The coffee industry in the US is a multi-billion dollar industry, with more than 50% of Americans drink coffee every day. If you have a great passion for coffee and see a huge business opportunity in your neighborhood, you might think of opening your local cafe. However, having a desire is not enough. To succeed in this business, at least you need to know how to set up the cafe, select the right beans, and know-how to makes a good coffee. To do so, you need proper barista training from the right barista schools.It is easy to find barista training courses or programs for your hobby. However, to run a coffee business, you need to learn from a professional who is behind many successful coffee businesses.
Here are the top 3 barista schools in the US
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IBCA – U.S.A. – International Barista and Coffee Academy
- Website: http://ibca-usa.com/
- Training Location: 1340 E 8th St, Ste. 101, Tempe, AZ 85281
- Training cost: $$$ – $$$$
IBCA (International Barista Coffee Academy) is one of the most prestigious schools for barista training in North America. With its professional training facility in Arizona, IBCA is the only training center that authorized to offer SCAE Diploma System in the Americas.
IBCA does not only train students across the US, but it also has students come from all over the world, such as Russia, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and many other countries.
At IBCA, there are various courses for you to choose from as well as the levels of difficulty that meet your situation. Besides barista classes where you will learn how to make different types of coffee, IBCA also offers coffee roasting classes, brewing classes, sensory classes as well as a green coffee lesson.
For current coffee business owners or those who want to open a cafe, IBCA also offers consulting services where you will learn how to set up the coffee shop, design the menu and get professional advice on how to run a profitable business. Also, the Maintenance and Technician Classes will help the business owners to ensure their expensive equipment is always in good working condition for a perfect cup of coffee.
The Seattle Barista Academy (SBA)
- Website: https://www.seattlebaristaacademy.org/
- Training location: 905 Industry Dr, Tukwila, WA 98188, United States
- Training cost: $$$ – $$$$
If Vienna is the coffee capital of the world, then Seattle is the coffee capital of the United States, which makes it the best place to learn coffee in the country.
Different from other barista schools, Seattle Barista Academy (SBA) provides one-on-one training instead of classes. In this way, the student will be able to maximize their learning during the training.
Another unique selling point of Seattle Barista Academy is its strategic partner with many commercial coffee machine manufacturers as well as local roasters. With this advantage, the students will be able to try different machines during their training as well as visiting different roasters to learn how the coffee beans are made. SBA also provides a tour to some of the best coffee shops in Seattle so students can learn different styles of coffee shops on the market.
Similar to IBCA, Seattle Barista Academy also provides consultation both in school and on sites.
Texas Coffee School
- Website: https://texascoffeeschool.com/
- Training location: 7203 S Cooper St #101, Arlington, TX 76001, United States
- Training cost: $$ – $$$$
Texas Coffee School is another school that you must check out if you want to have professional barista training.
At Texas Coffee School, you will be able to learn almost everything from a basic introduction to the coffee industry to advanced courses in latte art, from drawing business plans for your coffee shop, develop start-up cost break-down to managing the daily operation.
Besides, Texas Coffee School also teaches you how to use different brewing devices, which include commercial Espresso machines, French Press, Chemex, Aeropress, Clever Dripper, Gino Dripper, Batch Brewer, and Cold Bruer Ice Coffee Maker. The student will be able to learn skills to perfect coffee brewing as well as troubleshooting the off-tasting result.
You can check out the topics covered in each course, as well as the benefits you will receive during the training on their website. Furthermore, they have new classes almost every week, so you can pick the time that fits your schedule. You can check class schedules and enroll for their courses online through the website.
Final Thoughts:
These top 3 barista schools above are an excellent place to start your journey to a professional career in the coffee industry. However, if you live far away or you are on low budgets, there are still other options.
Nowadays, many coffee chains do recruit barista without barista experience. You will be provided training in their barista training center before starting your work. If gaining real-life working experience is how you would like to begin your journey, then this approach is perfect for you.
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