Starbucks Veteran and Former CFO of Barnie’s Coffee and Tea Company To Teach Coffee CFO Class at the American Barista & Coffee School

Financial management for existing coffee retailers will be the focus of a two-day intensive Coffee CFO seminar offered this October 13 through 14 at the American Barista & Coffee School (ABC's) in Portland, Oregon. The seminar will be taught by Chris Legler, Starbucks veteran and former CFO of Barnie's Coffee and Tea Company. Coffee CFO was developed for individual entrepreneurs and small chains that don’t have the financial resources to hire a Chief Financial Officer, even though financial management is one of the most important components of running a successful coffee business.

Coffee CFO will take a comprehensive look at how coffee retailers can optimize the overall profitability of their businesses. The class is designed to teach retailers to understand how to increase long-term profitability through sales growth while managing costs at an optimal level.

Coffee CFO will cover the following subjects in-depth: Revenue, Labor, Inventory and Expense Management, Beverage Costing, Loss Prevention, Marketing Analysis, Investment, Proforma Development, Understanding Financing Options, Budget Development and Prioritization of Financial Needs.

Coffee CFO will be led by Chris Legler, whose vast experience and knowledge of finance, specifically tailored to the coffee industry, brings an unrivaled expertise to the course. Legler’s expertise includes financial management, roasting coffee, business ownership and a great understanding of business operations.

Legler has held executive positions in finance and administration, marketing, retail operations and strategic planning. He was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Barnie’s Coffee and Tea Company and has held positions of increasing responsibility with Starbucks Coffee Company, Sony, British Petroleum, Blockbuster Entertainment and Eddie Bauer.

Coffee CFO will be held at ABC's state-of-the art facility in Portland. ABC’s offers comprehensive coffee business start-up and management programs, barista and latte art training, and a wide spectrum of classes for consumers. ABC's was founded by Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup.

Workshop fees are $1,595 for the first student, $1,395 for each additional student. For on-line registration and further information, visit coffeeschool.org or call 800.655.3955.

Bellissimo is the specialty coffee industry’s leading consulting company and well known in as the producer of the award-winning coffee education DVDs “Espresso 101,” “Espresso 501,” “The Passionate Harvest,” “Everything BUT Coffee” and “Advanced Barista Training: Extreme Pours.” Bellissimo is also the publisher of the business manuals Bean Business Basics, Opening a Specialty Coffee Drive-thru, Effective & Essential Marketing for the Specialty Coffee Retailer and Achieving Success in Specialty Coffee. Bellissimo’s worldwide client list includes Fortune 500 companies as well as American and International entrepreneurs. As a result of the success of his company, Bruce Milletto is recognized by the press and the coffee industry internationally as “the voice of North America’s specialty coffee industry.”