In the world of specialty coffee, the relationship between roaster and cafe is one of the most vital. In a healthy relationship, there is a support for the client that mirrors the hospitality and quality that the roaster hopes the cafe produces using their coffee.
There may be nobody more qualified to speak to both side of this relationship of mutual support than today guest, Sam Lewontin!
Sam is a veteran coffee professional whose nearly 30 year career has taken him from barista in many small and obscure shops, to owning and growing one of NYC best Cafes Everyman Espresso along with Sam Penix. Sam Lewontin carved out a niche for himself as one of coffee's most thoughtful, clear, and intentional operators as well as decorated barista competitors.
After a long career in barista work and cafe hospitality and ownership, Sam took the listening, communication, and service skill he honed in th shop, and applied it to the world of sales and wholesal support for Stumptown Coffee Roasters and now most recently is representing Counter Culture Coffee!
Literally every time you interact with Sam, he is not just enthused to see you, but in genuinely interested in your good. This is why we are talking with him today to learn about how we can develop our hospitality approach in like fashion, but take a page from him play book in sales to truly help our clients solve problems and thrive in their business.
We discuss:
- The evolution of Sam's career from hobby to professional and the importance of continuous learning how friend and mentors shaped his world.
- Creating accessible and welcoming coffee experiences through thoughtful design and hospitality
- The role of networking, community building, and trust in growing coffee businesses
- Meeting customers where they are: making coffee approachable and familiar
- Practical tips for supporting wholesale clients with streamlined resources and support
- Prioritizing high leverage support tools instead of generic offerings
- Facilitating connections between wholesale customers, tech support, and global producers
- The philosophy that the core value of cafes is delivering an approachable, memorable hospitality experience
REGISTER NOW FOR THE SUMMER WEBINAR SERIES!
Build a Stronger Coffee Shop: One Step at a Time
Great coffee shops don't happen by accident. They are built by hiring the right people, training them well, and leading them with clarity and consistency.
In this live three-part Summer Webinar Series, Chris Deferio shares the practical systems and coaching insights that have helped coffee businesses build stronger teams, healthier cultures, and more resilient operations.
Each webinar includes:
- Live instruction and Q&A
- PDF workbook
- One hour of virtual consulting for each live attendee
- Lifetime access to the recording
Register for the individual sessions that fit your current needs, or scroll down to save 20% on the complete Summer Webinar Series.
REGISTER NOW FOR THE SUMMER WEBINAR SERIES!
chris@keystothshop.com
of book a free call now:
https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min
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