Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders – Details, episodes & analysis

It's that time of year where we are collectively setting our sights on both the past and the future. What will this next year of 2025 hold for you and your coffee shop? The answer to that question is that your tends to be made up of the things you focus on most. So if we want to increase our chances of experiencing good things, we need to increase our focus on what good things we would like to see.

 Today you and I are spending some time together to focus on 7 words / areas that I believe are worthy of your focus in the New Year. Take these words and think on them, ponder and meditate on how to bring them into your personal practice, your communication and training of staff, and your cafes operations. 

If you can meaningfully integrate these things into the fabric of your organization in 2025, you will definitely have a good year. 

We discuss and explore: 

1. Presence
2. Iteration
3. Resource
4. Discovery
5. Joy
6. Communication
7. Quality

Links:

• 224 : Essentialism: Focusing on what truly Matters w/ Greg McKeown
• 173 : 5 Areas of Focus for Retailers
• 489: Tips for Creating a Resilient Cafe
• 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge
• 453 : The Craft of Operations

Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, Tile and brick needs! 

www.arto.com

Visit @artobrick

The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick ....

and tell them Chris sent you!

Let's face it, the look, feel, and functionality of the physical coffee shop will always be an important part of showing hospitality to our guests. The issues we are faced with is one as old as time. We meticulously set up our spaces when we first open, get busy, and then slowly allow them to fall apart. We don't notice it so much because we are busy with other things, but the customers notices, and taken together, it has a dramatic impact on everything we put our hands to.

Today on Shift Break we will be discussing the importance of taking very good care of your coffee shop. The space itself is a sacred one. The first place we encounter the truth of marketing claims about quality, community, specialty, excellence etc.

In this new year lets determine to focus on keeping our shop as a way of keeping our promises and the first basic step in showing the hospitality we say we want to offer. 

 Related episodes:

• 307 : 10 Simple ways to Level Up your Coffee Shop
• SHIFT BREAK: Focusing on the Whole, Not the Part
• The Impact of Absence
• 2nd First Impression : Tips for Welcoming Customers Back
• Working Clean : Tips for keeping the bar looking and working well while you work
• The Currency of Urgency
• 498: 10 Small Things to Fix in Your Coffee Shop This Week

INTERESTED IN CONSULTING AND COACHING?

If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email 

chris@keystothshop.com

of book a free call now: 

https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min 

Thank you to out sponsors!

Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/

The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

How do you brew great coffee at home? That question is probably one of the most searched and asked questions that has unleashed what seems like a never ending stream of educational platforms, curated lists, videos, and blogs. It is honestly both exciting and overwhelming. The new question might actually be, "how do I make sense of all my options to make great coffee at home?" That is where today's guest, Justin Piercy of Daddy Got Coffee steps in to help. 

Justin Piercy is the former sound engineer, family man, coffee enthusiast, and now full time home coffee education professional behind the popular, fun, and approachable platform, Daddy Got Coffee. His work has a lot to do with creating clarity for viewers to find what works for them to enjoy the coffee they buy at our roasteries and, in turn, this helps those home enthusiast become more discerning customers of the cafe.

In this interview we explore not only Justin's own story of how he came to champion home coffee education, but also how home coffee as a category has influenced cafe culture and why it has been a force for good.

We discuss: 

• The Spark of the Coffee Enthusiast
• Navigating the Learning Curve
• The Intersection of Creativity and Logic
• Understanding the Coffee Enthusiast's Mindset
• The Impact of Home Brewing on Cafes
• Understanding Your Audience's Needs
• Defining Success in Coffee Business
• Intentionality in Coffee Choices

Links:

• 360: Encore Episode! Hosting Consumer Coffee Classes: 7 Tips for Success

• 035 : The Consumer Revolution w/ Kevin Sinnott

• 333: Bridging the Professional and Home Barista Gap w/ Lance Hedrick of Onyx Coffee Lab

• 322 : A Conversation w/ LaNisa Williams of Barista Life L.A.

Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, Tile and brick needs! 

www.arto.com

Visit @artobrick

The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

Follow on Instagram! @Artobrick ....

and tell them Chris sent you!

Delegation is a difficult, but necessary part of growing your coffee business. It is critical in helping you grow as well. Delegation of responsibility and authority is a response to the growth of the business that, while promising to expand your organizations capacity to steward that growth, tests your resolve. That is because of what we will call the "delegation dip".

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how you can (and must!) navigate the initial dip in performance associated with delegation in order to push through to the other side where it creates higher performance, capacity, and stability in the cafe.  

 Related episodes:

• 267 : The Power of Delegation

• SHIFT BREAK: Don't Just Do It

• 475: Essential Tools for Cafe Management

• Messy Can Be Beautiful

• 362: How to Handle Growth in Your Coffee Shop

INTERESTED IN CONSULTING AND COACHING?

If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email 

chris@keystothshop.com

of book a free call now: 

https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min 

Thank you to out sponsors!

Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/

The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

The act of creating a space is the core existence of the coffee shop operator. The way we set our minds to the task of serving through selecting colors, textures, material, ingredients, and of course our words and actions. This all creates a singular experience we call a cafe. Today's guest has a deep appreciation for and experience helping people build these spaces, quite literally one brick at a time.

I am so pleased to welcome to the show, Armen Alajian of Arto Brick! 

Armen Alajian is a self-described dreamer and maker with a passion for making and merchandising products that help others create spaces of hospitality and warmth.

He co-owns and operates Arto, a handcrafted tile business based in Gardena, California, part of the greater Los Angeles area, alongside his brother, Varoujan (Vod). Through his work, Armen aims to inspire and support the creation of beautiful, welcoming environments that bring people together.

An Armenian-American with roots in Egypt, Armen draws on his rich cultural heritage and lifelong dedication to faith, family, and craftsmanship. Together with his wife, Sally, he is raising eight children, attempting to instill in them a sense of responsibility, creativity, and an ownership mindset. Sally is Armen's steadfast partner in both life and purpose, supporting his vision of building meaningful connections through his work.

Guided by the principle to "Set and surpass expectations", Armen combines his love for making with an unwavering focus on service. His goal is not just to build products but to build connections—creating tools for others to design spaces where people can gather, share, and thrive.

In this conversation we learn about:

• Arto Brick's history of craftsmanship.
• Why we should look to create unique spaces
• Why commerce is an integral part of culture and community building.
• How intentional design can create peaceful and inviting spaces.
• Material choices significantly impact the overall experience of a space.
• The idea that he people involved in a space contribute to its atmosphere.
• The importance of every element in a space working together harmoniously.
• How understanding customer intentions leads to better design outcomes.
• Unique manufacturing processes can create a sense of magic in products.
• Company culture and employee satisfaction / retention.
• Why we need gratitude in our hospitality 
• Creating spaces of peace enhances customer experiences.
• Why community and connection are vital in the workplace.
• Striving for high aspirations and key learnings for leaders

Links:

www.arto.com

Instagram @artobrick 

Related and recommended episodes: 

• 430 : Embracing "Unreasonable Hospitality" w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference
• 511: The Art of Designing Unique Coffee Bars w/ Scott Magic of Magic Architecture
• SHIFT BREAK: Embrace Your Space
• SHIFT BREAK : 2 Tips for Bar Design
• 275 : The Changing Landscape of Cafe Spaces w/ Dr. Jennifer Ferreira
• 206 : The Emotional and Social Impact of the Cafe Space w/ Noa Berger
• 367 : Designing Your Coffee Shop for Community w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman
• 375 : Founder Friday! w/ Roland Horne of WatchHouse
• 205 : Inside Caffe Florian, the World's Oldest Coffee Shop ! | Venice, Italy

INTERESTED IN CONSULTING AND COACHING?

If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email 

chris@keystothshop.com

of book a free call now: 

https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min 

Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, Tile and brick needs! 

www.arto.com

Visit @artobrick

The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

The value proposition of a coffee shop is not a complicated one. Kind service and hospitality in a clean and well organized space serving consistently great coffee. Boooring! At least that what it seems like we must be thinking. Why else would we be so obsessed with the new and novel at the expense of mastering the basics? 

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why we should always focus our best energies and focus on the basics that effectively provide guest and staff with a fulfilling experience.

It's not about entertaining ourselves with novelty and complexity as though we are too cool for the basics, its about hosting and serving others through the basics. 

 Related episodes:

• 421: Encore Episode: Simple, Powerful, Hospitality w/ Philip Paul Turner
• 500! Reflections and The Role of the Coffee Shop in the Industry
• 485: Your Shop vs The Industry - How to Free Yourself From Dependency

INTERESTED IN CONSULTING AND COACHING?

If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email 

chris@keystothshop.com

of book a free call now: 

https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min 

Thank you to out sponsors!

Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/

The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

Even with all the conversations and tools available to us around the subject of hospitality, it is easy to engage in the pursuit of it in a way that ends up not resonating and lacks meaning. We can go through the motions, inspired as we are by the example of others, and not see the magic we assumed would follow our efforts. So, what does running a coffee shop with meaningful hospitality look like? 

Today we are going to deep dive into this subject and breakdown for you in detail the areas, levels, and methods for engaging in and cultivating meaningful hospitality both across the bar and behind it. 

We cover: 

• How meaningful hospitality as a lifestyle and conviction.
• Why aligning business values with operations is crucial
• Recognizing and rewarding positive actions 
• How building trust takes time and consistent effort
• Every interaction should validate the customer's significance.
• Why protection and accountability is important in meaningful hospitality
• Where patience and understanding human needs is fit in effective hospitality
• Understanding individual needs is crucial for effective service
• Why systems should support the values of the business
• Consistent application of standards is essential for fairness
• Mutuality and co-creation enhance the hospitality experience
• Why emotional metrics are as important as numerical ones
• Continuous learning is vital for hospitality providers
• Letting go of outdated practices is necessary for growth

This was originally a talk developed for a webinar put on by our coffee friend, Sarah Naylor of Day Break Coffee cart. 

See the link below to learn more about what she does! 

Link:

www.daybreakcoffeecart.com

Related episodes: 

• 430 : Embracing "Unreasonable Hospitality" w/ Will Guidara | Thank You NYC + The Welcome Conference
• 424: Developing Menu and Hospitality Guides
• 421: Encore Episode: Simple, Powerful, Hospitality w/ Philip Paul Turner
• 343 : Founder Friday! "Curated Edition" | Hospitality + Meeting People Where They Are
• Spiders and Customer Service
• 271 : Why the Cash Register Controls Everything
• The Broken Chair
• The Difference of Deference to your Staff
• Systems as Care

INTERESTED IN 1:1 CONSULTING AND COACHING?

If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email 

chris@keystothshop.com

of book a free call now: 

https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min 

Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, Tile and brick needs! 

www.arto.com

Visit @artobrick

The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com

Does this sound familiar? "You should shop here because we are local! ...or we support this cause! ...or we have this association!"?

While our identity and associations in the community are beautiful and add depth to what customers might love about you, too often we can use these things as means to solicit support in ways that are as though we are guilt trip on people. There are many issues that arise from this that could damage not only your business but the thing you may want to support or represent.

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why no matter the nuances of your unique business, your success and value proposition needs first be the quality of how you serve in the cafe, then the nuances and details of the why will be best represented. 

When you get the order correct, this leads to a better chance of serving that cause and the community you want to support or reach. 

 Related episodes:

• "Local" does not Equal Quality
• Make Your Problems More Specific
• 406 : Five Ways to Immediately Improve Your Coffee Quality
• 502: Creating Meaningful Coffee Experiences
• Differentiation Takes Time!

INTERESTED IN CONSULTING AND COACHING?

If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email 

chris@keystothshop.com

of book a free call now: 

https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min 

Thank you to out sponsors!

Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/

The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com

Whether it started purely as a quest for efficiency, or as a way to achieve consistency in a blend, pre-blending green coffee is a pretty staple practice for coffee roasters. The alternative, and perhaps original way of blending is the classic post-roast blend whose adherents tout its ability to give them ulitmate control of each coffee and thus better quality. 

Whether you do one or both of these methods of blending in your roastery, it always helps to explore the why behind them, and talk about the possible benefits and drawbacks of each. 

To help us understand this more I am thrilled to bring on to the show roasting educator extraordinaire and founder of Relative Coffee Co., Bryant Banker-Scannell! 

Bryant has helped launch the coffee careers of hundreds of new roasters through his work as lead roasting instructor and the heart of the in-house roastery at Mill City Roasters®. He also owns and operates Relative Coffee Co. which combines his passion of roasting, design, and photography to create a fun and tasty coffee brand. 

Based in Minneapolis, Bryant has worked in cafe and roasting positions since 2011. With over a decade of roasting experience, he believes coffee should be approachable, fun, and unique to your experience in the industry.

• Bryant's Beginning in Coffee 
• Education Based in Reality
• The Art and Science of Coffee Roasting
• The State of Blending Coffee
• Omni-Roasting vs. Individual Characteristics
• Pre-Blending vs. Post-Roast Blending
• The importance of Quality Balanced with Efficiency
• The Importance of Heat Management in Roasting
• Post-Roast Blending: Advantages and Considerations

Links:

www.relativecoffeeco.com

Instagram: @relativecoffeeco

Related episodes: 

• ROR #24 : Perspectives on Roasting for Espresso w/ Jaroslav Tuček of Doubleshot, Czech Republic
•  
• RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind"
• ROR #8 How Post-Harvest Processing Impacts Flavor w/ Siva Subramanian and Byron Holcomb of Olam Food Ingredients
• RoR #4: Practical Thermal Dynamics w/ Candice Madison of Royal Coffee / The Crown Oak

Our Sponsor for Rate of Rise!

www.millcityroasters.com

Many, dare I say, all of us, who fell in love with coffee can trace our beginnings to a moment when something we experienced in the cup surprised us with its depth and character. It was a catalyst that set us off in the pursuit of understanding and experiencing that kind of moment again and again. 

People are the same.

Ubiquitous en mass, until you get to know the individual and through relating their stories and experiencing their character, we are often surprised by a depth that begins to teach us that there is more to them and we can, if we allow ourselves, begin to pursue that experience again and again in our own conversations, or by providing a platform for those conversations to take place. Like a coffee house. Or in the case of today's guest, a podcast. 

Ryan Woldt is  a Wisconsin-born author, entrepreneur, and creative maker. He is currently the producer and host of the Coffee People and Coffee Smarter podcasts and a brand ambassador for Roastar, Inc., a coffee packaging company.

Ryan is a self-described creative raccoon, always reaching for the next shiny creative project to add to his current collection. Having grown up in a family restaurant, he has continued to keep a foot in the door of the hospitality space for more than three decades.

His passion for collaboration overlaps with his desire to make things. He is particularly drawn to projects in the hospitality space and recently launched a coffee collaboration celebrating the language of the Midwest called Yeah, No...Yeah Coffee with Minneapolis-based roaster Relative Coffee Company.

(Ryan currently lives with his wife and dog in Southern California, where he procrastinates before deadlines by drinking coffee, riding his bicycle, or reading a book.)

Today we get to hear Ryan's story of hospitality, creative pursuits, personal challenge and victory, and what he has learn creating a platform for the story behind the people of coffee.

Links:

Roast! West Coast Newsletter* - Signing up is the best way to support our effort.

R!WC Youtube - video podcasts coming soon. 1st release 1/22/2025

Coffee People on Spotify

Coffee People on Apple Podcasts

Yeah, No...Yeah Coffee (Direct Link on Relative shop)

Coffee + Cactus Coloring Book

One Wild Life Co.

Roastar

Related episodes: 

• 112 : The Power of Story w/ James Harper of Filter Stories Podcast
• 391 : Founder Friday! w/ Megan Wilson of Spuds Coffee in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
• 380 : Founder Friday! w/ Cary and Cindy Arsaga of Arsaga's Coffee Roasters

ATTENTION CAFE OWNERS w/ 2+ Years of running your brick and mortar....

-

LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT, ACCOUNTABILITY, INSIGHT, AND ENCOURAGEMENT? 

-

The Key Holder Coaching Group master-mind are now taking new applicants for our 4th cohort launching in march! 

Click below to fill out your application now!

KEY HOLDER COACHING APPLICATION

INTERESTED IN 1:1 CONSULTING AND COACHING?

If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email 

chris@keystothshop.com

of book a free call now: 

https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min 

Want a beautiful coffee shop? All your hard surface, stone, Tile and brick needs! 

www.arto.com

Visit @artobrick

The world loves plant based beverages and baristas love the Barista Series! www.pacificfoodservice.com