When the first BIGGBY® COFFEE opened its doors in East Lansing, Michigan 25 years ago, co-founders and co-CEOs Bob Fish and Mike McFall knew they were onto something special.
Initially, Fish met McFall to interview him to be a manager, as the brand was planning to open a second location. They soon found themselves walking through Michigan State University’s campus, and over the course of the next three to four hours, they decided to create what is now BIGGBY. What began as a deal sealed with a handshake has since evolved into a 240-plus unit franchise with locations across nine states. And despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, those numbers continue to grow.
In 2020, BIGGBY® COFFEE sold a record 85 locations and opened 18 new units, proving that the brand’s business model is built to survive even the most difficult economic conditions. This ability to adapt to its circumstances aided by BIGGBY’s innovative modular-unit store model, called BCubed.
The BCubed concept, which has been received well by franchisees and customers alike at its existing locations, is designed for maximum efficiency — the model increases speed to market and costs significantly less to build than standard store models in the coffee space.
“We can’t keep up with the number of modular drive thrus that we’re selling,” said McFall. “It’s been such a huge success throughout COVID, and we have franchise owners lining up to open them.”
BCubed locations also offer customers access to a drive-thru, enabling guests to order their favorite BIGGBY items from the comfort and safety of their own cars, which proved to be essential over the course of 2020, when COVID concerns emerged and social distancing became the norm. BCubed locations continue to be a major element of the BIGGBY strategy in 2021 as well — there are currently 45 modular units in development in addition to the 9 units currently open.
The success that BIGGBY saw over the course of 2020 is also due in part to the brand’s Area Representative program, which was first introduced in 2018. The program selects BIGGBY franchisees to become area representatives, who can drive growth in designated markets. Once these representatives are chosen and go through training, they work to grow the BIGGBY brand in their development territories while building strong relationships with business owners and customers.
Lisa Oak, chief development officer for BIGGBY, says that despite her extensive experience in the franchise industry, the growth that the brand has found through the Area Representative program, the BCubed locations and other recent advancements is impressive by any standard.
“Coffee is such an amazing category, and our coffee is special. Customers are responding well to our brand and becoming franchisees themselves. We really pride ourselves on the fact that our prospective franchisee can be anyone; people who love our coffee and what we’re about can truly be successful with us,” said Oak.
That kind of love and dedication is ultimately what makes the BIGGBY business model work. At its core, Fish says the brand isn’t focused on selling a specific number of units every year — it’s about changing people’s lives for the better. That purpose-driven mindset has been an integral part of the brand’s culture since day one.
“Us getting together and starting BIGGBY wasn’t that different than a couple dating and deciding to get married without knowing everything about one another. We understood that our values were the same, but we knew that there would be this journey of discovery ahead of us,” said Fish. “We’re big proponents of the idea of partnership and the idea that people are really the most essential component of any business transaction.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has tested that purpose and mindset over the past year, and BIGGBY showed that not only is it true to its mission, but the mission is working.
“I was so scared during the first few weeks of the pandemic — I was working the line myself to try and save on labor,” said Shanna Novosel, a BIGGBY franchisee and area representative for the Greater Cincinnati area. “Now we’re busier than we were this time last year. The thing is, there’s a ‘shop local’ aspect of the business. My stores are in smaller communities, so customers know me and know the business is locally owned. They know they’re helping me and our employees support our kids, not just sending all the money we earn to Seattle.”
Mo Elfakir, another BIGGBY® COFFEE franchise owner, agrees.
“I love being able to connect with my customers and build relationships with them,” Elfakir said. “It’s great to be able to make people smile with a cup of coffee every day — everybody loves coffee. We’re a part of something that’s much larger than just making money — we’re building a community. Happiness for me comes through making other people happy.”
On the heels of its most successful year to date, BIGGBY® COFFEE only has plans to grow in the new year and beyond. Not only is the brand on pace to open its milestone 250th location in 2021, it’s also planning to continue fostering growth through its development team, area representatives and BCubed locations. But even as the brand continues to grow, there are no plans to stray from its purpose-driven roots and commitment to creating a community of love and support above anything else.
“Our purpose is supporting people in building a life that they love. That’s what Bob and I have been going throughout our entire history together, McFall said. “We’re supporting people every day when we wake up on multiple levels. For customers, it’s as simple as the fact that when they walk in one of our stores in the morning, we have the opportunity to be a positive force in their life at that moment. For our staff, we put together a process to help them develop in their careers and build a life and future they love. And for our franchisees, we work with them to build a successful business.”
The initial investment to franchise with BIGGBY® COFFEE ranges from $189,550 to $378,600, including a $20,000 franchise fee. For more information on franchising with BIGGBY COFFEE, please visit https://www.biggbyfranchising.com/.
About BIGGBY® COFFEE
BIGGBY® COFFEE, based in East Lansing, Mich., was started with a single store on March 15, 1995. One year later, and on the cusp of opening a second location, Bob Fish and Michael McFall, on a handshake and $4,000, decided to franchise the concept. BIGGBY® COFFEE’s cultural values of Make Friends, Have Fun, B Yourself and Share Great Coffee help coffee-lovers and the coffee-curious alike benefit from a less pretentious and fun approach to the standard gourmet cafe paradigm. Besides connoisseur-worthy drinks with names like Teddy Bear® and Caramel Marvel®, BIGGBY® baristas provide a unique experience focused on brightening their customers’ day and supporting them in building a life they love. The “Big ‘B’” on the orange background caught on, and today BIGGBY® COFFEE has more than 240 cafes across many states including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Florida. In 2018, BIGGBY® launched an Area Representative Program and currently has 14 Area Representatives in 8 states.
BIGGBY COFFEE
The expansion of its innovative modular-unit store buildout and a rapidly growing Area Representative program are only two of the ways the leading coffee brand continues to outshine the competition.
When the first BIGGBY® COFFEE opened its doors in East Lansing, Michigan 25 years ago, co-founders and co-CEOs Bob Fish and Mike McFall knew they were onto something special.
Initially, Fish met McFall to interview him to be a manager, as the brand was planning to open a second location. They soon found themselves walking through Michigan State University’s campus, and over the course of the next three to four hours, they decided to create what is now BIGGBY. What began as a deal sealed with a handshake has since evolved into a 240-plus unit franchise with locations across nine states. And despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, those numbers continue to grow.
In 2020, BIGGBY® COFFEE sold a record 85 locations and opened 18 new units, proving that the brand’s business model is built to survive even the most difficult economic conditions. This ability to adapt to its circumstances aided by BIGGBY’s innovative modular-unit store model, called BCubed.
The BCubed concept, which has been received well by franchisees and customers alike at its existing locations, is designed for maximum efficiency — the model increases speed to market and costs significantly less to build than standard store models in the coffee space.
“We can’t keep up with the number of modular drive thrus that we’re selling,” said McFall. “It’s been such a huge success throughout COVID, and we have franchise owners lining up to open them.”
BCubed locations also offer customers access to a drive-thru, enabling guests to order their favorite BIGGBY items from the comfort and safety of their own cars, which proved to be essential over the course of 2020, when COVID concerns emerged and social distancing became the norm. BCubed locations continue to be a major element of the BIGGBY strategy in 2021 as well — there are currently 45 modular units in development in addition to the 9 units currently open.
The success that BIGGBY saw over the course of 2020 is also due in part to the brand’s Area Representative program, which was first introduced in 2018. The program selects BIGGBY franchisees to become area representatives, who can drive growth in designated markets. Once these representatives are chosen and go through training, they work to grow the BIGGBY brand in their development territories while building strong relationships with business owners and customers.
Lisa Oak, chief development officer for BIGGBY, says that despite her extensive experience in the franchise industry, the growth that the brand has found through the Area Representative program, the BCubed locations and other recent advancements is impressive by any standard.
“Coffee is such an amazing category, and our coffee is special. Customers are responding well to our brand and becoming franchisees themselves. We really pride ourselves on the fact that our prospective franchisee can be anyone; people who love our coffee and what we’re about can truly be successful with us,” said Oak.
That kind of love and dedication is ultimately what makes the BIGGBY business model work. At its core, Fish says the brand isn’t focused on selling a specific number of units every year — it’s about changing people’s lives for the better. That purpose-driven mindset has been an integral part of the brand’s culture since day one.
“Us getting together and starting BIGGBY wasn’t that different than a couple dating and deciding to get married without knowing everything about one another. We understood that our values were the same, but we knew that there would be this journey of discovery ahead of us,” said Fish. “We’re big proponents of the idea of partnership and the idea that people are really the most essential component of any business transaction.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has tested that purpose and mindset over the past year, and BIGGBY showed that not only is it true to its mission, but the mission is working.
“I was so scared during the first few weeks of the pandemic — I was working the line myself to try and save on labor,” said Shanna Novosel, a BIGGBY franchisee and area representative for the Greater Cincinnati area. “Now we’re busier than we were this time last year. The thing is, there’s a ‘shop local’ aspect of the business. My stores are in smaller communities, so customers know me and know the business is locally owned. They know they’re helping me and our employees support our kids, not just sending all the money we earn to Seattle.”
Mo Elfakir, another BIGGBY® COFFEE franchise owner, agrees.
“I love being able to connect with my customers and build relationships with them,” Elfakir said. “It’s great to be able to make people smile with a cup of coffee every day — everybody loves coffee. We’re a part of something that’s much larger than just making money — we’re building a community. Happiness for me comes through making other people happy.”
On the heels of its most successful year to date, BIGGBY® COFFEE only has plans to grow in the new year and beyond. Not only is the brand on pace to open its milestone 250th location in 2021, it’s also planning to continue fostering growth through its development team, area representatives and BCubed locations. But even as the brand continues to grow, there are no plans to stray from its purpose-driven roots and commitment to creating a community of love and support above anything else.
“Our purpose is supporting people in building a life that they love. That’s what Bob and I have been going throughout our entire history together, McFall said. “We’re supporting people every day when we wake up on multiple levels. For customers, it’s as simple as the fact that when they walk in one of our stores in the morning, we have the opportunity to be a positive force in their life at that moment. For our staff, we put together a process to help them develop in their careers and build a life and future they love. And for our franchisees, we work with them to build a successful business.”
The initial investment to franchise with BIGGBY® COFFEE ranges from $189,550 to $378,600, including a $20,000 franchise fee. For more information on franchising with BIGGBY COFFEE, please visit https://www.biggbyfranchising.com/.
About BIGGBY® COFFEE
BIGGBY® COFFEE, based in East Lansing, Mich., was started with a single store on March 15, 1995. One year later, and on the cusp of opening a second location, Bob Fish and Michael McFall, on a handshake and $4,000, decided to franchise the concept. BIGGBY® COFFEE’s cultural values of Make Friends, Have Fun, B Yourself and Share Great Coffee help coffee-lovers and the coffee-curious alike benefit from a less pretentious and fun approach to the standard gourmet cafe paradigm. Besides connoisseur-worthy drinks with names like Teddy Bear® and Caramel Marvel®, BIGGBY® baristas provide a unique experience focused on brightening their customers’ day and supporting them in building a life they love. The “Big ‘B’” on the orange background caught on, and today BIGGBY® COFFEE has more than 240 cafes across many states including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Florida. In 2018, BIGGBY® launched an Area Representative Program and currently has 14 Area Representatives in 8 states.
Sign up for the 1851 Franchise newsletter to get our biggest stories before everyone else
By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and acknowledge our privacy policy.
About the Author
Cassie has over five years of digital and traditional media experience. She joined NLA after working as a television news producer in both Milwaukee and Chicago, and now specializes in aligning strategies across the board for her clients, ultimately building buzz and telling compelling stories through content marketing, social media, digital campaigns and traditional PR.
Cassie has a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast and Electronic Communications from Marquette University. In her spare time, Cassie enjoys traveling and exploring what new cities have to offer in addition to spending time with her friends and family.
No related articles found
