Workshop Description: What does a healthy cafe budget look like? And how do you match that to the reality of operations?
In the dynamic job of running a cafe, a solid grasp of budgeting is vital for sustainable success. This workshop is designed to empower cafe owners, managers, and aspiring entrepreneurs with the foundational tools to create, analyze, and optimize a budget that drives profitability. Attendees will dive into key areas of the P&L—like cost of goods (COGs), labor, and occupancy—to understand how each impacts the overall health of their business and how to control them ongoing via operational decisions.
Using a fill-in-the-blank workbook, attendees actively engage in analyzing financial metrics, calculating ideal expense percentages, and learning actionable methods to control costs. This workshop transforms complex financial concepts into manageable, practical steps. Plus, we’ll explore real strategies for boosting cafe sales and inspiring cafe workers to engage better with the business. Attendees will leave feeling enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and equipped with practical budgeting insights to support their cafe's growth.
This workshop would be perfect for people brand new to these concepts or even experienced cafe owners who are having a difficult time controlling expenses.
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify and understand key budget components in a cafe business, how to analyze them in your own business, and how to strategically control them ongoing through operational leadership
2. Gain a clear understanding of how to build, read, and leverage a P&L statement specifically for the cafe business to assess the café’s financial health and make informed decisions.
3. Explore strategies to increase top-line revenue through effective upselling, product mix adjustments, and employee engagement
4. Walk away with a holistic budgeting approach that combines financial discipline with strategic decision-making, supporting sustainable growth
Date: Sunday, April 12, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Room Number: 30 B
Category: Business
REGISTRATION FEES:
EARLY BIRD Regular* - $250
EARLY BIRD Paid Member* - $210
Regular - $275
Paid Member - $230
*Early Bird pricing ends March 1, 2026
Booking: To book your place in this Workshop, head to the World of Coffee San Diego Registration & Booking Portal and add a session to your order. Already registered? Simply login using the credentials created at purchase to access your booking and add other paid events to your badge.
Instructor
Erica Escalante
Cafe & Bakery Consultant
Erica Escalante is a seasoned coffee professional and baker.
She is most know for her time being a cafe/bakery owner for nearly 10 years in the Portland, OR area, starting entrepreneurship at just 21 years old. Her cafe was a beloved and bustling business, growing to 2 locations with a full bakery program (including over a dozen wholesale accounts), a full food program, and
a commissary kitchen program. After her time as a cafe owner, she worked in various operational roles - Head of Retail for Canyon Coffee, and Director of Operations for Goodboybob Coffee Roasters.
She now runs The Cafe Operator, a consulting agency helping businesses become more profitable and create better work environments for all. She focuses her time not only on client work, but also hosting various virtual workshops and running her robust social media accounts where she puts helpful and entertaining cafe business focused content.
Erica lives in Los Angeles with her wife and her two cutie daughters.