Pulling Shots – Details, episodes & analysis

Coffee shop culture, barista management, and employee retention — the real conversation most owners aren't having. Sam and Kailee break down what actually builds a strong coffee shop team: why communication is the root of almost every staff frustration, how menu changes land differently on the floor than on a spreadsheet, the dress code debate, and why there's no substitute for physical presence — or a trusted middleman. If you own a café and you're not in it every day, this one's for you.

What is it like to build up multiple coffee shop locations? This episode Sam and Gary reminisce on the most important things they've learned from their management journey.

Trends, Takeaways & What We're Changing in Our Cafes

In this episode we're recapping CoffeeFest Orlando – what actually mattered for café owners, what felt overhyped, and what we're going to do differently in our own shops because of it.

We talk through:

The booths & brands that stood out (hello Florida Coffee Culture + functional drinks 👀)

New milks & "health" products that are cool but not always realistic for a single-location shop Why location still beats social media virality for most cafés

The push toward $7 average tickets and how to do it without feeling gross

Paying baristas fairly, keeping good people longer, and what's next for cafés in 2026

👇 Helpful links •

Try our premium Origin Stories coffee subscription: https://friedrichscoffee.com/product/...

• Wholesale coffee for cafés: https://friedrichscoffee.com/wholesale/

• Our café app / order ahead: https://friedrichscoffee.com/order/

• Podcast on Spotify/Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast...

Specialty coffee just hit a new high in the U.S.—46% of coffee sold is now specialty grade—and we unpack what that really means for cafés, roasters, and everyday drinkers. 

Family Business: The Real Talk About Working With Your Spouse, Parents & Siblings What's it really like to run a family business? Sam and Kailee from Friedrichs Coffee share the real behind-the-scenes of mixing marriage, parenting, and ownership in a 35-year-old family-run coffee company.

From boundaries to trust, leadership to legacy—this episode dives deep into what makes family-owned businesses work (and what makes them hard).

🎙 Topics Covered

How Friedrichs Coffee became a multi-generation family business 

Balancing marriage, parenting, and leadership at work

Setting boundaries between home life and café life

How to separate roles & prevent overlap in family operations

Trust, ownership, and why extreme ownership matters in family teams

Advice for anyone joining a spouse's or parent's business

Gary and Sam talk there experience with cold brew over the last 9 years and how the industry has changed

What you'll learn: 

 Light vs. dark roast for cold brew (and why light is tricky)

Nitro coffee: what it did well, why costs & ice ruined it in many shops

The "all-cold" future: energy drinks, cold-foam, and whether cafés even need espresso for iced menus

How to start cold brew cheaply (pitcher + filter + overnight) and how we scaled with bright tanks 

🚀Upgrade you coffee game➡️https://friedrichscoffee.com/

☕️ Own a Cafe?➡️https://www.skool.com/coffee-shop-pros-7971

If your coffee shop only runs when you're on bar, you're stuck on the treadmill. In this episode of Pulling Shots, Sam and Gary share 30+ years of lessons on working on your business (systems, people, growth) versus working in it (shifts, daily ops).

We cover when to step back, how to delegate without losing quality, why owner presence matters (especially at one-store stage), and practical next steps if you're burnt out and spinning your wheels.

You'll learn: The "treadmill stage" and how to get off it

When it's time to step back—and what to do first Why absentee ownership fails (and the exceptions)

Building managers who outperform the owner Menu focus vs. bloat (and profitable "breakfast" you might be overlooking)

How to use your banker & accountant as a strategic brain trust

 📌 Key Takeaways How to transition from bar shifts to systems without tanking quality

Owner presence vs. absentee ownership in independent cafés

Delegation frameworks that build manager autonomy

Avoiding menu bloat: focus, margin, and speed trade-offs

Using financial partners (banker + accountant) to validate growth moves

🚀Upgrade you coffee game➡️https://friedrichscoffee.com/

☕️ Own a Cafe?➡️https://www.skool.com/coffee-shop-pros-7971

🗣️To be unclear is to be unkind🗣️

Owning a café means having tough conversations—late shows, bad attitudes, write-ups, and sometimes letting people go. In this Pulling Shots episode, Sam & Kailee share real stories and practical frameworks for handling difficult conversations in a coffee shop setting without killing morale.

You'll learn:

When to address an issue vs. when to let it go 

Why "to be unclear is to be unkind" (and how to be direct)

Paper trails & write-ups that protect you and coach fairly

Gen Z vs. Millennials: giving feedback that lands

Manager first, friend second—without losing heart

Why customers forgive quickly when you fix the team

👇 Helpful links • Try our premium Origin Stories coffee subscription: https://friedrichscoffee.com/product/limited-reserve-subscription/ • Wholesale coffee for cafés: https://friedrichscoffee.com/wholesale/ • Our café app / order ahead: https://friedrichscoffee.com/order/ • Podcast on Spotify/Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/pulling-shots/id1785396010

The Rise of Drive-Thru Coffee Chains (What It Means for Indie Cafés)

Sam & Gary unpack the explosive growth of Seven Brew, Dutch Bros, Black Rock Coffee, and Scooters—from double drive-thrus and outside order-takers to loyalty-by-phone and high-energy branding. Why convenience + culture + consistency are winning in 2025, what Starbucks' shifts signal, and how small cafés can still thrive with owner-present hospitality and smart menu ops

🚀Upgrade you coffee game➡️https://friedrichscoffee.com/ 

☕️ Own a Cafe?➡️https://www.skool.com/coffee-shop-pros-7971

What you'll learn:

 Modern drive-thru playbook (design, staffing, loyalty)

How these chains scale so fast (and what actually works)

Practical ways independents can respond—and win long-term

Why hiring for culture is the real moat

Try our premium Origin Stories coffee subscription: https://friedrichscoffee.com/product/limited-reserve-subscription/

 • Wholesale coffee for cafés: https://friedrichscoffee.com/wholesale/

• Our café app / order ahead: https://friedrichscoffee.com/order/

• Podcast on Spotify/Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/pulling-shots/id1785396010

 #CoffeeShop #DriveThru #SevenBrew #DutchBros #BlackRockCoffee #ScootersCoffee #CafeOwner #Hospitality #CoffeeBusiness #PullingShotsPodcast

Is owning a coffee shop in 2025 still worth it? We break down the real numbers, rising costs, drive-thru vs. traditional cafés, mobile ordering, and the impact of chains like Starbucks, Dutch Bros, Seven Brew, and Black Rock Coffee—plus what actually keeps us in love with this business after 30+ years. If you're a current or future café owner, this episode is your practical playbook: pricing, wages, margins, competition, and why "loving coffee" still matters more than ever.

👇 Helpful links

• Try our premium Origin Stories coffee subscription: https://friedrichscoffee.com/product/limited-reserve-subscription/

• Wholesale coffee for cafés: [link] • Our café app / order ahead: https://friedrichscoffee.com/order/

• Podcast on Spotify/Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/pulling-shots/id1785396010 • Join our coffee shop owner community: https://www.skool.com/coffee-shop-pros-7971

👍 If you found this useful, subscribe and hit the bell. Comment your biggest 2025 café challenge—we'll answer on a live stream.

00:00 We're live — episode intro 

00:35 Is coffee shop ownership still worth it in 2025?

01:20 Chains & competition (Starbucks, Dutch Bros, Seven Brew, Black Rock)

02:40 Mobile ordering & changing customer behavior 

03:36 Green coffee prices & margin pressure

05:56 Is the "traditional café" broken—or just different?

08:58 What feels harder now than 5–10 years ago 

11:35 Competing locally vs. mega chains

13:33 Wages, hiring, and building the right team

14:48 Third place value & why cafés still matter

18:08 Would we open a shop today? (drive-thru priority) 

20:56 Drive-thru-only vs. café + drive-thru

23:50 Where the industry is heading (next 5–15 years) 

24:58 Reality check: hours, workloads, and owner involvement 26:30 Why we still love it (family business & roasting) 

27:14 Final answer: Is it still worth it?