Florida Couple Ditches Corporate America to Become First-Time Franchisees of BIGGBY COFFEE

Natalie and Kevin Clark are a passionate entrepreneurial husband-and-wife duo who are committed to leaving a positive impact on their Jacksonville, Florida community. That’s why the pair, who have spent the majority of their respective careers in corporate America, decided to pursue other business opportunities that would allow them to start building their legacy. Their search led them to BIGGBY COFFEE*, a brand they were already familiar with, to open their own coffee shop.

1851 Franchise recently spoke with the Clarks to learn more about their experience as first-time business owners and what led them to open this coffee franchise.

Journey Into Franchising

Natalie and Kevin Clark have a wealth of experience working in the finance industry. Kevin has been in leadership roles for almost 25 years, while Natalie has dedicated roughly 13 years to the field. Despite spending more than two decades in corporate America, Kevin has always strived for something more community-orientated and purposeful.

“I always knew I wanted to do something that allowed me to be more involved in the community,” he said. “I’m passionate about people, and being behind a desk isn’t for me. We want to make a real change in our community, but we want to do it on our terms.”

Kevin’s entrepreneurial spirit comes from his parents, who owned and operated a donut shop and bakery for over 30 years. Having grown up with a family so heavily involved in the breakfast space, he knew he wanted to do something along those same lines. So, when the pair began looking at different business opportunities, one stood out to him immediately.

Kevin, who is originally from Michigan, was already very familiar with the East Lansing-based coffee franchise BIGGBY COFFEE. Not only did he grow up with BIGGBY, but he also made every attempt to stop by one of the brand’s locations whenever the opportunity arose.  

“I love BIGGBY COFFEE,” said Kevin. “I grew up with it. Every time we pass one, we have to stop.”

BIGGBY COFFEE is known for its commitment to creating a welcoming and friendly coffee shop environment and interacting with its communities at every opportunity. These values are what stuck out to the Clark couple more than anything.

“We picked BIGGBY COFFEE for a number of reasons, but I really appreciated that the brand supports people and wants its owners to build a life they love,” said Kevin. “I really want to foster that type of environment where our BIGGBY store is a place where people are excited to come to and will know that they’re being supported.”

After meeting with the leadership team and conducting their due diligence, the duo decided to take the leap and signed to open their very own BIGGBY COFFEE franchise in Jacksonville, Florida. Although Natalie intends to keep her current position, Kevin is diving into business ownership headfirst and is leaving corporate America behind to pursue this endeavor full-time.

“We talked about it and decided it was the logical next step for us,” said Natalie.

Advice and Lessons Learned

Despite their impressive resumes, franchising would prove to be a totally new venture for the couple. Natalie noted that although franchisees have the backing and support from the franchisor and aren’t starting a business from scratch, franchising still requires you to put in a lot of hard work, time and dedication.

“I didn’t realize how much work was involved with franchising,” said Natalie. “If you want to get involved with a franchise, make sure you do your research and can fully get behind the brand. Even if it’s your dream job or career, there will be some long and difficult days and nights. Ultimately, it’s worth it in the end.”

Additionally, Kevin believes taking the first step is the hardest when it comes to investing in a franchise. He emphasized that there can be a lot of risk involved with starting a business but believes without the risk, there’s no potential for reward.

“Failure is a part of the process,” he said. “I think you learn a lot about yourself on these types of journeys. You have to be persistent and resilient, and understand that it’s a lot of hard work.”

Plans for the Future

Looking to the future, the Clarks are focused on being as involved with their community as they can be, while also building a multi-generational business for their daughter. Kevin said they thought a lot about their daughter’s future while considering this investment. They decided that even if she didn’t want to be involved in the business later on, they wanted her to have options. 

As they begin to lay down roots, Natalie is looking for opportunities to employ individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their store, which showcases the Clarks’ commitment to creating a welcoming and community-oriented BIGGBY COFFEE franchise.

“We want to make our store as inclusive as possible, and we want everyone in the community to be able to come in and feel welcome,” confirmed Natalie.