In The Press

Publications:

Matt Milletto Quoted in Imbibe Magazine

Imbibe Magazine serves up “liquid culture” and is often found around the Bellissimo Coffee Advisors office, as well as the American Barista & Coffee School, and is a favorite of many of our employees. Every issue they offer an “Ask Imbibe” questions from their readership, and this month our Vice President, Matt Milletto was the resource they leaned on. He answers a common question asked at the barista counter regarding the serving of sparkling water with espresso. Thanks Imbibe!

Q: I’ve noticed a few of my favorite coffee shops have started serving their espresso with a side of seltzer—why?

A: These days, you’ll find more and more coffee bars serving an espresso or macchiato with a small glass of sparkling water, which is simply meant to cleanse the palate. Sparkling water contains millions of small bubbles that help wake up your senses before drinking coffee, while the dissolved minerals of the water tend to add a new dimension to the espresso.

Matt Milletto, vice president of The American Barista & Coffee School

For Full Page Article Ask Imbibe

Coffee educator changes coffee scene in the US

It used to be that coffee just meant a cup of brown liquid poured into your mug, ad libitum while eating your  California breakfast of  fried eggs “sunnyside up”  bacon  and sausage or your lox and bagel if you happened to be in New York.

Then, the revolutionary  ’90s came. People started looking for a  rosetta latte, a macchiato or a dry cappuccino. In the early ’90s a young man was inspired by Italy’s master of espresso, Dr Illy, yes of the famed roasted coffee, dispensed in special cans that one put on top of the espresso grinder and doser—that Dr Illy.

Read full article here

Coffeepreneurs: The story behind Water Avenue Coffee

Water Avenue Coffee

The Portland coffee scene has changed dramatically over the last three years, as several top-notch cafés and roasters have opened their doors. The (mostly) friendly competition between cafés has pushed everyone’s quality standards higher, propelling Portland to the top spot in the country for being able to find great coffee. One of the best of these new coffee companies is Water Avenue Coffee. Located in Portland’s Inner Southeast Industrial District, the shop sells excellent coffees in a setting that welcomes you to the neighborhood.

When you walk into Water Avenue, it is clear a great deal of thought went into designing the café. The shop is spacious, with a hefty wooden bar made of reclaimed Oregon fir wrapping around the shop from front to back. Painted gray walls give the café a mellow, understated ambience. Sturdy cement floors remind you of the building’s industrial past. Behind the coffee bar, the roaster cranks out batches of meticulously roasted coffee, whirring and crackling as it transforms pale green beans into lustrous brown gems.

A wealth of coffee experience behind the bar

Water Avenue has only been open since 2010, but the owners’ coffee experience goes back much further. Bruce Milletto is a Specialty Coffee Association “Coffee Luminary,” well known for a lifetime of work shaping the specialty coffee industry. He founded Bellissimo Coffee Advisors in 1991 and partnered with his son Matt to open the American Barista and Coffee School (ABCS) in 2003.

Matt Milletto, Bruce’s son, grew up around the coffee industry and has worked in coffee steadily for the last twelve years. Since 2003, he has been teaching and training at ABCS, where he serves as vice president. Matt also founded Barista Exchange, a networking site for the coffee industry that has more than 13,000 members.

Brandon Smyth, Water Avenue’s third owner, has been working in coffee for more than a decade and a half. A former roaster for Stumptown, Smyth is the coffee buyer and the head roaster for Water Avenue. He also teaches a roasting class at ABCS.

Click here to read full story … 

Interview with coffee pro Matt Milletto – Food GPS

Matt Milletto is a busy man, balancing the needs of the American Barista & Coffee School,Barista Exchange and Water Avenue Coffee. We met with Milletto on April 19 at Water Avenue Coffee, and he shared insights at why he’s been successful in the coffee world.

With all you have going on with the Barista School, Barista Exchange, with Water Avenue Coffee, how is it that you’re able to find balance and prioritize?

I think prioritize is a great word. What I’ve really learned in the past couple years is how to really prioritize my time and also to empower my employees to be decision makers, to be proactive and really to allow me to feel comfortable in delegating responsibilities and giving ownership over what they’re doing. It’s been great. In the Barista School, I have a great team and a new Director of Training and lead trainers. Now I feel completely comfortable, to where I’ve been able to juggle a lot of other things. Water Avenue Coffee, my business partners Brandon Smyth and Bruce Milletto – my father – we all have our different roles in the company. We oversee different areas. I keep my focus on the retail coffee bar.

 

Wall Street Journal: Networking Together

The Wall Street Journal

Matt Milletto, director of training for the American Barista & Coffee School in Portland, Ore., had an idea for generating some buzz around the specialty coffee industry: Why not create an online social network where independent coffee-house owners, baristas, roasters and java lovers could swap tips and stories, pose questions or arrange to meet in person?

Using Ning.com, a site that allows anyone to create a social network, he founded a group called Barista Exchange that allows members to build profiles about themselves or their business and post discussion topics, blog posts, photos and videos. He invited everyone he knew in the industry and encouraged them to invite friends.

Read full article here

Entrepreneur: The Essentials of Opening a Coffee Business with Matt Milletto

Entrepreneur

A lot goes into a great cup of coffee, and it’s the same for a great coffee shop, says Matt Milletto, vice president of Portland, Ore.’s Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup, a company that’s trained thousands on the art of opening and running a successful retail coffee business.

“The coffee bar is often that third place outside of work and home to relax, and creating the right ambiance is critical to success,” Milletto says.

Aside from the patience to learn as much as you can before getting started, here’s what else Milletto says you’ll need:

Read the full Article Here