


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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The Bellissimo training DVD Advanced Barista Training:Extreme Pours was honored as Winner Best New Product - Education/Training Product - SCAA 2006 at the Specialty Coffee Association of America's 18th Annual Conference & Exhibition held April 7 - 10 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The DVD was previously honored with a Gold Remy Award at "World Fest - The 38th Annual Houston International Film Festival" on April 30, 2005. The award-winning DVD is a cutting-edge training tool for those who want to take their barista skills to the next level.
The video/DVD was shot at the American Barista & Coffee School in Portland, Oregon and directed by Bruce Milletto, president of Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup. "Latte art is great marketing that costs a retailer nothing except the time it takes to train employees," says Milletto. "I can think of few things a retailer can do inside a coffee bar that will make a bigger impact on the quality and presentation of coffee drinks and bring in more customers than perfectly executed latte art."
The 40+ minute video/DVD 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 featured baristas also discuss the fundamentals of coffee grinding, espresso extraction and milk texturing.
The featured baristas - Billy Wilson of Portland, Oregon, Chris DeFerio of "Gimme Coffee" in Ithaca, New York, Austin Gregory of Seattle and Bellissimo consulting director Matt Milletto - exhibit a passion for coffee and flair for showmanship that make the video/DVD entertaining as well as educational.
Advanced Barista Training: Extreme Pours retails for $69.95. Wholesale discounts are available.
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 |
