Coffee Business and Barista Training Bundle (4days) - Flexible Scheduling

Prerequisite: No prior experience required
Duration: 10:30am – 5:00pm (all 4 days)
Location: Any lab — your choice

This 4-Day Bundle combines our Barista Levels 1–2–3–4 and the Opening a Coffee Business course at a special bundle-and-save rate. You may take the classes consecutively or spread them out over time — there is no time limit to complete the bundle.

Barista and Business classes may be taken separately or together at any of our labs in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, or Vancouver.

Once you complete your purchase, please email us to let us know which class dates best suit your schedule, or we can help you choose from our online calendar.

Prefer fixed dates?
If you would rather take all four days together as a scheduled course, you may view our 4-Day Bundle with published dates here →

Curriculum Overview:
This comprehensive 4-day program explores the business, financial, artistic, and scientific aspects of coffee. Participants gain hands-on experience with espresso extraction, milk texturing, latte art, brewing methods, and café operations using professional equipment and techniques. This bundle is ideal for those launching a coffee business, building a career in coffee, or expanding their professional skill set.

Barista Level 1 Curriculum

This class establishes consistency through step-by-step instruction delivered both in written form and hands-on practice. Even experienced baristas are encouraged to take this course to correct technical flaws that affect consistency. Without consistency, every customer receives a different-tasting drink.

• Essentials of espresso, tools, and equipment
• Equipment knowledge
• Grinder differences, efficiencies, and burr sets
• What espresso is: history, theory, and preparation
• Definitions of drip, pour-over, press pot, French press, moka pot, and stovetop espresso
• Espresso fundamentals and international definition of espresso
• How to pull a consistent, technically correct espresso shot
• Preparing drinks to standards
• What espresso is — and is not
• Grinding, dosing, and tamping
• Troubleshooting coffee
• Foundational barista knowledge
• Milk texturing and microfoaming techniques and principles

Barista Level 2 Curriculum

Practice-focused training that expands on the technical fundamentals learned in Level 1. Students learn to manipulate variables to enhance taste and refine technically correct drinks, preparing them for the challenges of Level 3.

• Espresso machine and grinder technical standards
• Pulling consistent shots: grind adjustment and puck preparation
• Espresso drink names, sizes, and recipes (ristretto, normale, lungo, americano)
• How espresso should taste
• Roaster influence on taste
• Dose and grinder impact on flavour
• Machine engineering and taste
• Barista impact on taste
• Milk-based drinks: macchiato, cappuccino, latte, cortado, flat white
• Preparing drinks to standards
• Milk texturing and microfoaming principles
• Latte art instruction, demonstration, and practice
• Essential barista knowledge

Barista Level 3 Curriculum

This course advances Levels 1 and 2 training to help students perfect the one-person bar — a critical skill for efficient, high-quality café operations. Students also explore how and why people taste coffee the way they do, challenging common myths and marketing narratives.

• Specialty vs. commodity coffee
• Tasting exercises and palate development
• Understanding coffee myths
• The essential coffee flavour wheel
• Taste perception, tongue mapping, and umami
• Blind cupping
• Comparative cupping for roast level, branding, and descriptors
• Cupping for quality
• Choosing a roaster and understanding taste influence
• Dialing in coffee by taste
• Preparing drinks to standards
• Milk texturing and microfoaming principles
• Coffee freshness and quality expectations
• Adjusting grinders for retention, dosing, and tamping

Barista Level 4 Curriculum

A practical, down-to-earth latte art course covering simple to advanced designs. Students practice repeatedly while instructors demonstrate techniques and share professional bar skills.

• The true value of the barista
• Adjusting for retention, dosing, tamping, and flow
• Espresso preparation as the foundation for latte art
• Latte art designs: moon, heart, detailed heart, rosetta, tulip
• Refining pouring techniques
• Advanced barista techniques
• Equipment and espresso fundamentals
• Preparing all drinks to standards
• Milk texturing and microfoaming principles
• Dialing in coffee by taste
• One-person and two-person bar practice
• Equipment cleanliness and maintenance

Opening a Coffee Business Curriculum

This course is designed to help you critically plan, design, and evaluate the process of opening your own café. Today’s coffee market is highly competitive, with large chains using sophisticated data analysis. We teach you to manage risk and make informed decisions based on business fundamentals rather than instinct alone.

• Your competitive advantages
• The Canadian coffee market
• Customer expectations
• Specialty coffee and quality control
• Service models and vision
• Competitive intelligence: what to look for and what to avoid
• Menu and equipment decisions
• Choosing equipment suppliers, espresso machines, and roasters
• Location selection and contractor considerations
• Marketing, branding, promotions, and holiday planning
• People management and barista culture
• Managing your numbers

Registration: Pre-registration required. No drop-ins.

Class Sizes: Small groups with a strong focus on hands-on learning.

Private Groups: Customized training is available on weekdays or weekends. Contact us to tailor a program to your business needs.

Each class includes:

• Printed student manual, study guide, and certificate of completion
• Complimentary membership to the Wholesale Student Buying Club (valued at $799)
• Lifetime Alumni membership and benefits