☕️🍩 Coffee Shop Retro

Step into our virtual café, sip ideas, and brew improvements as we reflect on the sprint’s blend of successes and challenges.
30–45 min
4-12 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
☕️🍩 Coffee Shop Retro

Template Columns

🚀☕️ Start Brewing

Identify fresh practices to kick off our sprint, like new brews and rituals.

Base column: Start
🛑☕️ Stop Stale Beans

Highlight habits that are holding us back, like over‑roasted processes.

Base column: Stop
✅☕️ Keep the Aroma

Celebrate what’s working well and keep the positive momentum flowing.

Base column: Continue

About this template

A café‑themed retro where teams identify new practices to start, habits to stop, and strengths to keep, fostering a collaborative improvement brew.

When to use this template

Use when you want a light‑hearted, structured reflection that balances celebration with constructive change, especially after a sprint with mixed outcomes.

How to facilitate

1

Gather the team in the virtual coffee shop space and set the timer for the session

2

Explain the three columns: Start Brewing, Stop Stale Beans, Keep the Aroma

3

Ask each participant to write one idea per column on virtual sticky notes, focusing on concrete actions

4

Group similar ideas together and discuss each column, prioritizing the most impactful items

5

Vote on the top two items in each column using dot voting

6

Create clear action items for the selected Start and Stop items, assigning owners and due dates

7

Close the retro by summarizing decisions and thanking the team

Pro Tips

Encourage brevity – limit each sticky note to a single sentence to keep discussion focused

Use coffee‑related emojis or background images to maintain the theme and boost engagement

If time is tight, pre‑populate the Keep the Aroma column with known positives to speed up voting

FAQ

What if the team runs out of ideas for a column?

Prompt with examples or ask participants to recall recent moments that felt smooth or frustrating, and remind them that even small tweaks count.

How do we ensure the action items are realistic?

Limit each Start or Stop item to one owner and a clear, time‑boxed step, and review them in the next sprint planning.

Can we use this retro for non‑sprint work?

Yes, the format works for any timeboxed period or project phase; just adjust the language to match the context.

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At a glance

  • Duration

    30–45 min

  • Team Size

    4-12 people

  • Columns

    3 columns

  • Base Format

    Start, Stop, Continue

Tags

continuous improvement
team health
action-oriented
fun
virtual

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective