bellissimo: advising the specialty coffee industry for more than 25 years
Call us and talk to one of our consultants: 800.655.3955.
For more than 25 years, Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup has been advising the specialty coffee industry and setting the standard for education, training and consulting. Thousands of coffee business owners have benefited from our expertise and created successful, profitable operations from cafes to drive-thrus to major chains across the country.
A Team Approach
Bellissimo differs from other coffee-business consulting firms in that we take a team approach to your project, drawing on the skills of a wide range of coffee-industry professionals in marketing, finance, operations, roasting, graphic design and training. As a result, your business benefits from the multiple perspectives of our diversely talented and experienced team members. After we assess your needs, we will match the right consultant to each phase of your project, giving you optimal impact for your consulting dollar.
We Offer 100 Percent of What You Need
Many consultants can help you with the portion of your business that is
visible to your customers: store appearance, product choices and
customer service.
But what about the behind-the-scene requirements it takes to open and
operate a profitable specialty coffee business: negotiating the best
lease, choosing the right equipment and having a properly trained staff
who can wow your customers with the perfect latte every time.
Bellissimo's expertise can help make your business profitable.
- We have been advising the specialty coffee industry for more than 25 years.
- Our clients include Fortune 500 companies as well as American and International entrepreneurs.
- Our consulting team includes the most trusted names in the coffee industry with over 100 years of combined experience.
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Bellissimo does not sell coffee or equipment. The consulting services you receive
from us are unbiased and in your best interest, not ours.
- In addition to our comprehensive consulting services, we offer a variety of business and barista training programs.
- We are the only coffee consulting company that produces a comprehensive line of educational books and DVDs to back our consulting services. Bellissimo has written and published four coffee business manuals, including Bean Business Basics, and produced 13 coffee shop training DVDs, including Espresso 101, the industry's standard for barista training.
- Bellissimo's founder, Bruce Milletto, is recognized by the media as the "voice of the specialty coffee industry."
- Our films, books and DVDs have won numerous awards from the specialty coffee industry and at International film festivals.
- We founded the American Barista & Coffee School [ABC's] in Portland, OR, premier professional school in the world devoted to coffee business education and hands-on barista training.
- Our consultants hold key committee positions with the Specialty Coffee Association of America.
- Click here to find out how easy it is to consult with Bellissimo and how our consulting process works.
Bellissimo Blog
bellissimo in the news
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. 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.
A professional podcast dedicated to the specialty coffee retailer
