Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

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 Rachel Apple of Raise the Bar!

Ivana Chan is a marketing and e-commerce consultant who has spent the last seven years helping specialty coffee brands grow by bringing their hospitality online through thoughtful digital strategy.
She is also the co-founder of Raise the Bar Coffee, a nonprofit focused on accessible coffee education, mentorship, and community-building, best known for organizing Level Up, an event where baristas connect, learn, and build sustainable careers in coffee

Rachel Apple is an esteemed figure in the specialty coffee industry, with over 19 years of comprehensive experience.  Her extensive resume includes pivotal roles as Quality Control for George Howell Coffee, Coffee Buyer & Global Supply Chain Manager, Roaster, Educator, & Barista in addition to being a Legacy Q Grader. She is also the only woman, globally, who is a Cup of Excellence Head Judge & SET Course Instructor.
Rachel also serves as a US Barista Championship Head Judge, Sensory Lead, and Committee Member, investing years in volunteer work and leadership in the specialty coffee community – which has recently manifested in co-founding an education focused 501(c)(3) nonprofit Raise the Bar. 
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/raisethebar_coffee/
 
Next we get to learn about winning social media strategy from Birch Coffee's Jeremy Lyman! 

Jeremy Lyman is the co-founder of Birch Coffee, a New York City-based coffee company. Since its first store opened in 2009, the company has grown to become one of New York City's premiere and most loved independent coffee shop chains. With more than a dozen locations throughout the city, the focus of Birch is on customer service.
Service is something Jeremy believed was lacking in the Specialty Coffee industry and being that both he and his partner Paul are consumers first and worked in bars and restaurants for years before, they realized that this was what was necessary to stand out in the industry. In order to grow the company, Jeremy has overseen the development of not only a high level of service, but methods in which to hone and develop those skills amongst his teams.
Jeremy, Paul, and their team have also figured out creative ways to stand out. From eliminating wifi and introducing conversation starters to designing extraordinarily unique napkins, they have caught the eye of the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and Forbes who have paid specific attention to these differentiators.
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/coffeedogguy/
www.birchcoffee.com
https://www.instagram.com/birchcoffee/

Finally we discuss baking, pastry, and coffee excellence with Lauren Tran!

Lauren Tran is the chef-owner of Bánh by Lauren in Chinatown, New York City. She blends her Seattle upbringing and love for coffee culture with a deep-rooted passion for Vietnamese flavors and desserts. After working at fine-dining icons Canlis, Momofuku Ko, and Gramercy Tavern, Lauren started selling pastries out of her apartment during the pandemic.
Bánh by Lauren was hosted for pop-ups for four years before opening a brick and mortar bakery cafe in NYC's Manhattan Chinatown in June 2024. The New York Times ranked her shop among the top 22 bakeries in the U.S., T Magazine named her bánh bò nướng as one of the 25 essential pastries to eat in NYC, and Bánh by Lauren is a 2026 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery.
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/banhbylauren/
 
 
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www.coffeefest.com

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 businesses countless times over. These are things I have personally engaged in many times throughout my career. Our goal here is to get you to recognize these habits, and replace them with healthy and helpful ones. 
We discuss:
Blaming and Complaining
Rationalizing bad behavior
Procrastination of decisions
Glorifying chaos and dysfunction
Uninformed comparison
KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS
1:1 CONSULTING + 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 
[email protected]
of book a free call now: 
https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min 
 
Related episodes: 
Self-Awareness and Honesty
It's not You, It's Me
419: Behaviors That Establish Excellent Management Culture
373 : The Owner's Role: 5 Behaviors for Effectiveness

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 matter the size of our operations, the individual customer will always see and experience your company within a small framework of their cafe, their drink, their seat etc. 
This serves to give us pause and to help us consider just how much we can vouch for that singular experience that thousands of individual customers have in our cafes. Are we getting lax because the size and scope of our operations make us feel an undeserved sense of confidence? 
My hope is that this episode will get you thinking about that one customer and how, no matter your size, you can run like a small shop. After all, thats how the customer experiences you. 
Related episodes on the YouTube channel: 
SHIFT BREAK! Why Won't My Baristas Engage Customers The Way I Want Them To?!
SHIFT BREAK! What Customers Value and How to Deliver It
480: Focus on What Your Customers Love
591: The Problem w/ Focusing On The Numbers vs The Guest Experience

KEYS TO THE SHOP®  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 [email protected]
OR... book a free call now 
https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min 
 
Related Episodes: 


 
505: Maintaining Excellence in the Everyday Work of Coffee Shops w/ Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood
SHIFT BREAK! Considering the Future You When Making Decisions
Hiring for Future Leadership
What is Professionalism? Some thoughts for the future of service
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 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 less money and typically the same issues. 
Well today we are going to cut through the noise of the industry and its extractive disposition toward business owners and give you a way to think about progress and innovation that simplifies, clarifies, and helps build confidence instead of nursing insecurities. 
KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS
1:1 CONSULTING + 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 
[email protected]
of book a free call now: 
https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min 
 
Related episodes: 
500! Reflections and The Role of the Coffee Shop in the Industry
485: Your Shop vs The Industry – How to Free Yourself From Dependency
181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge
558: Digital Natives and the Future of Coffee Shops w/Kosta Kallivrousis
SHIFT BREAK! "What's Next in Coffee"

Having a clean cafe and a clean bar is not just a surface level pursuit. The mindset it takes to keep things clean while busy is a discipline that have far reaching benefits extending to the quality of our products, depth of hospitality, and the health of our relationships behind and across the bar.

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the mindset baristas and owners need to have in order to work clean and how this focus is foundational to the building of a solid coffee shop business. 
My hope is you can take this and practice entering into this mindset daily and watch as you and your team or co-workers start to become more calm, productive, effective, and fulfilled in working clean. 
Related episodes on the YouTube channel: 
SHIFT BREAK: Detail Oriented Staff Starts With You
Lessons From "America's Best Coffee House" | Ep 581
Is That Character or Neglect? | Shift Break Series
 
KEYS TO THE SHOP®  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 [email protected]
OR... book a free call now 
https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min 
 
Related Episodes: 



 
505: Maintaining Excellence in the Everyday Work of Coffee Shops w/ Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood
SHIFT BREAK! Considering the Future You When Making Decisions
Hiring for Future Leadership
What is Professionalism? Some thoughts for the future of service
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