Best Coffee Podcasts (2024)

1
498: 10 Small Things to Fix in Your Coffee Shop This Week 40:37

1h ago40:37

40:37

Small things make a big difference in the coffee shop. Trouble is, that we tend to procrastinate addressing the natural falling away of doing small things well as we get busier, and those little actions and habits that create excellence end up atrophying causing big problems that are almost untraceable back to their small source. On today's episode…

1
What Drives Your Team - Things that inspire and drive people with every day actions 1:15:42

18m ago1:15:42

1:15:42

Welcome back to the Cat & Cloud Podcast! This week Chris, Chuck, and Jared are sitting down to discuss how we find the drive and inspiration to operate a mission-driven company, and how we pass that passion on to our teams. A mission is just an idea unless your leadership sets the example, bringing it to life on the floor every day. Listen to this …

1
SHIFT BREAK: Hard Work is Hard | Part 2 14:09

5d ago14:09

14:09

We all work hard and face challenges in the cafe. The way we interpret the effort put in to the work of running a coffee shop will determine both the quality of the shop and our own ability to sustain our energy and effort. The truth is consistent effort is a normal and necessary investment that keeps life flowing through the business. On today's a…

1
497: Caught in the Middle: Answering Questions from Frustrated Management 47:45

3d ago47:45

47:45

The first place you're going to see burn out in the coffee bar is in the position of management. These lucky people are not only given the task to lead the team and serve them with their role, but they are also accountable to their bosses, creating a feeling of being caught between two different groups that they have to please in their work. Almost…

1
Special Part 2 : Live from Coffee Fest LA! w/ Anna Gutierrez of Barista 22 and Sandra Elisa Loofborow of Loupe Coffee Consulting 47:28

2h ago47:28

47:28

Welcome to Part 2 of this special Coffee Fest live on the show floor episode! Interviews from Los Angeles 2024! Los Angeles was so amazing and we got to sit down with 4 amazing coffee professionals who were presenting at this show. Today we will be focusing on improving your coffee and training skills with two experts! Anna Gutierrez and Sandra Eli…

1
Having the Courage to Do - How anyone can make an extraordinary experience 17:38

1h ago17:38

17:38

Shorty, but a goodie. This week Jared and Chris Discuss what it takes to make an idea come to life. How it's truly something anyone can to, because its not about the steps you need to take, but rather the conviction to the idea. There are tools out there for any obstacle you face, but theres only one person that can bring your ideas to life. You.––…

1
SPECIAL! | PART 1 Coffee Fest LA! 2024 w/ Shanita Nichols of Sip and Sonder + Elisa Hoyos and Leo Abularach of Picaresca Barra de Cafe 51:36

3d ago51:36

51:36

Welcome to Part 1 of this special Coffee Fest live on the show floor episode! Interviews from Los Angeles 2024! Los Angeles was so amazing and we got to sit down with 4 amazing coffee professionals who were presenting at this show. Today we will be focusing on what amounts to a couple of mini-Founder Fridays with 2 cafe owners in the LA area provid…

2
SHIFT BREAK: Don't Celebrate Unhealthy Wins 9:31

2d ago9:31

9:31

We have to overcome many challenges in the day-to-day operations of the coffee shop. Some of these challenges are inevitable, and our ability to grow from our experiences with them is a mark of maturity that we can celebrate, but many challenges are unnecessary, and in celebrating our abilities to overcome them we unintentionally might be normalizi…

1
496: Hard Decisions and High Standards 36:59

6d ago36:59

36:59

Much of what gets written regarding the reasons behind declining standards in the coffee shop focuses on the leadership and what they can do to facilitate success. Here at KTTS there are dozens of interviews and solo episodes dedicated to this very thing. But what does not get so much air time is the reality that if we are to see a rise in standard…

2
The 2024 Coffee Buildcast Volume Four 41:18

3d ago41:18

41:18

Board game cafes, UK import cafes, colorful cafes, and specialty coffee institution cafes are opening new locations. We cover the gamut during the Build-Outs of Coffee season here at Sprudge. Today, on the Coffee Sprudgecast, our flagship coffee podcast, we wrap up the season with our fourth Coffee Buildcast. Builds make us thirsty, so we’re deligh…

2
Special Message: What is a Key Holder Coaching Group and Why Join? 11:00

3d ago11:00

11:00

The things we learn in community with others can have a profound impact on both us and our businesses. Certainly learning by yourself is a good thing, but there's just something about having a group of people who have your back and have been where you are and are your peers that creates a different dynamic where you can have accountability encourag…

1
Cafes Impacting a Community - How a small space can make a big impact 41:15

11d ago41:15

41:15

This week Chris asks Jared about a recent trip he went on to southern Californian, and what sort of coffee experiences he had while he was outside of out little coffee bubble that is Santa Cruz. Chuck asked some practical questions about Espresso extraction and what coffees might be best as espresso. Also he asks Chris and Jared what each of their …

1
SHIFT BREAK: Making Sense of Marketing Promises 10:41

8d ago10:41

10:41

Marketing is designed to get you to buy. It is something we all do in our businesses. In fact, to not market is to do the customer a disservice in that they will not be aware of the possibilities your product may have for their business. That said, sometimes marketing goes too far and without a well exercised discernment muscle we can fall prey to …

1
495 : Encore Episode: Loving the Closing Shift: Problems, Solutions, and Transformational Mindsets 40:53

16d ago40:53

40:53

To me, there is something special about the closing shift. Yes there is a lot of work, but there is an honor in tending to the place that just that day made such impact on so many. For most though (including me) the closing shift is at first just hard work that feels far from the world of coffee that drew us to work in the shop or open the shop in …

1
Hospitality Refresher Part 2 - The small things make a big difference 41:07

17d ago41:07

41:07

Welcome back to Part Two of the Hospitality Refresher! On this weeks episode Chris and Jared are talking about all the little things. Everything from the tools you use to the simplest solutions and attention to detail helps you provide an incredible experience to your guests. So whether you've listened before or this is all new, listen to this week…

1
KRMG-Skyler Cooper 17:14

16d ago17:14

17:14

Skyler Cooper, the host of afternoon news at FM102.3 KRMG and producer of the Full Access OK podcast, came to DoubleShot and sat down in the AA Cafe studio to talk about coffee during National Coffee Month. He graciously let us use this audio, which features the entire interview, as the new cycle only allowed time for an edited version. Listen here…

1
Founder Friday! w/ Rachel Lehman of Crema Coffee Roasters in Nashville, TN 1:00:05

14d ago1:00:05

1:00:05

There are many great coffee shops and roasters in this world. What makes a great cafe in my mind is intentionality, a focus on kindness, consistency, hospitality, and quality as a pursuit in service of those things. Living in Louisville, KY I am fortunate to be only 2 hours away from one of my favorite places that I feel has consistently exemplifie…

1
SHIFT BREAK: Embrace Your Space 9:26

16d ago9:26

9:26

Designing your coffee shop can be one of the most exciting parts of the opening or scaling process. Exciting, that is, until we come up against resistance to our great ideas in the form of space limitations, quirks, historic preservations, zoning, etc. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about how we can embrace the limitations and constraint…

1
Hospitality Refresher Part 1 - Reviewing the fundamentals of caring for your guest 32:23

18d ago32:23

32:23

This week on the Cat & Cloud Podcast we are rerunning a two-part episode on Hospitality. Hospitality is a fundamental value in everything we do as a company, and it's the key to providing incredible service. Listen to the first part to hear Chris and Jared’s review of some of the basics of hospitality and what they look like in practice every day i…

1
Morgan Long & Sandwich the Pig 42:34

20d ago42:34

42:34

Morgan Long is a farmer at Prairie Creek Farms and a regular at the DoubleShot. She wrote a children's book called Sandwich the Pig, which is a true story about a half-wild pig she rescued on the farm. Morgan sat down with Brian to talk about the book and her life, and to share a little more about Sandwich. Buy Morgan's book at DoubleShotCoffee.com…

1
492: How to be The Best Coffee Shop 31:41

28d ago31:41

31:41

What is the "Best" coffee shop? As long as coffee and coffee shops have been around, us humans have been rather preoccupied with what the best coffee of coffee shop is. We have our own personal scale of judgment, then there are local popularity contests put on by city papers. Most famously over the past decade or two we have developed barista, brew…

1
SHIFT BREAK: Focusing on the Whole, Not the Part 11:59

28d ago11:59

11:59

Getting into coffee and then pursuing it as a career takes your through a few different phases of maturation. One of the first phases is where you focus only on one very specific thing to the detriment of many others. For me, the world could be on fire, but as long as I was behind the espresso machine and dialed in, all was good. Or so I thought. O…

1
491: Graceful Exits: How to Sell Your Coffee Shop w/ Aaron Friedman 58:33

25d ago58:33

58:33

When you start a business, pretty much all your attention goes to getting it up and running and then to keeping it going and growing it over the hopefully many years of its life. What we often do not plan on or put energy into how we will exit the business. Whether it is passing it on to or selling it outright, many are ill prepared to make this tr…

1
Competition Influence - How competing has impacted specialty coffee 44:11

25d ago44:11

44:11

This week on the Cat & Cloud Podcast the guys are reviewing the history of Barista Competitions, and what their ideal competition would look like today. Listen to this week's full episode to hear about their dream for an “All Stars” competition, how introducing new equipment changed competitions and cafe culture, and the influence of specialty Home…

1
Firaol Ahmed & Ethiopian coffee 55:19

27d ago55:19

55:19

Firaol Ahmed emailed roastmaster Brian Franklin a few months ago, asking if he'd like samples of his Ethiopian coffee. Franklin get emails like this from random strangers a lot, but for some reason decided to look into this one. The young importer and seasoned roaster found a lot in common, and made a deal on some outstanding coffee. In this episod…

1
SHIFT BREAK: Setting Staff Up For Success 11:56

1M ago11:56

11:56

When we talk about our employees it is common to talk about "setting up staff for success", but what does that really look like. Talking about it can sometimes wrongly convince us that we are actually doing it. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about what it looks like to set your staff up for success in very practical terms that, if applie…

1
Business Cents - Thinking about the finances of your business 27:05

1M ago27:05

27:05

Welcome back to the Cat & Cloud podcast! This week Chris and Jared are getting a full class on Cafe Finance hosted by our very own Charles Jack. Listen to this week's full episode and join the finance deep dive and hear their perspectives on how to develop finance transparency in your own company.Cafe finance articles: Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filings…

1
Migoti, Burundi: A conversation with Dan Brose 41:39

1M ago41:39

41:39

On my visit to Burundi this year, I sat with Dan Brose of Migoti Coffee. Dan and his partner Poncien built this station some years ago, and it all didn’t go exactly as planned. With some bumps along the way, this main station in Mutambu district is becoming a hub, with a new station starting in Kimono and another planned for next year. But what I r…

1
SPECIAL! | Coffee Fest NOLA 2024 w/ Turgay Yildizli of Specialty Turkish Coffee, Doron Petersan of Sticky Fingers Sweets and Eats, and Jonathan Riethmaier of Mammoth Coffee 1:09:08

1M ago1:09:08

1:09:08

Welcome to our special episode from Coffee Fest live on the show floor interviews from New Orleans, 2024! To start us off we will be talking with Turgay Yildizli of Specialty Turkish Coffee, followed by Doron Petersan of Sticky Fingers Sweets and eats, then a great conversation with Jonathan Riethmaier of Mammoth Coffee in New Orleans. Turgay Yildi…

1
490: 7 Vital Things to Include in Daily Shift Work 35:02

1M ago35:02

35:02

A shop is maintained by the attention and repeated actions we put into it. We need to make sure our systems and tools are crafted well in order to make sure these intentional actions and our best attention is circulated through the whole of the organization. Today we will be talking about 7 things that I believe should be standard in the work we do…

1
We're Building Out On The Third Episode Of The Coffee Buildcast 34:03

1M ago34:03

34:03

Is it "nat" summer? Co-host of the Coffee Sprudgecast (and Sprudge co-founder) Jordan Michelman certainly thinks so. On Volume 3 of the 2024 Coffee Buildcast—our celebratory summer podcast spectacular celebrating the spectacular Build-Outs Of Coffee season—we feature four incredible builds from Denton, Texas to Bassano Del Grappa, Italy. But before…

1
SHIFT BREAK: Reassessing Growth 9:31

1M ago9:31

9:31

Growing the business is probably the number one concern in the cafe industry. In general we tend to look at growth as either scaling the size of the business physically, or the revenue and profitability. What if I told you there was another way you can look at growth? On today's Shift Break we will be talking about ways to look at growth that don't…

1
489: Tips for Creating a Resilient Cafe 45:51

1M ago45:51

45:51

Ever since 2020, we as a coffee industry have been looking for ways to create more resiliency in our businesses. The cafe in particular is vulnerable to a lack of resiliency. Not only is the coffee shop a relatively low margin and high effort entity with an ROI that can take years, it also relies on the public consistently investing in its products…

1
Lessons Learned - The importance of company culture as you grow 41:49

1M ago41:49

41:49

This week the guys are sitting down and taking a look back over the last 8 years of being Cat & Cloud, what we’ve learned and what has changed from where we started. As a business grows it becomes much easier for things to get missed, and for the culture you build to get more diluted. It’s happened to us! It’s through those low points that you lear…

1
488: Founder Friday! Honoring Coffee's Root w/ Bartholomew Jones of Cxffee Black! 1:05:30

1M ago1:05:30

1:05:30

Coffee is from Africa, yet the way we think of and enjoy coffee today is largely separated from the roots that produced that original fruit. The disparity we see in the value stream today, where those growing coffee do not receive the fruit of their labor, is the consequence. Today we get to talk with someone who has been laboring hard to honor cof…

1
SHIFT BREAK: Are You Growing With Your Business? 11:59

1M ago11:59

11:59

It is assumed that we should constantly be growing our businesses and looking to expand, scale, and add-to what we have now. Trouble is that, in today's abundantly resourced and optimized environment, we may actually be able to do so at rates that out pace our ability to become the kind of people we need to be to properly handle that growth. On tod…

1
487: How to Think Fast and Talk Smart in the Cafe w/ Matt Abrahams 45:53

2M ago45:53

45:53

Every day in the cafe we are called on to communicate "in the moment". Whether we are baristas, trainers, managers, or owners ; how effective we are in those moments determines the culture and effectiveness of our business. Wouldn't it be great if there were tools and methods formed specifically to help you not freak out under the pressure of impro…

1
Charles Babinski - The perspective from nine years ago 1:19:54

2M ago1:19:54

1:19:54

Welcome back to the Cat & Cloud Podcast! This week we are busting out the throwback of all throwbacks with our very first interview. In this episode Chris and Jared sat down with US Barista Champion Charles Babinski to talk through the rapid growth of his business. Listen to the full episode to hear some espresso tips straight from the mouths of co…

1
Listen To The Coffee Buildcast And Discover New Cafes Worldwide 23:00

2M ago23:00

23:00

Today's episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast focuses on builds. That's right, it's the second episode of the 2024 Build-Outs of Coffee Coffee Buildcast podcast series. Today on the show, we drink coffee from Scandinavian Alps Coffee in Hemsedal, Norway, brewed with the Ceado Hoop Brewer. We met these folks at the 2024 World of Coffee Europe event in C…

1
SHIFT BREAK: Don't Give Up 12:07

2M ago12:07

12:07

Seeing results form your efforts is what motivates most all of us. In the coffee shop you are engaged with a dynamic intersesion of moving and living communities that take your efforts and reward you with sometimes obvious and sometimes not-so-obvious feedback. It's when we don't see the results happening the way we imagined that we can be tempted …

1
486: Why You should Fire Your Landlord and Consider Owning Your Building w/ Paul Neal 56:40

2M ago56:40

56:40

One of the most heartbreaking things I see is when an established cafe is forced to upend everything due to changes to the cost or use of a space that they do not own. All the dreams, emotions, investment in the space itself, and developing a customer bases habits around that location are all up in the air. While renting may always be a great first…

1
Learning From Others - How outside industries give your perspective and help your growth 37:10

2M ago37:10

37:10

Welcome back to the Cat & Cloud Podcast! This week Chris and Jared are hopping in to share some thoughts on learning and growth. Are you limited by your industry, or is it possible to reach beyond and learn outside your bubble? We don’t always consider how multi-faceted the “Service Industry” is. Hospitality in Hotels looks a lot different than our…

1
SHIFT BREAK: Don't Manage by Crisis 10:39

2M ago10:39

10:39

Managing in a cafe is one of the ultimate forms of leadership. Part of leading as a manager is planning for, responding to, or avoiding altogether, problems with people, operations, and quality. But instead of spending our best energies in prevention of problems, we tend to manage reactively when problems turn into a crisis. It's a vicious cycle. O…

1
485: Your Shop vs The Industry - How to Free Yourself From Dependency 24:41

2M ago24:41

24:41

The Industry. What does that even mean? Owners and professionals use this term as though it has specific power to give clarity or meaning to the work they do, when in fact it is merely the most readily observable manifestation of millions of individual decisions across the supply chain, all made worse when based on a fixation on that reflection. Fo…

1
Giving Ownership - How empowering team members can make everything improve 40:33

2M ago40:33

40:33

Giving Ownership - How empowering team members can make everything improve by Cat & CloudBy Cat & Cloud

1
World of Coffee Copenhagen Enjoyed By All 41:27

2M ago41:27

41:27

In the last episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, the Sprudge coffee podcast co-hosted by co-founders Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen, there was a lot of talk about The World of Coffee Copenhagen and what was to come: world competitions, new products, activations, cardamom buns, outside of the box thinking, professional development. Now, the dust…

1
SHIFT BREAK: Three BIG Hiring Mistakes (and how to avoid them) 14:57

2M ago14:57

14:57

Hiring is probably the most important decision you make in your coffee shop. As important as it is to choose the right people, we often are at the mercy of bad habits or are missing key practices we need to make that decisions and end up making too many mistakes that drain you, the business, and the your team of energy. On today's Shift Break we wi…

1
Blue Bottle Independent Union Takes On One of the World’s Largest Specialty Coffee Chains 39:14

2M ago39:14

39:14

In May 2024, workers across six Blue Bottle locations in Boston voted to unionize. Abbey and Alex are here to talk about how workers deserve to have a voice in decision-making in their workplaces. A full transcript of this episode is available at bossbarista.substack.com

1
The Story of Specialty Coffee: Brewer 31:11

2M ago31:11

31:11

I wanted to title this episode "Final Hands" but it seemed strange—so I titled it "Brewer" because the final hands are the ones that brew the coffee. Still, I did not like it, but it is the best I've got! Britt Schermerhorn talks about what it means to have and hand off ownership at the end of this specialty coffee journey. Britt Schermerhorn Insta…

1
Cristina and Ariel 1:35:28

2M ago1:35:28

1:35:28

Cristina Garces and Ariel Montoya visited DoubleShot for the first time the week of Independence Day. After visiting Washington, D.C., they hit the coffee capital of the world, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cristina is the daughter of Don Ernesto, who was once the largest independent producer of coffee in Colombia. Ariel was the owner of Hacienda El Boton, prod…

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