238 : Leading, Hiring, and working with your Coffee Tech w/ Hylan Joseph of Espresso Partners

Whether you employ in-house techs or you need to work with outside coffee tech services, today's episode is a must listen! The cafe is a complex mix of many different professional relationships. The relationship between a shop and the coffee tech can be a tense one because it is centered around emergencies. In order to work well with the techs we hire, led our in-house techs, and serve our wholesale clients tech needs well, we need to explore the realities and perspectives of both parties. Today we are going to be talking with Hylan Joseph of Espresso Partners and the SCA's Coffee Technicians Guild. Hylan Joseph is West Coast Service Manager for Espresso Partners. He is also one of the founders and current chairs for the Coffee Technicians Guild through the Specialty Coffee Association. Hylan's career in coffee started in San Francisco in 1985 at a small café named the Blue Parrot Café. He was a dishwasher and training barista. For the last 16 years he has worked as a service operations manager serving both large and small customers through Espresso Partners. Through the Coffee Technician Guild, he wants to show baristas, store managers and people passionate about coffee that there can be career for them beyond the café. In this episode we will cover: Managing owner expectations Common issues in the field Mindsets under pressure Practicing hospitality as a tech Having your techs represent you brand well Service agreements Curating culture through subcontractors What does it mean to be "professional" How to communicate Choosing / hiring a tech that fits your needs Being detailed and keeping records Links: Espresso Partners Coffee Technicians Guild Related episodes: 076 : Talking Tech! w/ Tom Ritz of Workhorse Customs : Best Practices for Machine Maintenance 128 : Terry's Top 10 w/ Terry Ziniewicz : Best practices for how not to kill your espresso machine 197 : Getting the most from your Equipment w/ Melissa Vaiden of Counter Culture Coffee 175 : How to Keep your Cool : A Fridge, Cooler, and Ice Machine Masterclass w/ Luke Peterson of The Maintenance Department! The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service