Mike McFall, Co-Founder of BIGGBY® COFFEE, a 240-plus unit gourmet coffee franchise, has made a business out of community and love. Speaking with Adam Mendler, McFall describes his background, experience, advice for other leaders and how he has helped grow BIGGBY® COFFEE into a non-traditional coffee brand that serves more than tens of thousands of cups per day.
McFall, who started as a barista in the original BIGGBY® COFFEE, fell in love with the business while he was a 25-year-old in graduate school. “When I had the opportunity to get more involved with BIGGBY®, I took the job and I left behind the research that I was in the middle of in order to commit myself 100% to the development of the business,” says McFall to Mendler. “That was in 1997, and it’s been my full-time occupation ever since to work on the development of the franchise business model in the specialty coffee industry.”
When asked about what experience has been the most instrumental in his growth, McFall says that starting as an employee and transitioning to a leader is crucial in the business of BIGGBY®. “When you start as a minimum wage barista and 25 years later you’re the Co-CEO of a company, you have to make a big transition,” says McFall. “That transition is constantly occurring — I’m in the middle of a transition right now. I had a moment just yesterday where the budget process felt really slippery to me. But this is the first year that I haven’t done the budget, so of course, it’s going to feel that way. I have to be okay with that, and I have to transition.”
McFall tells Mendler that being a successful entrepreneur is all about the execution itself, not the idea. “I actually teach a class on that at the University of Michigan called ‘Finding Your Venture,’ says McFall. “Ultimately, it’s not about the idea. Being an entrepreneur is not about the idea, it’s about execution. I think there’s an amazing idea that comes along occasionally and then a business is started, but 99 out of 100 of those ideas fail because they’re not executed properly. It isn’t about the idea; it’s the execution. There’s a lot of really mundane ideas out there that turn into exceptional businesses because of execution.”
BIGGBY® COFFEE, an East Lansing, Michigan-based coffee franchise, helps coffee-lovers and the coffee-curious alike create a community of love that’s a stark contrast to the gourmet coffee paradigm. With 250 locations currently operating and an additional 100 under contract to open, BIGGBY® COFFEE provides a unique experience focused on brightening their customer’s days and building the life they love.
BIGGBY COFFEE
In a recent interview with leadership thought leader Adam Mendler, BIGGBY® COFFEE Co-Founder and Co-CEO Mike McFall gives the skinny on how he helped make the specialty coffee brand one of the most beloved in the country.
Mike McFall, Co-Founder of BIGGBY® COFFEE, a 240-plus unit gourmet coffee franchise, has made a business out of community and love. Speaking with Adam Mendler, McFall describes his background, experience, advice for other leaders and how he has helped grow BIGGBY® COFFEE into a non-traditional coffee brand that serves more than tens of thousands of cups per day.
McFall, who started as a barista in the original BIGGBY® COFFEE, fell in love with the business while he was a 25-year-old in graduate school. “When I had the opportunity to get more involved with BIGGBY®, I took the job and I left behind the research that I was in the middle of in order to commit myself 100% to the development of the business,” says McFall to Mendler. “That was in 1997, and it’s been my full-time occupation ever since to work on the development of the franchise business model in the specialty coffee industry.”
When asked about what experience has been the most instrumental in his growth, McFall says that starting as an employee and transitioning to a leader is crucial in the business of BIGGBY®. “When you start as a minimum wage barista and 25 years later you’re the Co-CEO of a company, you have to make a big transition,” says McFall. “That transition is constantly occurring — I’m in the middle of a transition right now. I had a moment just yesterday where the budget process felt really slippery to me. But this is the first year that I haven’t done the budget, so of course, it’s going to feel that way. I have to be okay with that, and I have to transition.”
McFall tells Mendler that being a successful entrepreneur is all about the execution itself, not the idea. “I actually teach a class on that at the University of Michigan called ‘Finding Your Venture,’ says McFall. “Ultimately, it’s not about the idea. Being an entrepreneur is not about the idea, it’s about execution. I think there’s an amazing idea that comes along occasionally and then a business is started, but 99 out of 100 of those ideas fail because they’re not executed properly. It isn’t about the idea; it’s the execution. There’s a lot of really mundane ideas out there that turn into exceptional businesses because of execution.”
BIGGBY® COFFEE, an East Lansing, Michigan-based coffee franchise, helps coffee-lovers and the coffee-curious alike create a community of love that’s a stark contrast to the gourmet coffee paradigm. With 250 locations currently operating and an additional 100 under contract to open, BIGGBY® COFFEE provides a unique experience focused on brightening their customer’s days and building the life they love.
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