Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup Opens
The American Barista and Coffee School in Portland, Oregon

Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup, well known for its award-winning training materials and business consulting services, announces the opening of the American Barista and Coffee School (ABC's) in Portland, Oregon.

ABC's is the first school in the country devoted to coffee business education and hands-on barista training. At ABC's, students will learn in both a classroom and lab setting the fundamentals of successful coffee business management and proper beverage and food preparation techniques. Classes include a 5-day intensive seminar for new startups, a two-day seminar for existing retailers, a two-day hands-on workshops for baristas, and specially designed seminars for corporations. The first class for new start-ups will be held May 17 through May 21. The first class for existing retailers will be May 27-28.

In the future, ABC's will offer origin retreats, Barista Slams, maintenance and repair seminars and special classes for food and beverage directors, micro-roasters and consumers.

Why ABC's?
ABC’s was founded by Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup, the specialty coffee industry’s leading consulting company. For many years Bellissimo has fielded questions from those interested in opening their own specialty coffee businesses and those who wanted to make their existing businesses more profitable: Can I come to you for barista training? Where can I go to gain the business knowledge I need to be successful? Are there schools that offer more than one-day seminars on preparation techniques? How do I add granita, smoothies, blender drinks, and panini to my menu so I can increase my profitability? Where can I get unbiased information from people who do not benefit from the sale of equipment or consumable products?

Finally, Bellissimo realized it was time for ABC’s. Bellissimo spoke to many companies in the industry and they reinforced the idea that the specialty coffee industry desperately needed this type of school. Many said that no company but Bellissimo could create a curriculum that would give attendees the information and training they needed to succeed in the specialty coffee business. Thus, ABC’s was born.

State-of-the-Art Facilities
ABC’s has a state-of-the-art classroom where its students will benefit from the latest technologies including PowerPoint interactive presentations.

Our lab features the latest espresso and brewing equipment in addition to a granita machine, triple blender station and panini area. Our lab is stocked with the latest products to help students experiment, learn and grow.

Industry Support
Industry support for the school has been overwhelming. "When we were thinking about opening the school, I talked to numerous companies in the industry to get their feedback," said Bruce Milletto, president of Bellissimo, Inc. and Founder of ABC's. Every single person I spoke to reinforced the idea that the specialty coffee industry needed this type of learning center. After explaining my vision, 30 of the most highly respected companies within the industry pledged their sponsorship support for the school. I am amazed by the spirit of cooperation."

Sponsors
Sponsors of ABC's include: Astoria, Big Train, Big Tray, Blendtec, Bodum, Bunn, Caffé D’Amore, Caffé D’arte, Caffe Vita, Cappuccine, Cirqua, Davinci Gourmet, Espresso Part Source, Espresso Supply, Fresh Cup Magazine,, Guittard Chocolate, Hamilton Beach Commercial, Illy, Insulair, Java Jacket, La Marzocco, Longbottom Coffee & Tea, Monin, Numi Tea, Nuova Simonelli, Oregon Chai, Royal Cup Coffee, Sunshine Dairy Foods, Torani, and Vita-Mix.

Faculty
All of ABC's instructors are senior coffee industry consultants who will help students make decisions that will profit them. Some of ABC's faculty include:

Ed Arvidson: Ed is a co-founder of Bellissimo and one of the company's senior consultants. He possesses decades of hands-on foodservice operations experience. This is the reason he has taught at more coffee tradeshows than perhaps any other speaker in the industry.

Bruce Milletto: Bruce is co-founder and president of Bellissimo and founder of ABC's. He has owned three successful retail gourmet coffee operations, and has assisted hundreds of clients in creating new coffee start-ups worldwide since 1993. He is the 1999 recipient of the Specialty Coffee Association of America's Distinguished Author Award.

Matt Milletto: Matt is Bellissimo's consulting director and training specialist. He managed multiple coffeehouses before coming to Bellissimo.

Classes
For Those New to the Business
This five-day intensive seminar will include two days of classroom business training, two days in the espresso lab using the best equipment and the latest products the industry has to offer, and one day touring successful Portland cafés and roasteries. Some of the subjects ABC's will cover in the classroom include: Menu Planning, Location Selection, Lease Negotiations, Equipment and Vendor Selection, Writing a Business Plan, Marketing, Operational Systems, Hiring and Managing Employees and Designing your Café.

Take Your Business to the Next Level
A two-day seminar for those who want to increase profitability in their existing operation or see the need for expert advice before major expansion.

Barista Intenso
Special classes will be scheduled to accommodate those interested in intensive aristae training. These sessions will involve some classroom time, but will focus on hands-on training in the espresso lab. Large companies are encouraged to call for discounts.

Corporate Training
ABC's will provide a setting for large corporations to learn more about specialty coffee. We can create a "think tank" environment for your representatives where they can learn about, contemplate, and design your specialty coffee strategy. ABC's will design seminars to fit a company's specific needs.

Certification
Each ABC’s graduate will receive a beautiful certificate suitable for framing. Each certificate will be personalized with your name and the date of your Certification.
Just some of the degrees and Certifications ABC's offers:

• Coffee School Professional Business Degree • "Barista Intenso" Advanced Barista Training Degree & Certification • Green Bean and Roasting Degree.

To Enroll
Call 800-655-3955 for pricing and to register for classes or visit www.coffeeschool.org for class schedules, pricing and information on planning travel.