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Artwork for Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Chris Deferio
Customer Experience
Coffee Shop Management
Coffee Industry
Coffee
Hospitality
Leadership
Barista Training
Entrepreneurship
Customer Service
Community Engagement
Coffee Shops
Coffee Shop Operations
Specialty Coffee
Coffee Culture
Coffee Quality
Roasting
Training
Employee Training
Coffee Shop Culture
Coffee Shop Leadership

A coffee podcast providing coffee shop owners and leaders, with insights, inspiration, and the tools you need to grow and advance your coffee business or coffee career. We learn from experts both in and outside the coffee industry as they deliver specific, practical, and actionable advice about ownership, optimization, profitability, barista work, employee culture, management, scaling, leadership,... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes1122Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BusinessEntrepreneurshipArtsFood

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders

Latest Episodes

Congratulations! You have been made the cafe manager! Now what? Well, you are now occupying one of the most critical roles in all of coffee retail. As a leader you have a lot of growth opportunities and can make a massive difference as you serve the ... more

Nothing kills cafe culture like an a staff member who is a bad fit for their role. Often this manifests in work performance issues that are felt by customers, coworkers, and leaders alike. It brings people down.

The diabolical thing is that the mos... more

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 eve... more

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 thi... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
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Recent Guests

Lauren Tran
Chef-owner of Bahn by Lauren; Vietnamese pastry and cafe entrepreneur
Bahn by Lauren
Episode: Special! Interviews From Coffee Fest NYC 2026! w/ Rachel Apple and Ivana Chan (Raise the Bar), Jeremy Lyman (Birch Coffee), Lauren Tran (Bahn by Lauren) OT
Ivana Chan
Marketing and e-commerce consultant; co-founder of Raise The Bar
Raise The Bar Coffee
Episode: Special! Interviews From Coffee Fest NYC 2026! w/ Rachel Apple and Ivana Chan (Raise the Bar), Jeremy Lyman (Birch Coffee), Lauren Tran (Bahn by Lauren) OT
Rachel Apple
Coffee industry veteran; Cup of Excellence head judge and senior educator
Raise The Bar Coffee
Episode: Special! Interviews From Coffee Fest NYC 2026! w/ Rachel Apple and Ivana Chan (Raise the Bar), Jeremy Lyman (Birch Coffee), Lauren Tran (Bahn by Lauren) OT
Jeremy Lyman
Birch Coffee executive; social media strategist and Coffee Dog Guy
Birch Coffee
Episode: Special! Interviews From Coffee Fest NYC 2026! w/ Rachel Apple and Ivana Chan (Raise the Bar), Jeremy Lyman (Birch Coffee), Lauren Tran (Bahn by Lauren) OT
Renata Henderson
Head Roaster, Creative Director, HR Lead at Cxffee Black
Cxffee Black
Episode: 602: Renata Henderson | Cxffeeblack | Putting The Heart Back Into Coffee
Sammy Piccolo
Owner of Prado Cafe, Vancouver
Prado Cafe
Episode: 600: Founder Friday w/ Sammy Piccolo of Prado Cafe | Vancouver, BC
Dylan Siemens
Head of Education at Cafe Imports; creator of ED and U
Cafe Imports
Episode: 599: How To Raise Your Baseline Coffee Knowledge w/ Dylan Siemens | Head of Coffee Education at Cafe Imports
John Gordon
Industry-leading coffee professional; Director of Guerrilla Gear / Silverback Coffee Solutions
Guerrilla Gear / Silverback Coffee Solutions
Episode: 597: John Gordon: Developing Institutional Wisdom, Efficiencies, and True Expertise in Coffee
Peter Dore-Smith
Founder of Kaffiene, a leading London coffee shop
Kaffeine London
Episode: 595: Founder Friday | Advocating for Independent coffee shops w/ Peter Dore-Smith of Kaffeine London UK

Host

Chris DeFirio
Host of Keys To The Shop; leads conversations on cafe leadership, operations, and people management

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 548 ratings
  • Be a better human, better brew your coffee!

    Best and encouraging podcast when it comes to running a shop. This free resource is top notch!!! If we each make one little change we learn from this podcast in our shops… coffee experiences everywhere would be better! Please listen! Please learn! Please be better!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    siseys
    United States6 months ago
  • An Industry Leader

    This podcast is such a wonderful resource, it’s almost unbelievable that you can access this much information for free! I’ve also had the pleasure of speaking with Chris a couple of times and he is just as kind and as knowledgeable as you would expect him to be. Really cool that he’s providing such great info to our industry.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Michelle DW
    United Statesa year ago
  • Valuable experience & guidance

    I’ve been in food service operations for 40 years and Chris’s podcast has be so helpful for my new venture in opening a coffee shop!

    Thanks & gratitude to Chris, and all his guests for so many answers to my questions!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    dishboyroy
    United States2 years ago
  • Thank You!

    We are getting ready to open our dream and first coffee shop. Love the coffee content of course but also love the company culture content and business tips. @todandcoppercoffee appreciates you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    WadeHugginsMusic
    United States3 years ago
  • My coffee industry university.

    I have been given an invaluable foundation to pursue my coffee service dreams with confidence. These episodes will continue to be a text book I refer back to for the tried-and-true principles that make for success in hospitality

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    damanesr
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A highly actionable resource for cafe owners and managers.
Listeners appreciate practical guidance and real-world guest insights.
The show is consistently valuable for leadership and operations in coffee shops.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#86
United States/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#213
United Kingdom/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#227
Canada/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#115
Australia/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#243
Germany/Arts/Food
Apple Podcasts
#40
India/Arts/Food

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

602: Renata Henderson | Cxffeeblack | Putting The Heart Back Into Coffee
Q: What keeps the business sustainable beyond passion?
Relational sustainability through community programming, education, internships, and revenue models like royalties to farmers—ensuring that heart-driven business survives and scales.
602: Renata Henderson | Cxffeeblack | Putting The Heart Back Into Coffee
Q: How did Renata's origin story influence the mission of Cxffee Black?
Her family history, including her grandfather's role in the civil rights era and the deep ancestral ties to coffee, shaped a mission to honor roots, uplift black farmers, and bring heart and justice into the supply chain.
600: Founder Friday w/ Sammy Piccolo of Prado Cafe | Vancouver, BC
Q: How does Sammy view the balance between competition experience and running a shop?
He views competition as a personal pursuit of excellence but emphasizes that real-world cafe operations prioritize customer experience, consistency, and staff welfare over titles, noting the shift from artistic competition stakes to running sustainable, scalable stores.
600: Founder Friday w/ Sammy Piccolo of Prado Cafe | Vancouver, BC
Q: What is Sammy's origin story and how did Prado come to be?
Sammy explains growing up in Vancouver with a restaurant background, moving into coffee with his brother, starting Artigiano, and eventually taking over Prado Cafe to build a minimalist, neighborhood-focused brand after experimenting with pastries and from-scratch offerings.
595: Founder Friday | Advocating for Independent coffee shops w/ Peter Dore-Smith of Kaffeine London UK
Q: What motivates the activism around VAT and business rates for independent cafes?
Peter shares that independents lack a formal trade body, which led him to campaign for policy changes, using letters to MPs, meetings with MPs, and cross-industry collaboration to raise awareness and pressure for reform to improve profitability and survival of small cafes.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A practical, leadership-focused show for current and aspiring cafe owners, managers, and operators. Episodes consistently center on people management,Operational excellence, hospitality, and scalable systems in coffee shops, with a strong emphasis on culture, training, and sustainable growth. Notable throughlines include hands-on coaching, mindset shifts for leadership, and a pragmatic approach to budgeting, branding, and customer experience. A recurring strength is bringing in practitioners from across the coffee ecosystem and highlighting education, mentorship, and heart-driven business practices that prioritize staff development and community impact. This mix makes it valuable for listeners seeking actionable tactics and real-world examp... more

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Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. Cat & Cloud Podcast
2. Valor Coffee Podcast
3. Coffee Roaster Warm Up Sessions
4. Animal Spirits Podcast
5. Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 9 years ago and published 1122 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Lauren Tran
2. Ivana Chan
3. Rachel Apple
4. Jeremy Lyman
5. Renata Henderson
6. Sammy Piccolo
7. Dylan Siemens
8. John Gordon

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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