Bean Business Basics [Paperback]

Bruce Milletto (Author), Ed Arvidson (Author), Victor Bogart (Illustrator), James Cloutier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997

Bean Business Basics The definitive how-to manual for starting and operating a retail specialty coffee business

Are you considering opening a specialty coffee business? Do you already own an existing operation? Are you realizing the level of success you had hoped for?

This 670-page start-up/operational manual is unlike any book currently on the market. Bean Business Basics is the definitive guide for those starting a retail coffee business and a great manual for existing coffee businesses. This book contains excellent information that guides the reader to success, written by the professionals who have consulted and trained thousands of gourmet coffee bar employees across the country and around the world. Buying this book is like purchasing tens of thousands of dollars of consulting services.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Armed with the information in this manual, success in the specialty coffee business will be a breeze...this book makes great sense.” -- Ward Barbee, Fresh Cup Magazine

“Finally, the coffee business made clear! This book is clearly the first choice I would recommend to anyone starting in the coffee business.” -- —Kevin Sinnott, The Coffee Companion

From the Inside Flap

“Bean Business Basics is a comprehensive and detailed study of the business side of the specialty coffee industry. This excellent instructional manual should be purchased and carefully studied by anyone investigating the opportunities of opening a coffee café, coffee kiosk, or espresso cart. A small investment in your education can yield huge dividends in your operating results.”
—Ted R. Lingle, Executive Director, Specialty Coffee Association of America

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 635 pages
• Publisher: Bellissimo, Inc. (April 1, 1997)
• ISBN-10: 1893344010
• ISBN-13: 978-1893344013
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,478,602 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Full of fluff, and good information, October 27, 2005

By 

A Friend (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bean Business Basics (Paperback)

This book is much bigger than it needed to be. The print is large, many of the paragraphs are single sentences, and there is much redundancy. There is also a lot of vague information, such as "be sure to talk to your health department before making your decisions on equipment." Talk to them about what, exactly? How should this information determine which equipment I should get? There is plenty of this "advice" without specific direction. There is no discussion of specific brands of equipment, which can range thousands of dollars in cost. And there are many shameless attempts to sell Bellissimo's consulting services throughout the book. This perhaps accounts for why the information often remains vague. In a 668 page, $200, 8.5"x11" book, there could be a whole lot more practical information.

That being said, there is also a lot of very useful information in this book. Perhaps the most helpful part is the sense that the book is comprehensive: if you consider everything the book addresses, you probably won't be overlooking too much. Some sections do a better job of addressing specific issues than others, but everything you will need to know at least gets raised somewhere in the book (you may need to look elsewhere to get good answers, though).

All said, if the book were 1/2 of the size and 1/2 of the cost, I would say it was a very worthwhile and efficient investment. Still, it may be the best thing available.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It has it all!, January 14, 2001

By 

Dwayne Klimenko (Autsintintown, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bean Business Basics (Paperback)

Before you pay a consultant, or even begin to get serious about opening your business, read this book. It will save you ten times the purchase price in fees and lessons learned the hard way (i.e. mistakes). This book is extremely thorough, very detailed, and as far as I can see, leaves very little out. It will give you a good jump start on what you need to know, what you need to look for, and what to stay away from.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Saving Grace Of The Coffee Industry, March 22, 2004

By 

Jim Brady (Winston-Salem, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bean Business Basics (Paperback)

Every aspect of specialty coffee is covered here. Its the Murphys Law Guidebook of the industry. If you sit in a Trade Show workshop and listen to problems 10 out of 10 of them are discussed in this book. The price tag is an investment into your business, so cost should NOT be a factor is deciding to purchase this book. If you own a coffee shop and you're NOT using this book, either you're lucky...or on your way into rough waters. The best investment I could have made for my coffeehouse, its like having a private consultant on your desk.