Home Podcasts Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders
Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Chris Deferio 1125 episodes Latest Jun 2, 2026

A coffee podcast providing coffee shop owners and leaders with insights, inspiration, and the tools needed to grow and advance their coffee business or career. It features interviews with experts both in and outside the coffee industry, delivering practical advice on ownership, optimization, profitability, barista work, employee culture, management, scaling, leadership, and personal development.

Episodes

SHIFT BREAK! Why You Need To Cross-Train Staff Jun 11, 2026 07:49 In too many cafes we find staff trained only in the areas they work in with minimal to no knowledge or understanding in other parts of the business. This derails a cafes growth and effectiveness. Staff in the front are not equipped to speak with understanding and confidence to customers and those those who work in the back or in production areas are isolated from the up-steam results of their work
609: Lessons On Running a True Community Space w/ Blew Kind of D'griot Cafe | Philadelphia, PA Jun 9, 2026 51:14 More than just a 3rd space, some cafes are platforms for ideas, catalysts for change, and a space specifically organized and designed to grow and nurture their communities.  Led by people with deep convictions and a vivid vision for what can be, these spaces transform and help support the community beyond the coffee.  Today we get to catch up with someone who has spend decades pouring into her
SHIFT BREAK! Why It's Hard To Find Good Help These Days Jun 4, 2026 09:49 We have heard this phrase before and, if we are honest, we have said it a couple times too. The statement is problematic since it assumes that the world around us is the reason we can't seem to find the help we want. Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why it seems like we can't find good help, and the reality of how our own behaviors, lack of preparation, and well thought through system
608: The Best Behaviors for Building Resilient Cafe and Roastery w/ Tracy Allen of Brewed Behavior Consulting Jun 2, 2026 01:03:44 Our businesses are the results of the small and large decisions we make over the years. It is our behavior in the business that ultimately determines the success and Impact we can realize. Some have said that the 4th wave is ,marked by more passionate coffee balancing that passion with good business practice and strategy.  Today will be talking with someone who has been hugely influential in teach
Founder Friday! w/ Amos Gillespie of Wheelhouse Coffee, Kentville, Nova Scotia, CA May 29, 2026 47:42 The best coffee businesses are built on solid values, local community, and small consistent steps taken toward deeper connection through hospitality and excellence in the product. The story of Wheelhouse Coffee is one that demonstrates the power of intentional people-first work over time and what happens when you make growth a conversation with those your serve.  I am thrilled to get to talk with
SHIFT BREAK! You're Only as Good as Your Worst Drink May 28, 2026 06:51 It may seem unfair, but it is the truth. Customer hold a special place in their brains for negative experiences. Don't we do the same? And when do most of these lower quality experiences tend to take place? Usually when we are the busiest and have the greatest opportunity to build a good reputation. It's diabolical!  On today's Shift Break we will be talking about why you are only as good as your
605: What To Do When You've Been Promoted To Manager May 26, 2026 39:19 Congratulations! You have been made the cafe manager! Now what? Well, you are now occupying one of the most critical roles in all of coffee retail. As a leader you have a lot of growth opportunities and can make a massive difference as you serve the company, the staff, and the customers. The first six months - a year is a pretty critical time where you either build trust and establish healthy outl
SHIFT BREAK! Addressing "Bad Apples" On Your Staff May 21, 2026 14:33 Nothing kills cafe culture like an a staff member who is a bad fit for their role. Often this manifests in work performance issues that are felt by customers, coworkers, and leaders alike. It brings people down. The diabolical thing is that the most common response cafe leadership has is to simply wish it away and let it go on far too long. Meanwhile a toxic or ill fit employee continues (whether
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) May 20, 2026 56:13 Every Coffee Fest we sit down with presenters and speakers to talk about their field of expertise and learn from their experience in coffee. This last NYC Coffee Fest we were privileged to get to chat with four dynamic professionals and discuss everything from barista education and community, social media strategy, and how to run a world class bakery and coffee bar. We start with Ivana Chan and
604: 5 Habits Holding You and Your Team Back May 19, 2026 40:53 Habits we develop around work and leadership can serve to help us grow, or they can hold us back from growth. Many leaders unintentionally develop habits that feel like the right thing in the moment, but in the end actually undo progress and move things backwards in the cafe's operations, culture, and quality. Today we are going to dive into five habits that I have seen damage and hold back busine
SHIFT BREAK! Why You Will Always Be A Small Coffee Shop May 13, 2026 09:15 Our image of who we are as a business is not necessarily the same as that of our customer. We see all the inside gears and pulleys that hide beneath the surface. We see the scope and organizational diagram of the cafe, the roastery, mobile cart, online sales, and multiple locations. We see a brand, while they see just a small coffee shop.  Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how no ma
603: Innovation, Progress, and your Coffee Shop: Finding the Signal in the Noise May 12, 2026 27:45 The words "innovation" and "progress" are the favorite buzz words of our industry, but what do they mean? It is usually a lot of noise around the subject of technology, but rarely related to things that deliver lasting positive change in the cafe. The average shop owner has to wade through a sea of claims and sales pitches all making big claims about their products. In the end, they are left with

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