Best Coffee Podcasts (2025)

1
Questions Quick Fire – So much info in not a lot of time 38:16

7h ago38:16

38:16

Questions Quick Fire – So much info in not a lot of time by Cat & CloudBy Cat & Cloud

1
The Hottest New Cafes Of 2025 On The Coffee Sprudgecast 27:09

3d ago27:09

27:09

It’s that time of the year again, where the days are long, the coffees are flash chilled, and cafes show up and build-out! On the latest episode the show we explore new cafe build-outs from Bradley Beach, New Jersey, down to Springdale, Arkansas and all the way to Ventura, California. It’s all part of our annual Build-Outs of Coffee series, a humdi…

1
SHIFT BREAK! The Entrepreneurial Case For Stopping 12:03

5d ago12:03

12:03

"If you're not growing, your dying", phrases like this tend to drive us pursue a path of growth that often prevents us from slowing down or finding margin in which we can see that something, or even we ourselves, need to stop. Today on Shift Break we are going to be talking about how to see entrepreneurship as not just a one time thing, but as a cy…

1
545: Breathing Life Into Your Coffee Shop 30:25

7d ago30:25

30:25

Have you ever walked into a shop and noticed right away, this place is different. The hospitality, the quality, the feel, the energy, and the comfort and confidence you and the staff feel together is a synergy born from purposeful work behind the scenes. It is a work not just to assemble people and equipment under one roof and call it done, but wor…

1
Identifying What You Want – Growing your beliefs as your company grows 35:23

7d ago35:23

35:23

Identifying What You Want – Growing your beliefs as your company grows by Cat & CloudBy Cat & Cloud

1
SHIFT BREAK! Tips For Signature Drink Success 14:23

12d ago14:23

14:23

Signature beverages and seasonal drinks are a huge part of what rounds out the cafe menu and, if done well, can make you stand out for all the right reason. Of course, it stands to reason, that if they are done not so well, you stand out for the wrong reasons. How can you go beyond TikTok trends and the latest viral sensations and create something …

1
Source – Audience Q&A from 2025 SCA Expo 1:05:04

14d ago1:05:04

1:05:04

This week on the podcast is part 2 of the event we hosted with Cafe Imports at the 2025 Specialty Coffee Association Expo.In this episode the audience asks the panelist questions that most impact their day to day interaction with the coffee supply chain. Covering topics like communicating the cost of coffee to guest, how roasters come to the prices…

1
544: Love Coffee, Control Caffeine w/ 2013 WBC Champ Pete Licata of Caffeine Control Coffee 1:05:34

15d ago1:05:34

1:05:34

Coffee. We love it so much! However, in spite of our love for coffee, we have all been burned by taking in just a little too much caffeine as we sip, cup, and enjoy. As technology and methods around decaf coffee have improved and evolved, so too has the demand for having more control over the stimulating effects of the beverage. This is where Caffe…

1
The Coffee Sprudgecast With An Unnatural Kopi Luwak 29:13

17d ago29:13

29:13

Welcome to the Coffee Sprudgecast. It's not just a coffee podcast, it's a taste experience, where only the strongest endure. Zachary Carlsen returns from World of Coffee Jakarta on the Coffee Sprudgecast and brings with him delicious coffees, interesting coffees, and coffees he didn't dare dream existed. This includes a Space Roastery coffee that m…

1
SHIFT BREAK! Don't Rush Your Customers 11:49

19d ago11:49

11:49

In the busy cafe we tend to want to power through the work and in the process we rush the customer. The average cafe guest can feel as though they are simply being handled or herded instead of welcomed and served. Today on Shift Break we are talking about how and why we need to fight against the urge to rush the customer and what it looks like to h…

1
543: A Philosophy On Employee Turn-over 30:26

21d ago30:26

30:26

Everybody leaves. That is the constant of working in coffee shops. How they leave and how you respond to their absence for their good, the team that remains and for your business is a question of how much intentionality you bring to the inevitable departure of staff. Today we are going to explain how we can view turn-over and use it to better our l…

1
Source – A green buying panel from 2025 SCA Expo 51:15

21d ago51:15

51:15

This week on the podcast, we’re sharing the event we hosted with Cafe Imports at the 2025 Specialty Coffee Association Expo.The event brought together panelists from across the green buying side of the coffee industry to explore the complexities of this essential part of the supply chain.This portion of the conversation focuses on the C market, tar…

1
542: Founder Friday! w/ Nori and Tin Burmudez of Corridor Flow, Lomita, CA 1:06:34

24d ago1:06:34

1:06:34

It's Founder Friday! And this one is quite special. Nori and Tin Burmudez founded Corridor Flow in the Fall of 2019 with community and relationship as their central mission. I was lucky enough to work with them in their beginning stages and for the last almost six years, their commitment to their vision have shown itself in their deeply rooted and …

1
RoR #36: Community and Continual Learning w/ Alex Jacob of Vital Coffee Roasters w/ Alex Jacob 42:37

27d ago42:37

42:37

Great things happen when we plug into community and open ourselves up to the learning process. This is especially true when you begin your own business and apply those things you have learned from your experiences. It opens up entirely new levels. Today on this 36th episode of Rate of Rise, brought to you by our friends at Mill City Roasters, we ar…

1
SHIFT BREAK! You Need to Avoid This HUGE Training Mistake! 10:47

28d ago10:47

10:47

Training employees remains one of the central tasks of cafe ownership and management. Rather than training from a central standard and source that has been thoughtfully crafted to onboard and develop the skills of the barista to meet specific standards, there is a temptation to want to lean on training by osmosis or by committee where the new hire …

1
541: Repetition, Reminders, and Guidance 25:30

28d ago25:30

25:30

If you are like a lot of owners or managers you might find the idea of reminding and repeating yourself to be at the top of the "most annoying things I should not have to do" list. To a degree you are right. But only partly. It really depends on how those tools are used and how you approach your own role in the cafe Today we are going to explore ho…

1
Road to Owner – Chucks journey to help start Cat & Cloud 55:05

28d ago55:05

55:05

Road to Owner – Chucks journey to help start Cat & Cloud by Cat & CloudBy Cat & Cloud

1
SHIFT BREAK! Why The Best Hospitality Starts With The Transactional! 10:47

1M ago10:47

10:47

We talk about how we want to provide an experience for the guest, to connect with them, to make a positive impact. The way to get there though is through embracing what may seem like the opposite of what we want, the transactional. Gasp! Today on Shift Break we will be talking about why the transaction between you and the customer, the ordinary exc…

1
540: The Good and Bad of Job Descriptions 32:03

1M ago32:03

32:03

On average, when I look into a cafe's operational materials and systems, one of the main things that is either not developed well, developed but not updated, or just not there at all, are job descriptions. For many coffee businesses, there is a default to describing their growth and thus operation as "organic" and as a result, while some progress i…

1
What to Sell When You're Selling – How to think about wholesale 42:07

1M ago42:07

42:07

What to Sell When You're Selling – How to think about wholesale by Cat & CloudBy Cat & Cloud

1
The One With World Coffee Roasting Champion Mikaël Portannier 12:33

1M ago12:33

12:33

We've got a special bite-sized episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast this week, featuring an interview with 2025 World Roasting Champion Mikaël Portannier. Liz Chai caught Portannier on stage moments after announcements to learn more about his epic win. Host Zachary Carlsen sips Passenger Coffee's India Bhadra while thumbing through a copy of their 202…

1
SHIFT BREAK! Vendor Hospitality 11:36

1M ago11:36

11:36

Who we are when nobody s looking is really who we are. There are variations of this phrase and for most it is convicting and motivates us to increase the integrity of how we move in life and work. In the cafe, we talk a lot about hospitality regarding guests and more recently we have talked about hospitality for the staff. But what about the people…

1
Spaces Make Places – Chatting about how a space looks and why it draws people in 55:04

1M ago55:04

55:04

Spaces Make Places – Chatting about how a space looks and why it draws people in by Cat & CloudBy Cat & Cloud

1
539: Helping Regular People Enjoy Coffee w/ Matthew Bryce, Seven Sleepers Coffee Lab 43:32

1M ago43:32

43:32

"Customers are already dialed in." This is one of my favorite quotes from the interview I had with today's guest. The industry has largely been focused on educating customers about coffee but not very good about educating themselves about the customer, and even less concerned about meeting people where they are or even celebrating their tastes. How…

1
The One With The 16th Annual Sprudgie Award Winners 24:44

1M ago24:44

24:44

On this special episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen talk about the winners of the 16th Annual Sprudgie Awards. This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by TerraCycle, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.By Sprudge Media

1
SHIFT BREAK! Explaining the Manager's Landscape | A Framework For Leading Staff 10:13

2M ago10:13

10:13

Being a manager in a coffee shop is not just about extra administrative tasks, its about leading and guiding people well through the work of the cafe. Many managers in bars around the world are kept buried in tasks and don't have a clear view of the landscape in front of them. This leads to avoiding essential conversations and a lack of growth in b…

1
Eyes On the Prize – How showing up today helps you tomorrow 38:46

2M ago38:46

38:46

Eyes On the Prize – How showing up today helps you tomorrow by Cat & CloudBy Cat & Cloud

1
SCA 2025 42:15

2M ago42:15

42:15

The annual convention for the Specialty Coffee Association was held in Houston April 25-27. Amanda, Mark and Brian all went down to represent DoubleShot, try and pre-sell some of The Coffee Purist books (slated to be on your coffee table by fall 2025), catch up with old friends, and get a pulse on what's happening today in "specialty coffee." This …

1
538: The Most Important Things to Focus In The First Year (or any year) 33:43

2M ago33:43

33:43

Coffee shops are dynamic places that require a ton of focus on what seems like an endless sea of urgent things. Some are actually more important than others and learning what they are and training yourself and your staff to focus on and cultivate them from the start can help set the next years of your businesses life up for healthy operation and gr…

1
SHIFT BREAK! Small Wins Build Trust 10:42

2M ago10:42

10:42

Once we get a little bit of authority as a trainer, manager, or leader in the coffee shop we tend to dream about and focus on all the things we want to change. Unfortunately the projects that we know will improve things often do not get the reception we want from the boss and we feel dejected and frustrated. Today on Shift Break we will be talking …

1
SPECIAL! Interviews from Coffee Fest NYC 2025: Antoine Franklin, Mo Hashmi, Caroline Bell, and Maria Sinatra! 1:08:35

2M ago1:08:35

1:08:35

We are back with anew round of show floor interviews from Coffee Fest! This time we were in NYC at the Keys to the Shop booth and got four wonderful presenters and experts to chat about training, entrepreneurship, and trademarking law! First up to talk about effective barista training strategies we have our friend Antoine Franklin! Antoine Franklin…

1
It's Not So Black and White – Big money in small business 29:58

2M ago29:58

29:58

It's Not So Black and White – Big money in small business by Cat & CloudBy Cat & Cloud

1
537: Success as a Coffee Tech : Training and Relationships w/ Brady Butler W/ Trail Braze Coffee Academy 49:07

2M ago49:07

49:07

Maintaining the functionality of your equipment is one of the main tasks involved in running a shop. You yourself may wan to be trained in machine tech, you may want to hire a teach or tech company to service your cafe's equipment, or you might want to raise up an internal technician. Today on the show we are goping to talk about training technicia…

1
RoR #35: The Core 7 : Practical Disciplines for a Successful Roastery w/ Luke Waite | Pomelo Coffee Consulting 45:55

2M ago45:55

45:55

There are an incredible number of tasks associated with running a coffee roastery. The busy work of keeping things going often gets in the way of working on the main areas that will actually move the needle and build a successful operation. Today's guest comes to us with a lot of experience working in roasteries and consulting operators in the area…

1
The One Before The Last SCA Expo In Houston 31:34

2M ago31:34

31:34

On this very special episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen list off all the incredible things to see, do, and experience at this weekend’s SCA Expo in Houston, Texas. On the show we also try out the new double-the-size AeroPress XL and make not one but TWO delicious YesPlz “Soft Power” Blend coffees in one pu…

1
SHIFT BREAK! Two Types of Continued Education for Baristas 10:30

2M ago10:30

10:30

When you onboard baristas, the work is just beginning. Part of the privilege of leadership is to provide ongoing coaching and training to all staff. This creates the kind of quality and excellence we want customers to experience and the kind of ongoing education you give to staff will determine if they are well equipped to serve. Today on Shift Bre…

1
The Guests That Arn't Your Guest – Showing hospitality to everyone you encounter 37:48

2M ago37:48

37:48

The Guests That Arn't Your Guest – Showing hospitality to everyone you encounter by Cat & CloudBy Cat & Cloud

1
536: What It Means to Set Up Staff For Success 24:22

2M ago24:22

24:22

The world of cafe management is full of great ideas that, if applied well, would indeed change things for the better. The idea around leader ship role being primarily about "setting people up for success" is one of those principles. The trouble is it often stops with just the idea and is not as often applied in a tangible way. Today we are going to…

1
Nicaragua 2025 47:08

2M ago47:08

47:08

Brian has just returned from another trip to Nicargaua, where he had a few revelations concerning cupping, relationships, and the world economy. Mark comes along for the ride and the diatribe. Throughout the episode, you might learn about the effects of tariffs on coffee prices and business sustainability, the importance of judging coffees circumst…

1
535: Founder Friday! 30 Years of Coffee! w/ Ana Burgos and Amanda Jones of Hyperion Espresso, Fredricksburg, VA 57:45

2M ago57:45

57:45

Simplicity, focus, community, and legacy. These are some words that I feel apply to the steady and excellent service of Hyperion Espresso these last 30 years of operation. When you can measure your business in decades and look back with pride and a full heart, you now you have crafted something lasting and valuable. Today we are going to explore th…

1
SHIFT BREAK! Don't Force The Wrong People To Do The Right Work 11:29

2M ago11:29

11:29

It is a common weakness of hiring managers and desperate owners alike. We hire people that are not the right fit and spend most of our time trying to get them to change once they are working in the cafe. This leaves us burned out, it leaves the employee frustrated, and the business suffers in the process. Today on Shift Break we will be talking abo…

1
534: Encore! Helping Your Team Work Through Their Strengths w/ Lisa Cummings of lead Through Strengths! 53:17

2M ago53:17

53:17

Once you hire the right people for your cafe you move on to the next decision, how to work with them to give them to set them and the business up for success. Too often the way we place and lead people is based on their job description and not so much based on their individual characteristics. How much better would your shop run if your team was gi…

1
It's not you, It's Me – How changing consumer habits will save the economy 47:32

2M ago47:32

47:32

The week we follow up with everyone’s favorite new topic, Tariffs. Specifically how this impact is similar to the record high of the C-Market from a month ago. Ultimately the conversation leads to how a change in consumer habits are what will ultimately make the change.Links from the show:Our new coffees – https://catandcloud.com/collections/featur…

1
SHIFT BREAK: Getting Over the Awkwardness of Leadership 11:44

2M ago11:44

11:44

Why does it feel so awkward and difficult to take action the way we know we need to as leaders in the coffee shop? If you are human, you feel a kind of resistance when it comes to making decisions, having those conversations, and generally taking decisive steps into leadership. What are we worried about? Well, there surely are some things we can fa…

1
Automation of Craft – How much automation is too much 29:45

3M ago29:45

29:45

RSVP to the Source: A Green Buying Panel happening at SCA in Huston Texas.https://www.eventbrite.com/e/source-a-green-buying-panel-tickets-1284924396459?aff=oddtdtcreatorBy Cat & Cloud

1
533: Principles of Quality Control 45:14

3M ago45:14

45:14

The quality of your product matters. Some might get the idea that if only we are kind and hospitable then all will be forgiven or overlooked when it comes to quality fumbles. Actually, quality and the delivery of excellence in the product is part of how you show kindness and hospitality. Therefore how we approach it must be with a mindset that star…

1
SHIFT BREAK: The Myth of a Saturated Market 12:17

3M ago12:17

12:17

"I cannot open a coffee shop because my market is too saturated!" Does this sound like something you have heard or even said yourself? Today there are indeed a LOT of coffee shops. Way more than there ever have been. But does that mean the market is really saturated? Today on Shift Break we will be talking about a different way to view market satur…

1
532: Start with Hospitality 28:40

3M ago28:40

28:40

The question we sometimes ask interviewees is, "What is more important, quality, or hospitality?" Spoiler, it's a trick question and the answer we like to hear usually is "Both". Well, today on the show we will dive into why the answer should actually be hospitality and how our approach to this question and the order in which we pursue things actua…

1
RoR #34: Roasting for Different Cultivars w/ Rob Hoos | Rob Hoos Coffee Consulting 46:45

3M ago46:45

46:45

Roasting coffee sets the stage for how much potential enjoyment a customer has in drinking it. In order to truly bring out the best in a particular coffee, you need to consider details about the coffee that impact its behavior and development. One of the big ones of course is the cultivar you are roasting and being able to start determine a profile…

1
SHIFT BREAK! Why Following Through is the Key to Better Coffee Shops 14:02

3M ago14:02

14:02

In order to assure our staff that we are listening and want to provide them solutions for issues they bring up we will often promise things in the moment, but then life gets in the way. In the moment it does not feel like a big deal, but slowly trust is eroded, and we see less engagement and loss opportunity for growth. Today on Shift Break we will…

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