
SHIFT BREAK! The Difference Between Numbers and Quality Numbers in The Cafe
25/12/2025 | 12 min
We all want to see positive growth and good numbers in our cafe. We also want to see the ROI for the effort we put in to generate those numbers. For many, to look at the reports and see profit and everything looking healthy is a sure sign that all is well and we are doing the right things. The issue is that even with a growing profitable business, the numbers don't tell he whole story and can lull you into a false sense of confidence. Today on shift break we will be talking about the difference between the numbers and quality numbers. Quality meaning that behind that number we know is a happy and enthusiastic customer. We will also discuss why your efforts contribute to that quality and ultimately an ROI you actually can have confidence in. Related Episodes: SHIFT BREAK: When Numbers Lie SHIFT BREAK: Adjusting Our View of Labor Cost SHIFT BREAK: Want to be Effective? Don't Use Chat GPT 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 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

579: How to Really Care For People in the Cafe
23/12/2025 | 33 min
How we care for people through our work should be the primary focus. From healthy and strong relationships and systems the help support them, we get healthy and strong businesses and a real chance at a long term sustainable operation. Today we will be talking about some substantive ways that you can care for yourself, the staff, and your customers in ways that create a culture of excellence and mutual support. This has the added benefit of truly helping the people who came before you in the value chain as we will have a shop that represents their work very well. Related Episodes: 5 Keys to Coffee Shop Staff Retention SHIFT BREAK! How Does Your Staff Know They Are Doing a Good Job? 194 : Encore Episode! Leadership in the Cafe: 10 Steps to being a People First Leader | Aired January 17 2017 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] or book a free call now: https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min SPONSORS 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

SHIFT BREAK! New Things are Overrated
18/12/2025 | 12 min
Do you feel the pull, the itch, the compulsion to add more, buy more, and create specials and new things for your customers all the time? You are not alone. The industry is filled with cafe that are stuck in a never ending cycle of making, buying, and adding new things so they do not fall out of favor or relevance as though any and every customer or barista is only a hairs breadth away form leaving and like the Keanu Reeves movie Speed, if you slow down, the whole business will explode. Today on Shift Break we will be discussing this mindset trap that snares many owners and operators and what you can do to truly gain relevancy and loyalty in your customer base. The key we will talk about lies in you ability to focus on the right things and stay the course Related Episodes: SHIFT BREAK : Trends You Can Ignore 550: Replace These Distractions and Watch Your Cafe Grow! 545: Breathing Life Into Your Coffee Shop 485: Your Shop vs The Industry – How to Free Yourself From Dependency 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 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

578: Founder Friday w/ Matt and Elise Higgins of Origin Coffee Bar, Savannah, GA
16/12/2025 | 54 min
I love an origin story where the pluck, confidence, and unwavering belief of the founders for each other and their idea is met with the support, enthusiasm, and positive feedback of the community they set out to serve. They say your calling is where your talents intersect with what people need and today we get to talk with people who have been authoring a story just like that. Very happy today to feature the story of Matt and Elise Higgins of Origin Coffee Bar! Elise and Matt Higgins are the husband-and-wife founders of Origin Coffee Bar, with cafés in Savannah and Hilton Head Island. Creative and entrepreneurial at heart, they launched Origin in 2020 with a focus on generosity, community, and excellent coffee. Elise, originally from Michigan, oversees social media, the food program, and guest experience, while Matt, a New England native, leads roasting, coffee quality, brand, and wholesale. In today's episode we will be taking you from the first inkling that coffee was the path they should pursue, -through to today where they now have an 2 established cafes and a roasting operation that are continuing to grow. We discuss: * Life as design students, craft entrepreneurs, and the idea for coffee * The lessons from the Mobile Coffee Bar * Navigating Opportunities + The Power of Intuition * The Importance of Culture and a Great Team * Balancing Work and Relationship * Secrets of Partnership * Establishing Standards * The Role of Systems in Growth * Learning from Customers and Team * Quality Control at Scale * Why Entrepreneurs Need Confidence and Generosity Links: https://origincoffee.bar/ https://www.instagram.com/origincoffee.bar Related Episodes: SHIFT BREAK: Reassessing Growth 362: How to Handle Growth in Your Coffee Shop 514: Founder Friday! w/ Raoul Adwan of Thrd Coffee in Chicago, IL! 518: How to Run a Coffee Shop w/ Meaningful Hospitality 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] or book a free call now: https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min SPONSORS 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

577: What You Need to Know About Rural vs Urban Coffee Shops
16/12/2025 | 38 min
A listener asked me a question recently about how to approach operating a coffee shop in a rural setting versus a larger city. After a short exchange over email I decided it was some thing that we should probably chat about here on the show. After all, specialty coffee shops are popping up more and more in suburban and rural settings, and there may be some key distinctions to consider. Today we will be talking about some different differences between the two settings and how you as a professional or an operator manager or owner can approach hospitality and business in each of these settings in a way that best serves the people in those communities. We will also talk about the limits of those differences and turn to how they are not too dissimilar, and give you a frame work that will help you ask the right questions before making decisions around menu, style, and approach. 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] or book a free call now: https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min SPONSORS 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



Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders