Mo Elfakir is Helping Spread BIGGBY® COFFEE’s Love of Community Throughout Southeast Michigan

Mo Elfakir has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong love for his community. That’s what made him the perfect fit to franchise with coffee’s most loving franchise concept — BIGGBY® COFFEE.

After graduating high school, Elfakir opened up a wireless kiosk and sold retail for AT&T, where he learned that he truly loved making connections with people through sales. Elfakir always imagined he’d work in criminal justice, but after discovering the East Lansing, Michigan-based brand in 2007, he made the decision to franchise with BIGGBY® COFFEE and has been cultivating his own band of coffee-lovers ever since.

“Being an entrepreneur was something I always wanted to do. I’m a problem-solver and a leader, and I like being able to create my own success. The more I put in, the harder I work,” said Elfakir. “Buying into a franchise [like BIGGBY® COFFEE], I feel like I can grow as much as I want. I was looking for something that had support and was already established. I wanted to be part of something bigger than just me, and BIGGBY® COFFEE’s network shares my focus on building community.” 

For Elfakir, BIGGBY® COFFEE’s core values of dedication and commitment to the communities it serves was the number-one driver in his decision to sign on with the brand. When his Westland, Michigan store first opened in 2007, there was no drive-thru, meaning nearly every customer would have to come in to order their morning coffee. Through that experience, Elfakir said he’s been able to develop such a strong connection with his customers. 

“I love being able to connect with my customers and build relationships with them,” he 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.”

Since the onset of the pandemic in March, Elfakir noted that the hardest part has been that disconnect from his regular customers. Even after having to close his dining room, Elfakir says his business has been growing and a large part of that is thanks to his drive-thru window.

“Overall, business has been growing, and I feel like the drive-thru has been essential for a lot of our customers,” said Elfakir. “Having that window has made people feel much safer and more comfortable — we’re seeing more people that we were pre-COVID.”

For Bob Fish, co-founder and co-CEO of BIGGBY® COFFEE, that emphasis on serving local neighborhoods during the pandemic has been one of the brand’s most important elements. 

“We do believe that we are the center of every community that we’re in. When COVID-19 hit, our service, whether it be to employ people or to serve people, was an obligation to the community. People needed it,” said Fish.

Looking to the future, Elfakir has plans to open a second location in Southeast Michigan, and he’s in the process of finding the perfect real estate now.

“In my head, opening the second store is exactly where I want to be at this point in my life. I have the flexibility to work hard and still enjoy my life and not be too attached to the store,” he said. “Two stores is the magic number for now, but that doesn’t mean I’m opposed to opening 15 down the line.”

Even more than opening his new store, Elfakir says he’s eager to welcome back his regulars and greet new customers with open arms once things are safe again.

“I’m excited to host fundraisers and give back with coffee donations again — we give out hugs here too by the way,” he joked. “The community is good to us — it’s like “Cheers,” everyone knows everyone. We have the best customers in the world.”