


Bruce Milletto, CEO of Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup and a leading industry watcher, thinks the company's motivation is more basic: Starbucks is returning to its roots as a comfortable "third place," a living space that goes beyond the home and the office. "People want to have ‘their' coffee bar, and they want to have ‘their' coffee," says Milletto, who remembers when Starbucks was a hip chain of four or five shops. "Starbucks has realized that's a niche they're no longer filling."
Bruce goes on to say, "Once you have thousands and thousands of stores, it's difficult to have consumers look at you in the same way," Milletto says. "I think in coffee, the small independent will always win out if it's doing a fantastic job."
Though the recession has hurt some coffee sales, it hasn't ended
Americans' move toward higher-quality coffee, says Bruce Milletto,
president of Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup, which provides consulting and
training to the industry. "Our taste buds have memories," Milletto
says. "Once you drink a really excellent cappuccino, it's very hard to
go back even to a chain store that may be using automatic machines."
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Two new half-day latte art and sensory skills training workshops will be held concurrent with this year’s United States Barista Championship in Portland at the American Barista & Coffee School on March 5th.
The Latte Art Workshop led by American Barista & Coffee School Director of Training, Matt Milletto, will teach students fundamental principles and advanced techniques necessary to pour consistently great latte art. This three-hour intensive program will cover a wide range of pour types from the basic rosetta design to multi-art pours.
The Sensory Skills Workshop led by Andrew Hetzel, licensed Q-Grader and Director of Hawaii-based consultancy, Cafemakers, is a three-hour course open to food and beverage professionals of all skill levels wishing to participate in exercises that improve taste and aroma identification proficiency.
Workshop attendees will practice the SCAA sensory skills exam with guidance and training, as well as perform olfactory and coffee cupping triangulation exercises comparable to those required for Q-Grader licensing or barista competition judging certification.
The fee to attend each class is $150 or $250 for both workshops. SCAA Barista Guild members in good standing receive an additional 10 percent discount. Advance registration is required and can be made online at coffeeschool.org or by calling (800) 655-3955. Class size is limited to the first 15 registered attendees for each session.
March 5th, 2009
Latte Art Workshop 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon, again 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Sensory Skills Workshop 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon, again 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Location:
American Barista & Coffee School
1028 S.E. Water St., Ste. 275
Portland, OR 97214
About Andrew Hetzel
Andrew Hetzel is the founder of Cafemakers, a coffee industry business consultancy based on the Big Island of Hawaii that provides management, brand and process consulting services for coffee retailers, roasters and producers worldwide. In 2007, Mr. Hetzel was named one of the top young business leaders in Hawaii by Pacific Business News and in 2008, became the state’s first licensed Q-grader for the Coffee Quality Institute. More information is available at www.cafemakers.com.
About Matt Milletto and the American Barista & Coffee School
The American Barista & Coffee School (ABC's) is the premier professional school in America devoted to specialty coffee business education and hands-on barista training. ABC's Training Director Matt Milletto is a member of the SCAA Training Committee, and has been featured as a coffee expert in numerous publications, including the Wall Street Journal, and on national television and radio. He is a frequent speaker at coffee industry conferences. In 2006, Mr. Milletto’s latte art techniques were featured in Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup’s award-winning Advanced Barista Training: Extreme Pours training video. He is the founder of BaristaExchange.com, the world’s premiere online community for the specialty coffee industry. More information is available at coffeeschool.org.
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.
| The art of the Latte |
