How to Schedule Employees Effectively

As a business owner, you know your most important asset is your employees. However, you also know that they can be your most expensive expense. That’s why it’s important to make sure you know how to schedule employees effectively and efficiently.  But how and where do you begin, when thinking about your overall schedule?

Doing so effectively according to your sales budget is a complex task, as you need to take into account the needs of your business, the availability of your employees, and any relevant labor laws.

happy employees

Here are a few tips to help you get started

  1. Determine your staffing needs: Think about how many employees you need during each shift and what tasks they will be responsible for. Make sure to consider factors such as the expected level of customer traffic and any special events or promotions you have planned.
  2. Communicate with your employees: Clearly communicate your schedule to your employees in advance and ask for their availability. This will help you create a schedule that works for everyone.
  3. Use scheduling software: Scheduling software can make it easier to create and manage employee schedules. There are many options available, ranging from free and basic to paid and feature-rich.  With 6 Analog Coffee locations, we had great experience utilizing Seven Shifts as a way to have open communication with team members on when we required coverage, and when they would have time available.  Depending on your POS System, you could have scheduling software already included in their services.  
  4. Consider labor laws: Be aware of any labor laws that apply to your business, such as minimum wage and overtime rules. Make sure you are complying with these laws when creating your schedules.
  5. Be flexible: Finally, be willing to be flexible and make changes to the schedule as needed. Things like unexpected employee absences or a sudden increase in customer traffic may require you to make adjustments on the fly.

Pact Coffee

It is generally not advisable to schedule your employees based on a percentage of sales. Scheduling based on sales projections can be unpredictable and can lead to understaffing or overstaffing, which can negatively impact your business and your employees.

Instead, it is generally better to base your staffing levels on the needs of your business. This may include factors such as the expected level of customer traffic, the tasks that need to be completed during each shift, and any special events or promotions you have planned.

Know Your Labor Laws

It is also important to consider any relevant labor laws, such as minimum wage and overtime rules. Make sure you have enough staff to meet the needs of your business, while also complying with labor laws and treating your employees fairly.

This being said, having a targeted employee costs, including management, of 30% or less of your sales is attainable and should be considered as a bench mark to guide whoever is in charge of scheduling.   The key is utilizing the right amount of staff, during your peak hours of operation, and less staff scheduled during the slower times.  This is easier to achieve when you have a roster of both full-time and hourly employees on your team.

barista training

What can employees do while it is slow and in the evenings? 

There are many things that employees can do during slow times in a cafe:

Clean and restock:

Employees can clean the cafe and restock supplies, such as coffee beans, cups, napkins, and pastries.  Creating an evening closing check list will aid in keeping team members accountable for daily/weekly cleaning and maintenance needed on your coffee equipment.   View one of our past blogs for tips on How to Clean and Maintain Your Espresso Machine.   These should be incorporated to routine jobs every week. 

Organize the cafe:

Employees can take the opportunity to reorganize the cafe.  Rearranging the seating or changing the layout of the display case.  Keeping your display case organized (according to the time of day), can really help increase food sales and increase your average transactions. Our past blog about The Importance of Food Programs in your Cafe discuss this topic.

condiment station

Train new employees:

Slow times can be a good opportunity to train new employees or review procedures with existing staff.  Working on advanced barista skills is best taught during slow times as it is much less intimidating for new employees.  Have them practice Barista Worthy Steamed Milk, how to properly make and AeroPress and working on their distribution methods so they Tamp Like a Champ are all going to help elevate the beverage experience for your clients.  There are many training videos available on YouTube and other social media which cover several topics. 

Update menus or specials:

Employees can work on updating the cafe's menu or creating new specials to attract customers.  Reach out to your local bakery partners and food distributors to see if they can meet with your team during these slow times to give tastings and educational presentations to further the food knowledge of your team.  

nachos

Plan events or promotions:

Slow times can be a good opportunity to plan events or promotions to bring in more business.  Have your employees ever walked around to personally introduce them selves and your cafe to the neighbouring businesses around you?  Drop off a few coffees or a coupon and personally invite them to come visit your cafe.

Take a break:

Employees can also use slow times to take a break, as long as there is enough coverage to handle any customers who may come in.  A rested employee is better able to handle the stresses of long line ups and clients who might be upset much easier than an employee who is exhausted and frustrated. 

Do paperwork:

Employees can catch up on paperwork or other administrative tasks that might not be possible during busier times.  You might be surprised that you have people on your team that are looking to assist you in different ways, which help alleviate administrative stress that burdens many entrepreneurs each week.   

happy customer

Utilizing your team in ways which free you up to work on growing your business should be your priority.  Being "stuck" in the day to day work inside your cafe, make it difficult to find times for marketing, sales growth, branding and networking opportunities.   Free yourself up and give your team ways that they can contribute to the health and success of your business.  

 

Step by Step Instructions | Homemade Coffee Liqueur

How to make homemade coffee liqueur that’ll impress your loved ones

Looking to make a homemade gift, but want it to be extra special? This year, we’re going to show you how to make coffee liqueur at home that’s delicious and easy to make. Though it’s a multi-day process, it’s not active time, and it’s a fun holiday activity.

Coffee Liqueur

The generic coffee liqueurs on the market tend to be too sweet and don’t have enough of that rich coffee flavour. This recipe combines the complexity of the coffee and the spices, with just the right amount of sweetness. 

Feel free to customize the spices and sugar level to your liking for a true, one-of-a-kind gift. It’s a versatile gift that can be enjoyed on its own or used in a classic cocktail (more on that later). 

This recipe uses the cold brew method for a silky smooth, rich coffee liqueur. Although it’ll require more waiting time, it’s well worth the wait. 

This recipe will yield 1 L of coffee liqueur, which you can divide into 3-4 bottles to give out as gifts. 

In this article, we’ll show you how to make homemade coffee liqueur to please your family and friends. Then, we’ll also show you some classic coffee cocktails to try out with your homemade coffee liqueur. 

course ground coffee

What kind of coffee should I use for homemade coffee liqueur?

A dark roast coffee is perfect for making coffee liqueur. You want that bold coffee flavour with chocolatey, toasty notes, and little acidity. We recommend our Godfather Espresso dark, with notes of chocolate fudge and toffee. Another great option is our French Saigon Dark, with little bitterness, and a clean, smooth finish.

Why does this recipe use the cold brew method?

The cold brew method brings out the smoother, more velvety attributes of coffee, without the bitterness and acidity. Brewing coffee with hot water extracts all sorts of compounds, including the bitter ones, which don’t complement alcohol very well.

This recipe calls for cold brew concentrate, which is then balanced out with the addition of simple syrup and rum.

What if I don’t have all of these spices?

Some of the spices and flavourings listed in the ingredients will be tricky to find or outside of your budget. If you can’t get a vanilla bean, add a teaspoon of high quality vanilla extract to the final blend. If you can’t find cacao beans, you can skip it entirely. Cinnamon sticks and orange peel are inexpensive and easy to source, and add a ton of flavour.

spices

Do I have to use rum for homemade coffee liqueur?

If you don’t like rum, you can always use vodka. The higher the quality of the alcohol, the better your coffee liqueur will taste.

How to make coffee liqueur at home

Here’s what you’ll need to make homemade coffee liqueur at home.

Tools:

Ingredients:

Cold brew infusion

Directions for Homemade Coffee Liqueur:

  1. Start making your infused rum 3 days before you want your liqueur to be ready. Pour 500 mL of rum into a 1L mason jar. Cut a vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds with a paring knife. Place the seeds and the bean into the rum. 
  2. Place 3 crushed cacao beans, a thumb-sized piece of orange rind, and a cinnamon stick broken in half into the rum. Secure the lid on the rum, and let the rum sit in a cool, dark place for 3 days (72 hours).
  3. After 2 days (or 48 hours), make your cold brew. In a 1 L mason jar, place 75 grams of coarsely ground dark roast coffee, followed by 2 cups of cold water. Mix it together with a spoon, and secure the lid. Place it in your fridge for 24 hours.
  4. While the cold brew is brewing, make your rich simple syrup. Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar and ½ cup of water in a saucepan. Stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and stir until the sugar crystals are dissolved, about 5 minutes. Cool for 1 hour. Pour into a container with a lid, and place in the fridge. 
  5. After 24 hours, your rum infusion and cold brew will both be ready. Start by decanting your cold brew. Line a fine mesh sieve with cheesecloth folded over twice, and place it over a bowl or container with a spout. Strain the cold brew mixture, and gather up the sides of the cheesecloth to squeeze out the remaining liquid. If the cold brew still looks murky, strain it one more time. 
  6. Using a long spoon, remove your cacao beans, orange rind, vanilla bean, and cinnamon stick from the rum.
  7. In a large glass bowl with a spout, combine your cold brew, rich simple syrup, and infused rum, and stir well. Your coffee liqueur is ready to consume.
  8. Using a funnel, divide your coffee liqueur into small bottles with rubber stoppers or glass jars with tight-fitting lids. Store in the fridge until you plan to gift it. This coffee liqueur recipe will last up to 6 months if refrigerated.

Coffee liqueur

Classic coffee cocktails

Now that you have your homemade coffee liqueur, it’s time to enjoy it. Here are some classic cocktails you can use your homemade coffee liqueur with.

Espresso martini

This classic recipe uses a double shot of freshly brewed espresso, vodka, and coffee liqueur. It’s shaken with ice and strained into a martini glass for added elegance. The coffee oils in the espresso create a thick foam that’s sturdy enough to place three coffee beans on top for a chic garnish. If you don’t have an espresso machine, you can make strong coffee using a stovetop espresso maker. 

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Brew your espresso.
  2. Fill a shaker half full with crushed ice. Pour in your espresso, followed by the coffee liqueur and the vodka. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
  3. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Allow the foam to settle on top, and carefully place 3 coffee beans on top for garnish.

 

White Russian

The White Russian is a classic, simple coffee cocktail. Creamy, mellow, and not too sweet, it’s the perfect treat for a winter night. 

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Fill a rocks glass halfway with crushed ice.
  2. Pour in the milk, followed by the coffee liqueur. Stir, and serve immediately.

 

Coffee Negroni

This is a twist on a classic drink, the Negroni, which combines gin with a bitter aperitivo and sweet vermouth. The addition of coffee liqueur adds a pleasant complexity.

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Fill a rocks glass halfway with ice.
  2. Pour in the gin, coffee liqueur, sweet vermouth, and aperitivo, and stir for 20-30 seconds, or until the glass starts to frost.
  3. Grab your orange peel, and squeeze the rind over the top of the drink to infuse the drink with the essential oils. Tuck the rind down the side of the glass for garnish, and serve.

Drinks on the house

This is the perfect homemade gift that people will actually enjoy. It’s easy and fun to make, and it’s way better than anything you’ll find at the liquor store. Add whatever spices tickle your fancy, and make it your own!

Happy Holidays from the Fratello team!

How to Brew a Perfect Espresso

There’s nothing worse than going to a renowned coffee shop only to receive an espresso drink that’s bitter and undrinkable. Poorly made espresso-based drinks are more common than you might think. Even the best beans, espresso machine, and grinder can’t guarantee a good espresso.  Follow these tips to ensure greater consistency in perfect espresso shot every time.  

Slayer Espresso

A big challenge for cafe managers and owners is getting their large team of baristas to make good-tasting espresso. A lot of newbie baristas don’t know what to look for when dialing in espresso and lack the confidence to calibrate it.  This is why we offer complimentary ongoing training and consultation for our wholesales clients.

By putting certain practises in place, you can show your whole team how to pull a perfect shot of espresso. First, we’ll show you how to lead an espresso tasting session with a team of baristas. Then, we’ll show you how to ensure the espresso is always running well.

The building blocks of good espresso

It may sound obvious, but you need to start with great coffee and great equipment to make great espresso. Make sure you have all of these in place first before you troubleshoot your espresso.

Make sure to source roasted beans from a high-quality, specialty coffee roaster. They should have an emphasis on ethical sourcing, meticulous roasting, and freshness.

A high-quality espresso machine with enough pressure and stamina is crucial for great espresso. We recommend the Slayer espresso machine, which was produced by the fine folks here at Fratello!

A good espresso grinder allows you to micro-adjust the grind setting. It should have a timed doser to provide consistency. We recommend Mahlkonig espresso grinders. 

If you have all of that already, let’s get into it!

coffee grinder

Leading an espresso tasting with your team

It’s always a good idea to do an espresso tasting session with your team. This allows you to answer any questions and try different espresso shots side-by-side for comparison. When guiding your team through a tasting, here are some common things to look for.

While not all coffees have a sweet profile, you should aim for a sweet shot. Sweetness is detected on the tip of the tongue. Unlike an unpleasant sour flavour, you’re looking for a sweetness akin to fruit or sugar.

A good shot of espresso should never taste unpleasantly bitter or sour. You can assess this more broadly when you try the espresso by asking yourself, “Is this pleasant?” “Is this acceptable to serve?”

Bitter and sour notes can be part of the inherent flavour profile of the coffee, like rich cocoa and lemon. Don’t get confused by desirable flavour attributes. 

Get your team familiar with the flavour wheel. It’s not cheating to fill your head with all the possibilities of what coffee can taste like. It helps your team by giving them a vocabulary to describe coffee.

TIP: It’s easier for newbie baristas to taste coffee that’s cooled down and/or diluted with a bit of water.

cappuccino

Creating an espresso calibration system

After you’ve done your initial group tasting session with your team, it’s time to create a calibration system.

The best way to calibrate espresso is by tasting it and adjusting it as needed. However, most newbie baristas won’t have the skills or the confidence to do this. This method also takes more time, and when you’re trying to move a lineup, it isn’t practical. A calibration system is easy-to-follow, keeps your coffee tasting great at all times, and doesn’t disrupt your flow.

Not all coffee is the same, but as a general rule of thumb, there’s a certain espresso recipe to follow. When it comes to brewing parameters for espresso, you want to start with a dry weight of 18 grams, a wet weight of 36 grams (ie. actual brewed espresso), and a brew time of 28-30 seconds. If you brew your espresso and it doesn’t fit within these confines, you can tweak the dose and the grind setting of the coffee.

perfect espresso

How to pull a perfect shot of espresso, step-by-step:

  1. Pop the basket out of the portafilter, and zero it out on a digital scale. Grind your beans from your timed espresso grinder, and weigh it. If it weighs below 18 grams, increase your dose by a few milliseconds. If it weighs above 18 grams, decrease your dose. Don’t worry if you’re off by 0.5 grams.
  2. Once you have the right weight, evenly tamp your espresso with 30 lbs of pressure.
  3. Have a timer ready to countdown from 30 seconds. Grab a clean shot glass or mini metal pitcher, place it on the scale, and zero it out.
  4. Place the scale and the glass under the group head, and begin brewing your espresso. Immediately start your 30-second timer. 
  5. At the 30-second mark, stop the shot and read the wet weight on the scale. If the wet weight isn’t 36 grams, make some changes and start over. If the wet weight is below 36 grams, make your grind coarser. If it’s above 36 grams, make your grind finer.

Make sure to post the espresso parameters (ie. dry weight, wet weight, brew time) where staff can see it. Have your team calibrate the espresso several times a day: once first thing in the morning, at mid-morning, and in the afternoon. For accountability, you can set up a checklist on a marker board, and have staff initial their calibrations.

Other factors affecting espresso flavour

Getting the right dose and weight is important when making good espresso, but it’s not the only thing to be aware of. Other things greatly affect the flavour of espresso. Here are some common factors:

Make sure your team is tamping properly. An uneven tamp or a cracked puck can result in uneven extraction, and thus, a sour, undrinkable espresso. Check out this video to make sure your team isn’t committing any tamping faux-pas!

 

The temperature and humidity in your cafe can instantly change how your espresso pours. If the weather suddenly changes from rainy and cold to sunny and warm, recalibrate your espresso.

A dirty espresso machine can make your coffee taste off if you’re doing everything else right. Make sure your team is cleaning the espresso machine and portafilters every night with Cafiza. Additionally, make sure your team is wiping the portafilter baskets with a dry rag between espressos. Have them purge the group heads between pours, too.

Fratello Coffee

Give it your best shot

Espresso can be intimidating for new baristas who lack skills and confidence. You can’t expect them to know everything right off the bat. The more effort you put into standards and procedures, the more likely it is that your team will get on board.

It doesn’t take long to gain a reputation as a no-fail, sure-shot espresso bar. Before long, your customers will notice, and they’ll be lining up for more. So do a little planning, schedule that espresso tasting with your team, and knock it out of the park!

We know that espresso can be a complicated beast. With decades of experience in the specialty coffee world, we have all the tools to make your cafe a success. Book a consultation call with us by emailing us at . We’re here to help!





Coffee Cupping at Home: How to Identify Tasting Notes

Coffee Cupping (or tasting) at home is easy to do and a lot of fun.   When on the lookout for specialty coffee, it’s common to see tasting notes like “floral” or “citrus” written on the bag. But when you go to try the coffee yourself, and all you taste is coffee, it can be discouraging. It can make you feel like you’re just not naturally inclined to picking up flavour notes.   What we want to show you, is how you can identify tasting notes in your favorite coffee. 

Coffee cupping

The truth is, tasting coffee is a skill that you acquire over time, and it requires you to develop a flavour palette. As a beginner, the best way to do this is a coffee cupping session at home.

But don’t worry–this isn’t a test. You don’t need to pull out an official coffee cupping score sheet and mathematically evaluate each coffee. Coffee cupping at home is meant to be fun, and it’s a great place to start when it comes to identifying tasting notes. 

Before we show you how to do a cupping session, we’ll answer some common questions. We’ll go over the flavour categories that you’re assessing, the list of tools you’ll need, and the type of coffee to use. 

Coffee cupping

What is coffee cupping?

Coffee cupping is when you brew several different coffees at once and taste them all separately, recording your findings. The brewing is done quite simply by pouring hot water directly over the grounds in a cup. The coffee is sipped with a cupping spoon to assess flavour. 

Coffee cupping is an industry practise normally conducted by coffee importers to gauge coffee quality. Each coffee receives a score out of 100. By definition, specialty coffee is coffee that receives at least 80 points out of 100. 

Cupping is also done by roasters as a form of quality control, or by coffee shops when they’re choosing coffees to put on their menu.

Our previous blog about coffee cupping is based around the SCAA cupping form, but this guide will teach you how to do it at home. While you’ll be focusing on identifying flavours, you won’t need the SCAA sheet (phew!). 

Coffee cupping table

What’s the point of coffee cupping at home?

Cupping at home lets you try a whole variety of coffees at once. Trying them out side-by-side gives you a reference point, helping you spot the differences between them. This will help you develop your flavour palette.

Though there are many other factors determining flavour, every coffee origin has its own characteristic flavour notes. Trying out single origin coffees from different regions is a great place to start when identifying flavour notes. 

Coffee cupping is also fun for budding coffee enthusiasts. It’s especially fun to do with a small group of friends. Because you need a few different varieties of coffee to do a home cupping session, you can send your friends home with the leftover coffee that didn’t get brewed. 

Coffee aroma

What am I looking for when cupping coffee?

When doing your coffee cupping session, you’ll want to record your findings on a sheet of paper. Let’s say you want to try 4 coffees. Make 4 columns on your sheet of paper. Write the name or origin of the coffee, and a line for the following categories. 

Coffee aroma

What if I don’t have words to describe the coffee?

When you’re stumped for words, you can always consult this interactive flavour wheel. It’s not cheating to read up on all the ways a coffee can taste. Rather, it gives you a vocabulary to describe what a coffee reminds you of. It’ll help you in the future when you encounter challenging coffees. 

Coffee cupping tools

What do I need for coffee cupping at home?

Here’s the list of supplies and ingredients you’ll need for a successful home coffee cupping session.

Coffee cupping

What coffee should I use?

For coffee cupping at home, we recommend trying at least 4 types of coffee with different flavour notes. Great options include Ethiopia Guji Uraga, Bolivia Buena Vista, Kenya Kiambu AA, and Costa Rica El Poeta.

What ratio is best for coffee cupping?

For coffee cupping, you’ll want a weaker ratio than a pour over. The pour over ratio is 1:16, but you’ll want a 1:17 ratio (1 part coffee, 17 parts water). So, if you’re using 12 grams of coffee, you’ll need 200 mL of water. Weaker ratios help you identify tasting notes better. 

Coffee tasting

Ready to start cupping coffee? Let’s go!

How to cup coffee at home

  1. Measure out 12 grams each of the different types of coffee. Be careful to purge the grinder between varieties to avoid mixing coffees. Place the grounds into 4 separate bowls. 
  2. Smell the dry grounds, and record your findings.
  3. Pour hot water (30-60 seconds off the boil) directly up to the top of the bowls, making sure to saturate all the grounds. Set a timer for 4 minutes, and let the bowls sit.
  4. After 4 minutes, the grounds will have floated to the top. Smell the wet aroma, and record your findings. 
  5. Break the crust by using a spoon to stir the grounds and let them sink to the bottom. This stops the brewing process. Use two spoons to catch the remaining grounds floating on top, and rinse your spoons. After you’ve broken the crust, the coffee will still be very hot. Wait an additional 10 minutes.
  6. Once it’s cooled to the point of being drinkable, grab your sheet of paper and pencil, and it’s time to start evaluating the coffee. Take a spoonful of the coffee, and audibly slurp it to spray it across your mouth. This helps you assess all aspects of the flavour. 
  7. Write your findings under each heading: flavour, cleanliness, aftertaste, acidity, body, and sweetness. Do this for each type of coffee until you’re done. Coffee tasting

    Not your average cup of joe

    Congratulations on your first coffee cupping! We hope you found the experience fun. You may have liked some of the coffees more than others, and you may have even disliked some of them. This is all normal–everyone has their own personal taste. Hopefully, you now have a better idea of what flavours you like best.

    Cupping coffee at home is simply an exercise of curiosity. Developing your flavour palette takes time, and you have to drink many coffees before you start to notice patterns. Once you’re familiar with tasting notes, you’ll enjoy coffee so much more going forward. Rather than treating coffee like a caffeine fix, you’ll start to treat it with a sense of wonder. 

    We hope your coffee cupping journey brings you joy and intellectual stimulation. May your cup runneth over!

    Want to learn more about the ins and outs of specialty coffee? Check out our article on how to read a coffee label like a pro!