Build Skills. Gain Confidence. Elevate Your Coffee Game.
The Coffee Skills Series is the foundation of our hands-on education - a set of essential workshops we bring to every Coffee Fest to support skill development across the specialty coffee community.
Led by Coffee Fest’s experienced training team and trusted partners, these workshops focus on real-world techniques - from espresso and milk to sensory analysis, cupping, and brewing mastery.
Each session is offered in a small group format to ensure personalized instruction and direct interaction with trainers. These experiences are designed to help you strengthen your skills, expand your knowledge, and bring better coffee back to your business.
Whether you're behind the bar, leading a team, or refining your palate, at Coffee Fest you’ll find targeted, practical training to support your next step in coffee.
Coffee shops don't need fame - they need familiarity. Marketing your shop doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, expensive, or reliant on chasing viral trends. In this session, we’ll strip away the jargon …
One of the biggest struggles coffee shop owners face is hiring. In this workshop, Jean Brillman, owner of White Horse Coffee & Creamery, will guide participants through the essential steps in creating …
Taught by our Latte Art World Championship judges, this 2.5-hour small-group workshop offers intensive instruction on the core techniques of crafting espresso-based beverages. You'll receive personal, …
Demystify the balance sheet and take control of your bottom line. Led by experienced operators who have built and run multiple food and retail businesses, this session breaks down the critical metrics …
This beginner-friendly course introduces the fundamentals of cupping, the coffee industry’s standard for evaluating coffee quality. You'll learn what cupping is, why it’s used across various sectors o …
In this workshop, learn how different grinder features and designs can affect your coffee quality and bar flow. Explore real-world impacts of differences in features like burr size and style, motor sp …
Signature drinks offer an incredible opportunity to boost profitability, brand identity, and customer loyalty. In this workshop, we take menu development from theory to practice. After exploring the m …
The difference between an excellent cafe that stands out in the pack and one that is just average comes down to how you care for the small but significant details that make up the whole experience. An …
Discover the latest insights driving menu innovation and profitability in the specialty beverage market. This seminar will provide: A high-level overview of consumption and purchase trends influencing …
Just opened a coffee shop, getting ready to open or thinking about opening a coffee shop? Mark Calhoun and Jim Starcev of PerfectCube will share their experience developed from running retail stores a …
This lecture provides aspiring and new coffee shop owners with a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities that arise during the first year of business. From creating a successful bra …
As coffee menus evolve to include "swavory" global flavors (miso, pandan, ube) and functional ingredients (mushrooms, proteins, adaptogens), the role of green coffee sourcing is changing. This panel b …
Coffee professionals already know how to taste; this session bridges that sensory expertise to tea, the second most consumed beverage in the world. Designed for owners and managers evaluating tea's pl …
Build a faster, smoother coffee bar operation without compromising cup quality. Designed for baristas, managers, and cafe owners, this interactive workshop pairs the core theory of daily bar setup and …
From co-ferments to infused lots, coffee processing is entering a bold new era—one that’s redefining how we think about flavor, quality, and innovation. In this tasting-focused workshop, you’ll explor …
As specialty coffee continues to grow it may seem that there's a shop on every corner, including across the street from yours. If that's got you stressed about how to distinguish your café from your c …
A great cup of coffee brings customers through the door, but a thoughtfully designed food menu can give them another reason to stay, spend, and return. Discover how to create a distinctive, profitable …
Your brand is more than just a logo - it’s the personality, story, and experience that keep customers coming back. In this panel, industry experts will dive into what makes a coffee brand truly memora …
Discover what it takes to transition a mobile coffee business into a successful brick-and-mortar operation. Drawing on the speaker's real-world experience building a vintage trailer business into a pe …
Join Roast Magazine and a panel of local leaders in the roasting world for a panel discussion on the hot topics surrounding the industry today. Hear from local roasters and business owners and get the …
In the current landscape of coffee shops, managing a younger work force is the top challenge faced by owners and operators. For many it feel like an impossible task trying to connect, communicate, and …
Ready to maximize your profitability? In this session, we'll do a deep dive into four of the most critical back-of-house drivers of your business by covering: How to accurately track and measure daily …
Dive into an engaging panel discussion with seasoned entrepreneurs and discover the diverse arsenal of marketing techniques utilized by these industry leaders. From leveraging social media platforms l …
A Note on Sustainability: "For years, "sustainability" has focused on mitigation - how to keep taking from the earth and our people while doing slightly less damage," says author, scientist, and membe …
Africa is widely regarded as the cradle of coffee, offering some of the most dynamic and sought-after flavors in the world. From Ethiopia’s bright, floral profiles to the fruity, wine-like notes of Bu …
Tea can be a highly profitable anchor on a café menu, but sourcing great tea is only the first step - pricing, recipes, and staff training must all work together. Using a real-world case study of a te …
Ready to pour your first heart? This beginner-level workshop introduces budding baristas to the building blocks of free pour latte art. Taught by our very own LAWCO (Latte Art World Championship Open) …
Blending coffee is both a science and an art. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll explore how individual coffees interact to create balance, complexity, and consistency in the cup. Working in small team …
Textures, layers, and inclusions are currently leading the charge in signature drink innovation. From silky cold foams and decadent cream tops to vibrant fruit purées and playful, crunchy inclusions, …
What does the future look like in the business of coffee? What established trends will continue (hint: digital ordering), what new trends are emerging and what will have less of an impact on your busi …
Espresso equipment keeps your café doors open. Keeping that equipment running properly requires more than just backflushing and changing gaskets, it requires regular deep cleaning and thorough prevent …
Join Monin Gourmet Flavorings as we uncover the formats and ideas shaping 2027 menus, including emerging flavors designed to stand out in today’s visually driven, share-worthy world. Whether you're a …
Catering allows coffee businesses to unlock substantial new revenue, attract repeat group accounts, and expand reach across the local community - without adding seats to the café floor. Tailored for c …
Explore the incredible diversity of coffees grown across the Americas, from the nutty and chocolatey flavors of Brazil to the vibrant, fruity profiles of Colombia and the complex nuances of Honduras a …
Your team is the heartbeat of your business - and managing labor effectively is key to both your bottom line and your store culture. In this session led by PerfectCube, you'll discover actionable stra …
Learn the essentials of brewing coffee using the pour-over method. Using equipment consistent with contemporary roast profiles, this class is perfect for both beginners and coffee enthusiasts looking …
Alternative milks have gone from a popular trend to absolute necessity in the past few years, and their unstoppable rise has resulted in many barista designed dairy milk alternatives that are easily s …
This is a must attend session for existing coffee and tea shop owners facing a lease renewal negotiation and for new start-up tenants leasing space for the first time. Learn the 13 costly mistakes ten …
Whether your shop is in a small town, suburb or major metropolitian area, come to Specialty Coffee Success No Matter the Size of Your City at the Conversation Corner to get some tips, expert advice, a …
A small-group cupping that helps cafe owners and managers reconnect with flavor and learn to communicate it in ways customers understand. Participants will taste coffees from different origins, explor …
Foundational Coffee Roasting Skills is a practical workshop designed for aspiring and early-stage roasters who want a clear, working understanding of production roasting. This session covers drum roas …
Starting any coffee business comes with a steep learning curve. In this panel discussion, local café owners and brand founders share what they’ve learned from the ground up – from early missteps to tu …
Your menu is probably carrying heroes, dead weight, and a couple drinks that actively lose you money. In this session, we’ll walk through how to use the sales data you already have to identify which d …
New to espresso or still building your confidence on bar? This hands-on, small-group workshop will walk you through the essential steps of dialing in for a balanced, flavorful shot. Designed for begin …
Coffee connects cultures worldwide, but inequities continue to shape the experiences of BIPOC professionals in the industry today. This panel brings together owners, managers, and employees to share …
Everyone loves a beautiful bar. That is, until they have to work on one that was improperly designed. Then we curse the architect and all involved for creating such a beautiful monster. With the rise …
Wondering how to set, adjust, or defend your prices while making your menu work harder for your bottom line? Join Mark Calhoun and Jim Starcev of PerfectCube for a data-driven deep-dive into menu engi …
Wondering how to set, adjust, or defend your prices while making your menu work harder for your bottom line? Join Mark Calhoun and Jim Starcev of PerfectCube for a data-driven deep-dive into menu engi …
Do you really know what “washed,” “natural,” and “honey” mean—and how they differ from newer terms like anaerobic, carbonic maceration, or double fermentation? In today’s rapidly evolving coffee lands …
What's actually filling cups, and what's just a fleeting TikTok fad? Join our industry panel for a fast-paced look at the flavors, ingredients, and consumer habits driving beverage menus right now. Ou …
Baristas are the heartbeat of every café, but when reactive hiring and constant turnover take over, your bottom line suffers. Far too often, owners find themselves in dire need, leading to erratic hir …
Customer service is what can either set your business apart or do your business in. It's also not simply about that charming smile or sharp wit, it's about so many underlying concepts. While most peop …
Taught by our Latte Art World Championship judges, this 2.5-hour small-group workshop offers intensive instruction on the core techniques of crafting espresso-based beverages. You'll receive personal, …
Evaluating coffee’s sensorial qualities is a skill that one develops over time, but just how does one begin to develop these skills? In this workshop, you will learn the basic theory behind taste and …
Customizing and crafting trending non-coffee beverages is a 1.5-hour theory and tasting class covering the essentials of offering non-coffee (tea!) based beverages. This class is designed to enhance t …
Choosing coffee equipment that will help your business grow is an important step for a new café. Ensuring that equipment is installed properly is essential. Experienced independent technicians from th …
New to cold brew or looking to build a stronger foundation? This session covers the essentials: a brief history of cold brew, common brewing methods, and the basic science behind great results. We’ll …
Today’s coffee market is crowded; great coffee is no longer just enough. You need packaging that communicates quality, differentiates your brand, and drives real sales across retail shelves, farmers m …
A thriving coffee bar runs on more than great coffee - it runs on great systems. Yet many cafes struggle with inconsistent or unclear standard operating procedures (SOPs), leading to operational hiccu …
"We've made these mistakes so you don't have to!" Join a panel of seasoned industry experts who’ve seen it all - from the chaos of delayed build-outs to the perils of hiring family. Through hard-won l …
The difference between coffee roasters that experience accelerated growth, and those who struggle to gain traction, is typically marked by one key factor: a process, plan, and strategy for how they se …
The coffee shop experience is constantly evolving, driven by changing customer expectations, advances in equipment, and emerging business models. For current and aspiring coffee professionals, staying …
Opening a shop and trying to make sure people actually show up, your team is ready, and your menu will make money? In this session speaker Jason DeVelvis will walk you through exactly what he did befo …
Behind every great café experience is more than great coffee — it’s consistent training and clear systems. Whether you’re building from scratch or refining current processes, this session offers pract …
Asia is home to some of the fastest-growing and most exciting coffee-producing regions in the world. From the earthy, full-bodied coffees of Indonesia to the rich, nutty flavors of India and the intri …
A great cup of coffee brings customers through the door. How you stay connected can help bring them back. In this practical session, Elizabeth Jacobi will show coffee shop owners and marketers how to …
Make more money from the sales you already have - This session is for owners who already understand cost of goods sold (COGS) and want to go beyond the basics. We’ll walk step-by-step through how to a …
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