Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

215 : Communication and Marketing Master Class w/ Spencer M. Ross, PH.D.

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Getting Them In By Getting Out!

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

03/31/22 • 9 min

How do we get people to come to our shop? This is the question at the root of most of our marketing efforts. So many of us have stories of how customers will tell us, even after years of business, "I never knew you were here!". It's frustrating.

In todays Shift Break we will be chatting about how we have been limiting ourselves with the way we are approaching marketing and the change of mindset and tactic that I think may help get people in your shop and aware of your brand.

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120 : Social Media 101 w/ Jenn Chen

234 : Actions and Strategies to Improve your Messaging w/ Garrett Oden

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349 : Talking About 21st Century Coffee w/ Kenneth Davids

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

05/31/22 • 64 min

How specialty coffee has evolved, understood, and enjoyed has changed greatly over the past 50 years. Today get to talk someone whose career has not developed in parallel with the coffee industry but has been instrumental in advancing some of the best aspects of it. I'm thrilled to have bene able to sit down with the great Kenneth Davids!

Kenneth has been involved with coffee since the early 1970s and has published three books on coffee, including the influential Home Roasting: Romance and Revival, now in its second edition, and Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing and Enjoying, which has sold nearly 250,000 copies in five editions. His latest book, 21st Century Coffee: A Guide, is an unprecedentedly thorough survey of specialty coffee in all of its aspects, authoritative yet engaging.

Ken’s workshops and seminars on coffee sourcing, evaluation and communication have been featured at professional coffee meetings on six continents.

He is Professor Emeritus of Critical Studies at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. In 1996 he was awarded a Special Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to Coffee Literature by the Specialty Coffee Association of America.

One of our industries most influential people. Kenneth’s work has shaped multiple generations of coffee enthusiasts and professionals and in this sense an hour conversation is woefully insufficient to give you even idea of the breadth and Kenneth’s journey and work but here we are and I can honestly say it was true honor to speak with him and to feature his wisdom and perspectives on this show.

We cover:

Goals of his new book
The new challenges of writing about coffee
Honesty and authority of information
How Kenneth went form cafe owner to coffee writer
Mere communication vs delivering depth of understanding
Consumer community and its evolution
Starting Coffee review
The gap of accessibility and need to building the middle
What shapes consumer tastes today
Incentivizing accessible excellence
Using information to draw people in vs push away
Communicating flavor
How naturals chawed things
The hope for coffee’s future

Links:

Buy Kenneth's new book!

https://www.kennethdavidscoffee.com

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Sustainability Series #4 : Consumer 069: Hosting Consumer Coffee Classes : 7 Guidelines 035 : The Consumer Revolution w/ Kevin Sinnott 242 : A Conversation with James Hoffmann

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RoR #14: How to Roast New Processing Methods w/ Mike Ebert of Fire Dancer Consultants

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

04/25/22 • 47 min

As new processing methods become more popular and prominent, roasters must pivot and adjust how they approach them in order to get the best possible result. Processes like honey and pulped natural present unique challenges for even the most veteran roasters. The good news is that there is a growing family of best practices that will help you see success and consistency while embracing the new and emerging methods on the market. To help us sort through this topic we turn to none other than Mike Ebert of Firedancer Consultants.

As the founder of Firedancer Coffee Consultants, Mike is dedicated to helping clients create a personalized strategy to ensure long-term success. He works primarily with roasters, producers and retailers, drawing from his extensive experience in all facets of the specialty coffee supply chain to guide clients in reaching their potential. Ebert is an Authorized SCA Trainer; holding the professional level certificates in Green Coffee, Sensory Skills, Roasting and Brewing. He has had a hand in many positions up and down the supply chain and continues his volunteer work with the Specialty Coffee Association’s Education Advisory Council as Co-Chair of the Education Content Committee.

In our conversation we cover:

Then challenge Pulp natural and other processes present
Mistakes we make when roasting new processes
Knowing your roaster and being vigilant
Frame work for earlier success
Taking into account the unique sugar changes
Rate of Rise
How learning new methods can help with old ones
Shifting our minds to innovate new metrics

Related Episodes:

RoR #1: A Conversation w/ Anne Cooper of Equilibrium Master Roasters

RoR #2: Exploring Quality Control w/ Spencer Turer of Coffee Enterprises

RoR #3: Making Contingency Planning a Reality w/ Andi Trindle Mersch of Philz Coffee

RoR #4: Practical Thermal Dynamics w/ Candice Madison of Royal Coffee / The Crown Oak

RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind”

RoR #6: Buying Less and Doing More w/ Ever Meister

RoR #7 Illustrative Sample Roasting w/ Mike Ebert of Firedancer Coffee Consultants

ROR #8 How Post-Harvest Processing Impacts Flavor w/ Siva Subramanian and Byron Holcomb of Olam Food Ingredients

RoR #9 Inside the Roaster’s Tool Kit w/ Kat Melheim of Black and White Coffee and The Coffee People Zine

RoR #10 : What Your Broker Wishes You Knew w/ Scott Merle of La Minita Coffee

RoR #11 : Exploring Scent w/ Sandra Elisa Loofbourow

RoR #12 : Inside Coffee Packaging w/ Ever Meister

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344 : From Fine Dining to Coffee w/ Nicolas Simon of El Condor Coffee Roasters

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

05/03/22 • 52 min

Our industry is one focused on creating memorable experiences for guests of our shops. Being detail oriented is part of our hospitality to people because we know that when all those little things come together, they deliver a real impact.

This is what driven today's guest throughout his illustrious career working for some of the worlds most prestigious hotels and Restaurants to deliver these experiences.

Nicolas Simon caught the hospitality bug upon graduating from one of the top business schools in France. From there, various experiences with Byblos Saint-Tropez, Four Seasons Paris, then Geneva and Plaza-Athénée defined his all-around profile in the industry, from F&B operations to finance and marketing. He was also the managing partner of three restaurants (two of them being awarded a Michelin star within the first year of operation), before being appointed Alain Ducasse’s Director of Operations North America and moving to New York City 14 years ago. In November 2016, Nicolas became the co-founder and CEO of Wilcuma – a full-service hospitality workshop that offers services such as consultancy, management, and real estate, and also has a portfolio of proprietary concepts planned for development and operation

Fueled by his passion for hospitality and executing at the highest levels, Nicholas has set his sights on the coffee world with the opening of the new El Condor Coffee Roasters in the West Village, NYC. El Condor seeks to create a transcendent and comfortable all-day cafe experience that delivers quality, consistency, and genuine connection.

We cover:

Beginnings in hospitality
Growing as a manager and leader
The critical role of operations
Philosophy on service and caring for guests
Entering into the coffee industry
The vision and goals of El Condor
Advice for how to approach hospitality and systems for accountability

Links:

www.elcondor.coffee

www.wilcuma.com

Related Episodes:

030 : Casey Underkofler : Matching Your Service to Your Quality : How to Manage and Control the critical details of service so both the experience and product are excellent

330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop

301 : Hiring and Training for Excellence

188 : Founder Friday w/ Jon Allen of Onyx Coffee Lab

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336: Cafe Leadership Masterclass w/ Selina Viguera of Blue Bottle Coffee

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

03/22/22 • 74 min

It's not very often you come across someone who has spent decades as a true example of what it is to be an exemplary manager, leader, and professional. When you do find them you better be prepared to absorb their wisdom and let it help guide your own career.

Well, today we are privileged to sit down with some one who has done exactly that. We are talking all about leadership, management, and training, with Selina Viguera of Blue Bottle Coffee!

Selina Viguera is well-known in specialty coffee mostly for being an amazing and dedicated barista. She leads the Barista Guild Café at Specialty Coffee Expo and U.S. CoffeeChamps; she’s been a lead barista at TED in Vancouver, as well as TEDxWomen and TEDxMed; her latte art is featured on the Pacific Barista Series Oat and Rice packages. And she’s been “the face” of Blue Bottle, especially in her adopted home in Los Angeles, for years. Selina Viguera is a coffee professional who has worked in the industry for over 20+ years. Selina has managed some of the busiest Blue Bottle cafes in the North American market such as San Francisco’s Ferry Building location and LA’s Abbot Kinney location, where she is currently the cafe leader for over 7 years. In our conversation we explore here long career and the experiences that have shied who she is as a leader today. We cover:

Discovering the work of the cafe and then specialty coffee
Connecting with customers and becoming a leader
Leading the change to specialty in her first cafe
Learning to train and teach
Doors opening for management and leadership
Leading "Team First" and the metric of staff happiness
Training and onboarding effectively
Empowering feedback and conflict resolution
Balance of structure and culture
Embracing difficult conversations and being courageous
What she is most proud of accomplishing
Advice to fellow managers

Links:

Instagram: @sellybean_13

Email: [email protected]

Recommended Episodes:

313 : Coffee Education and Training w/ Michael Phillips of Blue Bottle Coffee

306 : A Conversation w/ 2004 U.S. Barista Champion, Bronwen Serna!

305 : Founder Friday! w/ Andrew Sinclair of MadLab Coffee, Los Angeles, CA

In Praise of Long Term Imperfect Employment

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347 : Brewing Coffee and a Career w/ U.S. Brewer's Cup Champion, Elika Liftee!

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

05/20/22 • 74 min

Brewing a great cup of coffee is like crafting a career in coffee, it take intentionality, consistency, and a humility that keeps in mind the end goal of all your efforts. These are some of the qualities that make today's guest, Elika Liftee, not just a brewing champion, but an example of professionalism we can all be inspired by.

Elika is the Director of Education at Onyx Coffee Lab, where he leads a team of educators in training in-house baristas, wholesale partners, and the public. He's been the reigning US Brewers Cup Champion since 2020, finishing 3rd in the World Brewers Cup during that time.

In this conversation we get t talk with Elika about his career, lessons learned through experimentation, and how he has developed his current approach to teaching, training, and brewing a great cup of coffee.

We cover:

Falling in love with coffee
Exploring management and finding teaching
The difference between management and teaching
Codifying and customizing the training program
Discovering how people learn
Experimenting with brewing and his favorite methods
Dialing in hospitality + judge/ customer preferences
Discovering and using the Melo drip and “flat” everything
Dialing in coffee across the cafes.
Consistency and what are forgiving and not forgiving coffees?
Advice for brewing amazing coffee

Links:

Instagram @elikaliftee

Onyx Coffee Lab

Related episodes:

296: Holistic Barista Training w/ David Castillo of Go Get Em Tiger , Los Angeles

339 : What Good Barista Training Produces

188 : Founder Friday w/ Jon Allen of Onyx Coffee Lab

012 : Lauren Airola of Onyx Coffee Lab : A Journey Into Management & Back

Visit our amazing Sponsors!

www.morgandrinkscoffee.com

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342 : A Conversation w/ 2022 U.S. Barista Champion, Morgan Eckroth!

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

04/26/22 • 46 min

Morgan Eckroth is the new U.S. Barista Champion! Part of the point behind competition is setting the stage for conversation around ideas ranging from social issues to the hands on craft of coffee. In both these areas there are far reaching implications for what the industry latches on to and is inspired to continue developing. On such theme is merging high-end experiences with accessibility in mind. Morgan Eckroth, known for her social media platform Morgan Drinks Coffee, has plenty of experience with connecting with an audience and in her presentation for USBC this year, leaned into the idea that specialty can be and should be experienced by more than just judges at the highest level of coffee.

Morgan is a barista and content creator, having worked in the specialty coffee industry for 5 years. With over 5 million followers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, she shares her love for coffee through comedic customer service sketches, vlogs about her job, and educational videos. Morgan also released a line of coffee in collaboration with Wrecking Ball Coffee in December 2020 and is working to continue creating a link between baristas and their customers through a shared love for coffee and a dash of humor.

Today we get to sit down with Morgan and hear all about her innovative approach to the competition and all the ups and downs on her journey to victory in Boston.

We cover:

Deciding to compete after years of life change
Preparation for USBC and crafting a theme
Innovation and challenges
High level Accessibility
Choosing the coffees
Break down of beverage creation
Goals and inspirations
Advice to other competitors and shops

Links:

Related Episodes:

257 : A Conversation w/ Morgan Eckroth of MorganDrinksCoffee!

099 : The Barista League w/ Competition Founder Steve Moloney

298 : A Trophy, or Atrophy?

173 : 5 Areas of Focus for Retailers

296: Holistic Barista Training w/ David Castillo of Go Get Em Tiger , Los Angeles

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