your key to success in the specialty coffee industry

articles by Bruce Milletto and Bellissimo staff for fresh cup magazine and other publications

Fresh Cup
Killer Cafe Design by Matt Milletto: Barista MagazineItaly by Matt Milletto: Barista Magazine Carts & Kiosks by Matt Milletto: Barista Magazine Coffee Training with Industry Expert Bruce Milletto: SCAA Chronicle Conference Flashback: SCAA Chronicle, by Matt Milletto WBC 2007 Japan by Bruce Milletto The Land of the Rising Coffee Culture by Bruce Milletto Signing a Lease by Bruce Milletto Your Entire Business is Marketing by Bruce Milletto Your Business Plan by Kris Larson Operational Systems by Ed Arvidson The Fall of Rome, and Now...The Italian Cappuccino Investing in your Baristas, part II: Hiring Training Employees by Matt Milletto Investing in your Baristas, part I: Hiring and Training a Great Team by Matt Milletto World Barista Championship Recap World Espresso Stop: Greece The Long Voyage: Italian Coffee's Route to U.S. Acceptance Café Ambiance Demitasse From Around the World Italy's Cafés: A Retrospective Greek Coffee: The Water is Wide Sharing the Wealth: Using Cross-Marketing to Build Community Profits Business Basics: Perfection-No Less Business Basics: Creating Art from a Pitcher of Milk Business Basics: Who is your customer? Business Basics: Importance of Logo Branding and Promotion Business Basics: Frequently Asked Coffee Questions Business Basics: Internet Marketing for the Coffee or Tea Retailer Business Basics: Why Marketing Works Business Basics: A Retailer's Guide to Trade Shows & Conferences Business Basics: A Drive Through Small-Town USA Business Basics: The Social Science of the Bean

Latest Bellissimo News

Bruce Milletto Comments on Starbuck's new "Independent" Coffee Shop Concept in November Entrepreneur Magazine

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."

Click here to read full article

Bruce Milletto Comments on State of the Specialty Coffee Industry in Business Week

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."

Click here to read full article

01.15.06 | Bellissimo Wins Gold at World Fest Houston

Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup, the specialty coffee industry's leading consulting company, was honored with a Gold Remi Award at World Fest - The 38th Annual Houston International Film Festival held at The Renaissance Houston Hotel on April 30, 2005. The award-winning production, Advanced Barista Training: Extreme Pours, is a cutting-edge training tool for those who want to take their barista skills to the next level.

World Fest is the only truly independent Indie Film Festival in North America and one of the oldest and largest film and video competitions. World Fest offers 12 major areas of competition and this year's event attracted 4500 entries representing more than 30 countries. Advanced Barista Training: Extreme Pours was honored in the Film & Video Production Area, winning a second place Gold Award out of 83 entries in the training category.

"It's a great honor to win this award," said Bruce Milletto, Bellissimo president and the video's director. "Knowing the criteria and how difficult it is to win a Gold Award at World Fest makes this particular honor very sweet." At World Fest 2001, the Bellissimo/Kenneth Davids production, The Passionate Harvest, was one of only 15 festival entries to win a Platinum Award. The Passionate Harvest chronicles coffee production from seed to cup.

Previous World Fest winners include Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Oliver Stone, Jonathan Demme, Ridley Scott, the Coen Brothers and Ang Lee, who were novice filmmakers when they each received their first awards at World Fest.

Advanced Barista Training: Extreme Pours features four of the country's most talented baristas demonstrating sophisticated latte art techniques, expanding the viewer's idea of what is possible when espresso and milk are combined in a cup. In addition to The Simple Heart, viewers will learn more complicated pours including The Triple Rosetta, The Apple, The Autumn Leaf, The Little Flower and The Fire-breathing Dragon. The baristas - Billy Wilson of Portland, Oregon, Austin Gregory of Seattle, Washington, championship barista Chris Deferio of "Gimme Coffee" in Ithaca, New York and Bellissimo consultant Matt Milletto - also discuss the fundamentals of coffee grinding, espresso extraction and milk texturing. The video/DVD was shot at the American Barista & Coffee School in Portland, Oregon.

Advanced Barista Training: Extreme Pours retails for $69.95, but is now on sale for $59.95. Wholesale discounts are available.

Essential information for existing retailers and anyone considering a career in retail specialty coffee

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

Matt Milletto Once Again Defends the Independent Retailer on Fox Business News

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.

ABC's Featured in The Oregonian On-line!

The art of the Latte

07.23.08 | Matt Milletto Comments on the Specialty Coffee Industry for Fox Business News


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