such as Credit Suisse & HSBC.
In this conversation we not only get the overview of Spring Valley Coffee but we also explore how rites came to the company, the values and goals they are pursuing, why scaling, relationships, and integrity are cornerstones of success and much more.
I love the work they are doing at Spring Valley and I know you will as well!
In this episode:
Links:
171 : Founder Friday w/ Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters in India
236 : Founder Friday! w/ Meil Castagna-Herrera & Curtis Herrera of Cafe Corazon!
108 : Founder Friday w/ Dorian Bolden of Beyu Caffe in Durham, NC
134 : Founder Friday w/ Jeremy Zhang of M2M Roasters & Uni Uni Coffee in Nanjing ,China
Starting a shop -or-want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: Chris@keystotheshop.com
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Stay in coffee long enough and it will happen to you. The assumptions and dogmas we make when we first get into coffee are challenged or destroyed, and we are sent into a dark place of wondering who we are, and what we really even know about coffee. Today we are talking about how this moment every professional goes through is critical to maturity and should be more common for the health of the industry.
*Stay tuned for a Halloween special where I read the grossest cafe stories sublimed by KTTS listeners!
Recommended episodes:
242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann
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Your business is built on partnerships. One of the most critical is the relationship between you and the coffee roaster you select. Entering into this relationship needs tp be done pretty methodically and the decision should be based on more than on just branding and your personal taste.
Today we are going to go over 10 things to consider when deciding on a wholesale coffee provider that will help you have the best chance at finding one that fits what your business and your customers need for the long term.
We cover:
Recommended episodes:
152 : Essential Advice for Starting a Roastery w/ Jen Apodaca
026 : What Your Roaster want you to Know w/ U.S. Roasting Champion, Mark Michaelson, Onyx Coffee Lab
196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano
217 : Should you roast your own Coffee w/ Joe Marrocco of List & Beisler
Building an Accessible Coffee Menu w/ Joe Marrocco
Starting a shop or want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: Chris@keystotheshop.com
The BEST in commercial coffee equipment!
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BOGO! 10% off! Get any item of equal or lesser value free!
We love to offer promotions and discounts in the coffee retail space. When numbers are down we go for deals, offers, and discounts... maybe a little too often. Combine this with the fact that most of the time these offers are executed sloppily and create more confusion than excitement and you turn that BOGO into an OHNO. (sorry, not sorry)
In todays shift break we will talk about how you can approach promotions in an organized and clear way that actually benefits your business.
Related episodes:
080 : Changing things in the Cafe : A workflow for Refinement
Elevated batch brew and so much more!
Your Own Branded App!
What an interesting and inspirational episode this was!
Frankie Volkema, at just 14 years old, is the world's youngest Q Grader and the founder of Joven Coffee, an organization that sources, roasts, and promotes coffee from young farmers around the world!
We are also joined by her father Tim Volkema, who is the CEO of Schuil coffee, Michigan’s first specialty coffee roaster. Schuil also owners the boutique brand Sparrow Coffee.
In this conversation we discuss the backstory of how Frankie came into coffee, her road to becoming a Q Grader, and the founding of Joven Coffee. Tim also adds operational perspective as to how Schuil Coffee works with Joven Coffee.
This was a great conversation and one I hope will inspire you to support Joven Coffee, look into supporting young farmers through your business, and take big steps to create change where it is needed.
Enjoy!
In this episode:
Related Episodes:
Starting a shop or want to level up you operations? KTTS Consulting can help! | Email me: Chris@keystotheshop.com
The BEST in commercial coffee equipment!
Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks?
"I wish they would just get it!" Does this sound familiar?
Whether you have said this out loud or just ruminate on this and similar ideas, the frustration is very real. In today's episode we will explore this thought that pits a quick learner against a slower one and why letting this attuned go unchecked may be holding your business back.
Interested it consulting? Reach out! - Chris@keystotheshop.com
Related episodes you should listen to:
235 : 4 Tips for Training your Staff
178 : Training Masterclass w/ Emma Haines of London School of Coffee and Caffeina Consulting
130 : Anne Nylander | Training Principles for Specialty Coffee Professionals
123 : The 10 Essentials of a Barista Manual
119 : Barista Training Masterclass w/ 2009 WBC Champion, Gwilym Davies
066: Shaping and Developing your Team w/ Beth Garrison
121 : Working from Your Strengths w/ Strengths Finder Guru, Lisa Cummings
Elevated batch brew and so much more!
Your Own Branded App!
Now ore than ever coffee shops should be building stable and resilient teams to give them the best chance at success in an unstable market.
Unfortunately there are many needless problems and practices that plague cafes and are catalysts for unnecessary turnover.
Today we are going to cover what I believe are the top 10 reasons why we lose employees and what we should be doing to fix these problems. If we address these 10 things well then we will be on our way to creating an environment where staff never want to leave.
Links to related episodes:
221 : Building your People Program w/ HR Consultant Dana Goodwin
179 : What you MUST Know About Employee Culture w/ Stan Slap
067 : 6 Truths About Power : The Responsible Approach to Power Dynamics in the Cafe
Bridging the Values -Actions Gap
Need consulting? email me: Chris@keystotheshop.com
The BEST in commercial coffee equipment!
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The truth can hurt. In our minds, when we thing about "keeping it real" we are usually about to engage in some form of uncomfortable, confrontational interaction.
In today's episode we will be exploring this idea and how an alternative way of approaching it will actually help us really keeping it real.
Related episodes to explore:
Elevated batch brew and so much more!
Your Own Branded App!
I am excited to re-share this oldie with you. Mainly because it has a ton of very useful insights that I think we all need to ponder these days. Life (aka 2020) won't let up and the 7 things I talked about back in November 2017 could not be more relevant. In many ways, we spend a lot of our energies reinforcing self-sabotaging behaviors and habits. Thing is, even though I originally broadcast this as being for baristas, you can just as easily see these 7 things in your life as a business owner.
So on behalf of the Chris of 2017 and the Chris of 2020, I hope you enjoy this blast from the past!
Links to recommended episodes:
Main Episodes:
135 : Stay Motivated in the midst of Difficulty
083: 6 Essential Books for your Professional Growth
008 : Finding Joy in Coffee w/ Nathanael May
207 : Hope in Difficult Times w/ Kathy Turiano of Joe Bean Coffee Roasters
Shift Breaks:
Patience & Passivity : Career Advice for the Long Game
The BEST in commercial coffee equipment!
Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks?