Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

In our pursuit of optimization, analysis, scientific rigor, and financial success, we may find ourselves wondering, "where is the life in all of this?" Could it be that in dissecting every inch of our business, we have inadvertently killed it?

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about the need to remain connected to and act from the heart. Why we might feel a collective burn out and misery in what we are doing, and how, perhaps we can reclaim some joy amidst the frenzy of the shop. 
 
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN! 
KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS 
Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting? 
Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups! 
Applications are now open for Spring 2026 Cohort:
Click below to learn more: 
APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS
 
 
KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS 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]
of book a free call now: 
https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min 
 
Related Episodes: 
485: Your Shop vs The Industry – How to Free Yourself From Dependency
317 : Encore Episode: Death by Comparison
227 : Connecting with Hearts and Minds
566: The Problem With Systems

Coffee shop insights and resources abound! We have innumerable platforms, tools, and ideas that all have a certain amount of value...if only they are adopted and applied well and consistently to your shop
On today's episode, we will be talking about the steps that owners and operators should take to go from revelation to realization when they get insights that can help their business. Too many people stop at the "aha" moment and lose the potential for lack of application. Let's fix that. 
Related episodes: 
330 : Establishing Systems in Your Coffee Shop
566: The Problem With Systems
 
Sign up for the February 11th Webinar all about
PRINCIPLES FOR CAFE SUCCESS! 
https://keystotheshop.com/principles-for-cafe-success/
 
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN! 
KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS 
Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting? 
Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups! 
Applications are now open for Spring 2026 Cohort:
Click below to learn more: 
APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS
 
 
KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS 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]
of book a free call now: 
https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min

The experience of the customer day-in and day-out is often treated as a given. Something that is expected, but not something that is earned. We work to The real focus of our efforts should be on training and resourcing our staff to deliver a consistently excellent product, space, and hospitality experience every time. Are we truly doing that?

Today on Shift Break we will be talking about how training not only needs to be harder than the work we are training for, but that training, coaching, and continued support needs to emerge as the calling card of specialty coffee or else we will continue to be known as people who talk a big game in our marketing, but miss the mark in the real world.
 
Sign up for the February 11th Webinar all about
PRINCIPLES FOR CAFE SUCCESS! 
https://keystotheshop.com/principles-for-cafe-success/
 
 
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN! 
KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS 
Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting? 
Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups! 
Applications are now open for Spring 2026 Cohort:
Click below to learn more: 
APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS
 
 
KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS 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]
of book a free call now: 
https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min 
 
Related Episodes: 
SHIFT BREAK! The Urgent Need for Training in Today's Coffee Shop
SHIFT BREAK! You Need to Avoid This HUGE Training Mistake!
527: Thoughts on How to Approach Training and Onboarding
You Need to Prioritize In-House Training!

When we think about dialing-in, we automatically think about coffee. Changing the grind, the recipe, and other inputs and variables all to obtain an ideal outcome. Your coffee shop is not just about coffee though, and that means that other areas of the cafe need to be dialed in in order for the product of the cafe experience to be great. 
On today's episode, we will be talking about the three areas of product, people, and place and how you can think about and take action to dial in each one effectively. Now is the time in our history as an industry to start truly finessing the details of what we offer in our shops so we can slowly start rebuilding the coffee bar's reputation as a great good place, a spot for consistently excellent coffee, a spot that you love serving in and love to be served in. It all starts with dialing-in. 
Related episodes: 
 
Taste the Rainbow! : Menu knowledge, tasting, flavor, coffee cupping approach to your offerings
SHIFT BREAK! How Well Do You Know Your Business?
406 : Five Ways to Immediately Improve Your Coffee Quality
498: 10 Small Things to Fix in Your Coffee Shop This Week
SHIFT BREAK! Is That Character or Neglect?
453 : The Craft of Operations
Sign up for the February 11th Webinar all about
PRINCIPLES FOR CAFE SUCCESS! 
https://keystotheshop.com/principles-for-cafe-success/
 
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN! 
KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS 
Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting? 
Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups! 
Applications are now open for Spring 2026 Cohort:
Click below to learn more: 
APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS
 
 
KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS 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]
of book a free call now: 
https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min

This Founder Friday we feature a couple who has been focused on giving their community excellence and warm hospitality for 13 years! Scaling deeper not wider, Tara and Martyn Knight have steadfastly cultivated something truly beautiful in Southsea Coffee 
Tara and Martyn Knight are the co-founders of Southsea Coffee in Portsmouth, UK. A community-rooted coffee shop known for speciality coffee, chef-led brunch and warm, inclusive hospitality. Over 13 years, they've focused on building a business that scales deeper, not wider with strong standards, strong people, and a place where locals genuinely feel at home.
Tara and Martyn sit down with me to recount their history from day one, to present day and all the growth, lessons, principles, and philosophy that have guided their operation of Southsea for over a decade. 
It's very refreshing to find gems like Southsea Coffee and even more life giving to know that those behind it shine just as brightly as the business itself. 
Related episodes: 
542: Founder Friday! w/ Nori and Tin Burmudez of Corridor Flow, Lomita, CA
535: Founder Friday! 30 Years of Coffee! w/ Ana Burgos and Amanda Jones of Hyperion Espresso, Fredricksburg, VA
380 : Founder Friday! w/ Cary and Cindy Arsaga of Arsaga's Coffee Roasters
 
 
Sign up for the February 11th Webinar all about
PRINCIPLES FOR CAFE SUCCESS! 
https://keystotheshop.com/principles-for-cafe-success/
 
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN! 
KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS 
Are you a coffee shop owner looking to join a community of other owners to help bring perspective, insight, encouragement, and accountability in a well curated setting? 
Then you need to apply to join Key holder Coaching Groups! 
Applications are now open for Spring 2026 Cohort:
Click below to learn more: 
APPLY TO KEY HOLDER COACHING GROUPS
 
 
KEYS TO THE SHOP ALSO OFFERS 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]
of book a free call now: 
https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min