Starting a Coffee Shop Business Podcast
Produced by Startingabiz.com | June 30th, 2009

Bruce Milletto, president of Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup and founder of the American Barista and Coffee School, offers his insight about how to start a coffee business to podcast host Matt Thomas of StartingABIZ.com. Bruce offers expert advice about getting started, choosing a location, picking the right coffee and espresso equipment, and more. [24 minute podcast]

Click here to listen to Starting a Coffee Shop Business Podcast

For the second time in two months, Matt Milletto, Vice President of Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup and Director of the American Barista & Coffee School, defends the independent retailer on NATIONWIDE TV! As Matt says, "No, it is not all about price but quality." Click here to view feature on Fox Business News.

Rick and I opened Java on the Square in mid February 2009. After renovating the building, we finally decided that it was time to open, ready or not. We settled on a local roaster, Vienna Roasters, in Maryville, TN. We had a soft opening and just turned on the “open” sign without any announcement or advertising. Three weeks later we had our grand opening.

Being owner and manager has been challenging and time consuming, but we have enjoyed all of it so far. There is no way we could have done it without Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup and attending their American Barista & Coffee School. From the design stage to the first sale the training was exceptional and very helpful in getting our business up and running. Thanks so much!

Business has been steady. We have received lots of positive feedback from the community. Currently we are booking different types of entertainment, including Jazz and blues music, poetry readings, Sushi Night and kids reading time.
Java on the Square | Athens, TN | Rick & Lea Ann

Coffee Buzz — Trends and Possible Perks of America’s Beloved Beverage
By Sharon Palmer, RD

Once something to sip with trepidation, coffee has exploded onto the scene as a beverage people can feel good about drinking.

A few decades ago, American coffee was a relatively uninspiring beverage. A cup of joe at a local coffee shop never seemed to get much richer in color or flavor than dirty water, so it's no wonder people didn't celebrate the drink. In addition, healthcare professionals commonly dispensed cautionary advice about its consumption.

Click here to read full article.

Review of Cafe Capriccio from TheShot.coffeeratings.com    
Approaching this North Beach café, you wouldn't think it would be much different from the others nearby — but you'd be wrong. The espresso here is a real standout in the neighborhood, coinciding with the ownership change in late 2008 to Alex and Jesse. This corner café has red-and-white-striped awnings (complete with icicle lights), sidewalk tables, and many mirrors inside a small space with a few dark tables. The clientele here are generally quiet and studious. Using an organic Ecco Caffè espresso blend and a new three-group Nuova Simonelli, they pull pretty shots with mottled dark brown crema with reddish flecks. Ordering a few shots here, the consistency wasn't perfect (the crema on some was lighter) — but it looks serious and has a good consistency, thickness, and persistence. A shot close to our hearts, it has a thick, almost syrupy body: potent, dense. Flavorwise, it is well-balanced (a true espresso blend), smooth, shows pungent strength, and finishes with a sweeter edge. A very pleasant surprise, and one of the finest espresso examples in town.

Click here for more pictures and a lengthy review.

To Matt and friends at ABC’s,

It’s been a year since I attended the barista course at ABC’s, and I wanted to drop you a note to say thanks and give you an update.

My coffee shop, Viva Espresso, opened on October 21, 2008, and it is doing really well! I am so pleased and surprised by the positive community feedback. Clearly, the need for good coffee has not gone unnoticed. I’m already looking to expand.

I owe all this, in great part, to your school. Thank you for teaching us that to be successful you cannot simply schlep coffee — you must also have a passion for the product.

I’m enclosing a recent article from our local magazine. Again, thanks for the inspiration.

Nancy Dix | Salisbury, MD

They come to grind, to foam, to win
by Katy Muldoon, The Oregonian

[Article Excerpt]

They may not know that the city is home to such giants of the magazine publishing world as Fresh Cup, Barista Magazine and Roast. Or that one of the premier institutes of higher latte learning, The American Barista & Coffee School, operates out of an old brick warehouse on the Willamette River's east bank.

There, surrounded by hulking espresso machines that purred and hissed like cats during a class earlier this week, Bruce Milletto pronounced: "Portland has become the epicenter of coffee in the U.S."

Such a grandiose proclamation might sound boosterish. But Milletto, the coffee school's president, sees small roasters setting up shop in Portland and students traveling from around the globe to attend courses for home coffee brewers, coffeehouse owners, novice baristas and those aiming to compete in such events as this weekend's big barista smackdown.

Concurrent with the championship, the school this week offered two workshops, one in sensory skills for coffee pros and one in the heady details of latte art.

Nine students tied black aprons around their waists and gathered 'round as instructors Jared Mockli and Matt Milletto, Bruce's son, explained the fine points of crafting lattes so lovely they could show in any First Thursday art walk.

Matt Milletto, the school's training director, is bearded, vested and moves around his classroom with all the confidence of an Ivy League professor or a Renaissance man, weaving chemistry with physics and economics with aesthetics. Each of them matters, as any barista worth her nutmeg knows.

He explained that in order to pour a perfect latte, the coffee must be top-notch, like Stumptown's Hair Bender blend, and used, ideally, within two to eight days after roasting. Grind only enough for the beverage you're making, he advised. Level the grounds in the portafilter basket with a smooth sweep of the hand, tamp it down and introduce it to a glistening, Italian-made espresso machine. When they've said buon giorno, extract a smooth stream of crema, or rusty espresso, into a pre-heated ceramic cup.

Click here to read the full article.

Got latte? A battle is brewing as fast food chains target coffee concoction

[Article Excerpt]

The number of people trying lattes probably is growing now that lattes are more widely offered, said Matt Milletto, vice president of Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup, a specialty coffee consultant based in Portland, Ore.

Even though lattes are becoming more mainstream and espresso drinks are popular, it's hard to find comparative data to show whether there has been an increase in sales or orders of lattes in particular. Still, items in the specialty coffee category, which includes lattes, were ordered 10 percent more often in 2008 than in 2007, according to NPD Group, a market research company.

The specialty coffee market is growing while overall coffee consumption is not, said Harry Balzer, vice president of NPD Group.

But coffee industry insiders are concerned about the quality as specialty coffee becomes more automated and mass produced.

At the same time fast food-type companies compete with Starbucks, independent retailers are focusing on "high-quality, high-standard beverages," Milletto said.

There's a difference in quality among fast-food chain restaurants and independent coffee houses, he said.

"A good latte starts with excellent espresso blend, good quality milk and, most importantly, a well-trained barista," said Milletto, also director of the American Barista & Coffee School in Portland.

Click here to read full story

Owners of small coffee shops take plunge during recession

[Article Excerpt]

Profits are important, however, as some shops have learned the hard way, said Matt Milletto, vice president of the Portland consulting firm Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup and director of training at American Barista & Coffee School.

"Before you think about open-mic nights and the muffins you'll bake in the back and how your friends will come in, you need to understand that none of that will be possible if you're not making a profit," Milletto said.

A coffeehouse typically costs $150,000 to $500,000 to start, he said. In a successful shop, profits are 10 to 18 percent of sales, and the biggest expenses are labor and the cost of coffee, milk and other goods.

Location, location, capital

The biggest mistakes stem from undercapitalized shops and bad locations, Milletto said. "People will open their doors with their last dime and forget so many of the expenses ... that it's hard to make a good first impression."

Lately, Milletto sees fewer shops opening than usual because banks and investors have pulled back on funding. "There seems to have been a freeze on first-time business owners," he said.

Click here to read full story

Hello ABC’s! Just wanted to let you know that I have finally opened my store, Neighborhood Grinds. Check out our website: neighborhoodgrinds.com.

I've been open for just under two weeks and business has been increasing each day. You can read what our customers think about us on Yelp.com.

I promise, none of these comments are from my friends!

I just wanted to say thanks for all your help. I could have never had such a successful launch without attending ABC’s. I didn't truly appreciate the value of your class until I finally opened my store. I will keep you informed of my progress.

Happy New Year!

Fred Lie | Neighborhood Grinds, Redondo Beach, CA

Hi ABC’s! I just wanted to tell you that my café, Fairly Grounded, was voted best of 2009 by Reno Magazine, which is a very upscale publication. I'm hearing through the grape vine that some of the other cafes in town are saying I have the best coffee. I really owe it all to you guys. It's amazing how well we are doing considering the economy and that we only opened September 1. Thanks!

Julie Douglass | Fairly Grounded, Reno NV

ABC's is one of the schools featured in an article entitled The Global Coffee Curriculum in the November issue of Tea and Coffee Trade Journal.

"Whether a grower in the hills of Thailand or a barista at a local coffee shop, there are resources available to expand one’s knowledge on a specific sector of the coffee industry or to help open doors to new ones. The training and classes provided range from hands-on training at origin to video courses and materials that one can watch from the comfort of their own home. The prices vary greatly and there are opportunities for help with tuition, if needed, through programs that the schools work with. No matter one’s goals or economic standing, there are many options available."

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

Networking Together Firms Join Forces On Social Networks To Raise Profiles

Last year, Matt Milletto, director of training for the American Barista & Coffee School in Portland, Ore., had an idea for generating some buzz around the specialty coffee industry: Why not create an online social network where independent coffee-house owners, baristas, roasters and java lovers could swap tips and stories, pose questions or arrange to meet in person?

Using Ning.com, a site that allows anyone to create a social network, he founded a group called Barista Exchange that allows members to build profiles about themselves or their business and post discussion topics, blog posts, photos and videos. He invited everyone he knew in the industry and encouraged them to invite friends.

Since its December launch, the site has grown to about 3,000 members and gets about 15,000 unique visitors a month. Discussion topics range from the best espresso machines to the closing of Starbucks stores. "There's been forums and blogs [about coffee] for a long time, but with a site like this you can really put a face behind what you're posting about," Mr. Milletto says.

Click here to read full article on-line.

On July 16th, in an NPR segment entitled, “The What, How and Why of Online Social Networks,” Matt Milletto’s Barista Exhange Web site was featured in a discussion that included the biggest and most popular social networking sites on the Internet: Facebook, MySpace and Linked in. In the segment, Barista Exhchange was examined as a prime example of niche social network — one that caters to a particular group in society, in this instance, the specialty coffee industry.

Click here to listen to the NPR segment.

Hi Matt,

I made a cappuccino at my coffee shop for an older gentleman who asked me if it would taste like the ones he had in Europe back in the 1950's when he was a visitor there. He had an accent — maybe Australian. I told him I felt confident that I could provide that same quality of drink, but that if it didn't meet that standard, he didn't have to pay me. Apparently he had many fond memories of his time in Europe and remembered the cappuccino as a special part of that.

Well, I served the drink with my version of the rosetta (not refined consistently yet, but it was ok). I later asked him how the drink was and his eyes welled up with tears. He not only paid and tipped me, but he told me the drink brought back many wonderful memories. He said he would write a letter to the editor about his wonderful experience at my coffee shop. He lives in Sacramento, but said he would certainly return to my shop during every visit to Tahoe.

Another gentleman who had been in this country for about six weeks stopped by my coffee shop a few weeks ago. He said that the macchiatos I served him were the best coffee he had tasted during his entire visit. He came in all three days of his entire stay in Tahoe.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for teaching me how to make such high quality Euro-style drinks!

Hello ABC's!

My husband and I sold our business two years ago and wondered what we were going to do next. We started looking for other adventures and decided on opening a coffee shop. Here we are two years later with our first one, The Java Grounds in Peoria, Arizona. Operating a coffee business has been so rewarding and fun. I was a student at ABC’s in January 2008 and I would like to thank the school for giving me the confidence to not be afraid of this new venture. I love your school!

I took the barista training course at ABC’s a couple of years ago, and today I operate a tiny (but beautiful!) espresso bar that will celebrate its two-year anniversary in May. One of the best decisions I made when developing my business was to attend ABC’s. I fell in love with coffee there, and now I am living my coffee dream. My coffee bar serves the best coffee in Puerto Rico, and I am opening my second store soon.

For the second year in a row, I was a judge at the Puerto Rico Barista Championship. The winner was Luis Acevedo, who will represent Puerto Rico at the World Barista Championship (WBC) in Copenhagen, Denmark, June 19-22. One of my baristas placed third in the competition and another fourth. It was their first year competing, so I was happy with the results. In preparation for the event, the first WBC Judge’s Training was conducted in my espresso bar.

In addition, I have also become actively involved in the Puerto Rico Barista Association.

Thank you ABC’s!

Enid Guerra | Barista EspressoBar, Puerto Rico

Remember how you left ABC’s really enthusiastic about keeping in touch with other students in your class?

A FAMILY AFFAIR: ABC's graduate Petros Frangos and his wife Linda Frangos share a laugh over a cup of coffee at their first Cuban coffee house in Anaheim, Cafe Contigo.

Click here to read about the opening of their coffeehouse in the Orange County Register.

ABC's graduate Jason Calhoon won the 2008 Southwest Regional Barista Competition (SWRBC) in Las Vegas in February, which qualifies him to compete as a semi-finalist in the United States Barista Championship (USBC) this May in Minneapolis.

"ABC's helped me gain the skills that I needed to win the SWRBC and carry on to the USBC," says Jason. I highly recommend ABC's to anyone who wants to compete or open their own coffee shop."

SWRBC competitors were required to deliver 12 coffee concoctions – four espressos, four cappuccinos and four original signature drinks – within a 15-minute timeframe. Seven SCAA-certified judges critiqued the contestants’ beverages on taste, presentation, technical skills, station cleanliness and total impression. The purpose of SCAA’s regional and national barista competitions – the USBC – is to recognize and encourage the art and skill associated with the barista profession. Read more.

ABC’s graduate Lily de Bolaños from El Salvador won the country’s first ever barista championship, which will allow her to compete in the World Barista Championship to be held June 19-22 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Another former student, Federico Bolaños, placed fourth. According to Federico, they couldn’t have done it without attending ABC’s: “Lily and I learned so much at the ABC’s. The training provided us with an in-depth understanding of the skills needed to perform like top baristas and also intensified our passion for specialty coffee.”

Latte art by ABC's instructors Matt Milletto and Jared Mockli is featured in the March/April issue of Imbibe Magazine.

The intricate flowers and leaves decorating a well-crafted latte can transform your morning cup into a special event. Matt Milletto, coffee consultant and trainer at the American Barista & Coffee School and an award-winning latte artist, shares his insider tips for drinkable designs. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t achieve a perfect rosetta on the first try—like painting, latte art takes practice. “If you’re doing everything right with your espresso and milk, it will come naturally over time,” Milletto assures. This greater attention to process will also improve your drink’s taste and texture. Click HERE to download "Flower Power: Take your espresso drinks to the next level with latte art."