621: Managment, Supply Chain, and Building Great Teams w/ Ewelina Kania!

621: Managment, Supply Chain, and Building Great Teams w/ Ewelina Kania!

Author: Chris Deferio August 18, 2026 Duration: 48:44

In order to provide excellence in the cafe, we need to focus on people. Building, caring for, and managing a team is the cornerstone of any great cafe. The potential of your coffee and hospitality depends on this! 

Today we are going to be talking with someone who has lead and managed at the highest levels of coffee. With her passion for logistics, people-first leadership, and team development, she has delivered consistent quality for staff and guests alike. I am thrilled to welcome to the show, Ewelina Kania! 

Ewelina has spent over a decade in hospitality, starting out as a barista before joining Prufrock Coffee in London. As General Manager during an eight-year stretch, she ran the entire operation, tested new concepts, and navigated the less glamorous realities of the industry - including leadership transitions, operational hurdles, and a global pandemic. She later worked as Chief Operating Officer at Barista Hustle Tools, diving deep into product logistics and global supply chains.

Today, Ewelina is Head of Operations and Logistics at Natoora Copenhagen, connecting small-scale growers with local chefs. For her, moving from specialty coffee to farm-grown produce is a seamless transition: both industries rely on passionate people who care deeply about origin and quality. Across every role, she stays focused on one core principle: a happy, supported team leads to a stronger business and a better guest experience.

We discuss:

  • How Ewelina Started in Coffee by Accident
  • Mastering Coffee Logistics and Workflow
  • Attraction to Leadership and Team Development
  • Lessons in Effective Leadership and Communication
  • Time Management and Supporting Teams
  • Effective Delegation and Empowerment
  • Managing Conflict in Teams
  • Similarities in Food and Coffee Supply Chains
  • Lessons from Food Industry for Coffee
  • Role of Coffee Shops in Supply Chain and Community

Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ew__ka__/

Natoora: https://www.instagram.com/natoora/

 

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Running a coffee shop is about so much more than pulling great shots. It's a complex dance of craft, culture, and commerce that demands a unique kind of leadership. That's the space where Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders lives. Hosted by Chris Deferio, this podcast digs into the real, often unspoken challenges faced by owners, managers, and aspiring leaders in the specialty coffee world. Each conversation moves beyond abstract theory to deliver concrete, usable strategies you can apply directly to your operation. You'll hear from a diverse range of voices, including seasoned coffee professionals and insightful experts from other fields, all focused on the practicalities of building a thriving business. Episodes tackle the full spectrum of running a shop, from daily systems and financial health to fostering a positive team environment and developing your own skills as a leader. The aim is to provide a genuine resource for growth, whether you're looking to refine your barista program, improve your shop's profitability, or scale your vision thoughtfully. Tune in for honest discussions that equip you with more than just inspiration-they offer the tangible keys to building a better, more sustainable coffee business. This podcast understands that your passion is for coffee, but your success depends on mastering the craft of leadership.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Keys To The Shop : Equipping Coffee Shop Leaders
Podcast Episodes
SHIFT BREAK! Walking Out Effective Leadership and Management [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:08
Leading and managing are only as effective as your knowledge and understanding of the who, what, and why of your cafe. Sadly many people with the title of manager or in positions of leadership are going day-to-day puttin…
619: 4 Mindset Shifts Every Cafe Owners Needs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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618: Founder Friday! w/ Tim Wendelboe | Oslo, Norway [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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It's Founder Friday and I am so pleased to finally welcome the one an only Tim Wendelboe! Tim Wendelboe runs his own roastery and espresso bar in Oslo, Norway where he imports, roast and serve high quality coffees. Apart…
SHIFT BREAK! Start Small [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:44
Seemingly in balance to our episode with Kwame Christian on big swings, we need to talk about small starts! Making decisions about size, scope, and scale of our cafes can set us up for success or it can set us up for dis…
SHIFT BREAK! Are You Holding Your Business Back? Let it Grow! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:11
I had a conversation with a successful cafe and roastery client recently. We talked about delegation and what was standing in the way of them giving tasks and authority to others. It came out that they were worried about…
SHIFT BREAK! Avoid Burnout By Serving Your Managers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:42
We serve 2 types of customers. External and internal. The external customer is the one that comes in for a coffee and spends money and time with us as guests in the cafe. The internal customer comes in for a job and spen…