HISTORY

For more than 25 years, Bellissimo has advised and set the standard for education and training in the specialty coffee industry. Thousands of coffee business owners have benefited from our expertise and created successful, profitable operations from single cafes to drive-thrus to major chains across the country.

Fueled by the passion of its founder, Bruce Milletto, and its Vice President, Matt Milletto, Bellissimo has stayed on the cutting-edge of this explosive growth industry, and the company has evolved and expanded to address the needs of those entering the ever-changing specialty coffee market. The latest expansion of Bellissimo was the opening of the ABC's, where entrepreneurs from all over the world attend workshops to learn what it takes to be successful in today's competitive retail specialty coffee market.

ABC's was founded in 2004 by Bruce Milletto, President, and Matt Milletto, Vice President of Bellissimo Coffee Advisors, the specialty coffee industry's leading consulting company.

In addition to teaching entrepreneurs the fundamentals of opening a specialty coffee business, it is ABC's mission to expose its clients to a broad range of coffee-related equipment and products. To this end, Bellissimo enlisted the help of the leading companies in the industry, and today over60 companies sponsor the school, allowing clients to sample the best the industry has to offer.

ABC's attendees range from representatives of large established corporations who need to learn about coffee to entrepreneurs seeking to open their first coffeehouse. ABC's draws existing retailers looking to boost profits as well as baristas looking to fine-tune their skills to prepare for barista competitions.

ABC's popularity resulted in a move to an expanded state-of-the-art facility in April of 2006. ABC's is located near downtown Portland's picturesque waterfront, close to the best restaurants, shopping and hotels the city has to offer.

We take great pride in hiring the best barista trainers and consultants in the industry. Our team is made up of coffee professionals with real industry and retail experience. It is our goal to see you succeed beyond anything else and we consider our clients and graduates part of the Bellissimo/ABCs family. 

View our team bios here 

WHY ABC'S IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR COFFEE BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURS:

• ABC's offers a comprehensive coffee business start-up and barista training program in addition to barista competitiontraining and a wide spectrum of workshops for existing retailers and consumers.

• ABC's is not connected to a specific brand of coffee-related product, equipment or coffee. Unlike other training centers that use only one brand of equipment, we teach you on 10 of the industry's leading espresso machines and eight different brewing systems. We also let you work with coffee from 13 different roasters and expose you to a wide range of associated products. All the information you receive at ABC's is unbiased and in your best interest.

• ABC's is the only training center with more than 60 sponsors that rank among the leading companies in the specialty coffee industry worldwide.

• 1000+ clients from 47 states and more than 40 countries around the world have attended ABC's.

• ABC's 2100+ square foot facility is the only state-of-the art training facility that includes an actual coffee bar setting for "real-life" practice and a sensory room, where coffee, water, milk and tea cupping workshops are held.

• ABC's "train the trainer" approach gives you or a key employee the graduate level barista skills required to train the rest of your staff.

• ABC's is the first U.S. training facility to expand into the International arena with Affiliates.

• ABC's barista trainers are competition champions and hold key positions at the most well-known coffeehouses in Portland.

• ABC's Instructors are specialty coffee industry leaders who have owned or operated multi-unit retail coffee businesses and offer our entrepreneurial clients a broad range of knowledge born of decades of real-life experience.

• ABC's workshop sessions include lectures and demonstrations followed by hands-on practice. Our small workshop sizes insure a personalized experience led by coffee business professionals who have owned and operated successful retail coffee operations.

• As an added bonus, ABC's workshops feature experienced and knowledgeable guest speakers from some of the largest and best known companies in the specialty coffee industry.

• Portland, home to ABC's and Fresh Cup, Barista, Roast and Imbibe magazines, is the "new" coffee capital of the United States. Hundreds of specialty coffee operations and some of the best roasteries in the U.S operate in the city. While in Portland, our clients visit many of these innovative coffee shops and can see how other independents are able to succeed in a highly competitive market.

• ABC's is brought to you by Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup, the specialty coffee industry's leading consulting company that has been advising the specialty coffee industry for more than 25 years.

• ABC's atendees receive discounted rates on consulting services from Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup, the specialty coffee industry's premier consulting company.

• Bring a trainer to you! ABC's trainers can travel to your location and train your staff in your caf using your equipment.