Matt Milletto - Founder Barista Exchange LLC

Café Design

Matt Milletto



Photo by Kenneth R. Olson

Reprinted from Barista Magazine



Let’s face it, not to sound too terribly clichéd, but first impressions really do matter. What is the first thing your customers are going to notice when they walk in the door? That’s right, the café itself. Whether you are making the best coffee in town or not, pulling bodies off the street into your door has to be the… Continue

It was the winter of 1993 and I was 15 minutes late to work, opening shift at the small espresso cart I worked at part-time located in front of a large grocery store. It was cold out, but I was eager to start working. I loved that little cart. This was my first job as a barista and I often think back to my days slinging coffee at the carts and kiosks where I got my start in this industry with fondness.



In the early 1990s in the Pacific Northwest there seemed to be an espresso cart on… Continue

As a coffee house owner or coffee retailer, there are many decisions that one can make to offer sustainable coffees, environmentally friendly products and to create a culture within your business that is socially responsible. I have seen an exponential growth in customer education and social awareness in the past few years and am excited to see coffee houses and coffee roasters/green coffee buyers focusing not only on quality but also developing direct relationships with coffee… Continue