Florida Couple Explores Business Ownership with BIGGBY® COFFEE

After years of working in the corporate world, Natalie and Kevin Clark were eager to embark on a new venture that would allow them to make a greater impact. Their search led them to discover a franchising opportunity through BIGGBY® COFFEE, the East Lansing, Michigan-based coffee concept. Having already been a fan of the brand’s product and values, the Clarks quickly realized that franchising with BIGGBY® COFFEE was the perfect path for them.

Now, with the September opening of their first location in Jacksonville, Florida, the couple sat down with 1851 Franchise to share their franchising journey and their aspirations for their new business.

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Natalie: My husband and I both work for a financial company. He’s been in that field for about 25 years, essentially his whole life. I’ve been in it for about 13 years and plan to keep my job. He’s originally from Michigan, and we came across BIGGBY® COFFEE and noticed that they were offering franchise opportunities in Florida. We talked about it and decided it was the logical next step for us.

My parents owned and operated a donut shop and bakery for over 30 years before they sold their business. I grew up in the breakfast space. Because of that, I always knew I wanted to do something that allowed me to be more involved in the community. I’m passionate about people, and being behind a desk isn’t for me. We want to make real change in our community, but we want to do it on our terms.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Kevin: We didn’t really have a certain perception of the franchising space, but we did a lot of research. We already knew we wanted to do something, and I love BIGGBY® COFFEE. I grew up with it. Every time we pass one, we have to stop. We just so happened to be talking to the owners one day, and I thought, “Why don’t we look into this?” They’ve already got systems in place, and they have a product we love and can get behind. We decided to do some research. The more we learned, the more we appreciated what the brand had to offer from a franchising perspective.

Natalie: I guess I didn’t realize how much work was involved with franchising. If you want to get involved with a franchise, make sure you do your research and can fully get behind the brand. When you start out, there will be a lot of things that come up. You’re going to have to push through them. 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.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Kevin: I’ve been in leadership roles for nearly 20 to 25 years in the finance industry. I’ve always been passionate about helping people and figuring out new ways to support my team as we try to accomplish different goals. 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.

Natalie: We’re both on the same wavelength. I’m big on interacting with the community, and I feel like BIGGBY® COFFEE is all about that as well. The brand encourages its owners to embrace the people around them and will support you in any way that it can.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Natalie: We’re focused on being as involved with the community as we possibly can be. Additionally, there’s a nonprofit local to us that empowers individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I’ve worked with them on some different things before, and I would like to be able to employ some of those people in our BIGGBY® COFFEE store. This is a personal mission of mine because my older brother is legally blind, so I know how it feels to be on the outside. 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.

Kevin: I feel like people deserve better places to work. You shouldn’t feel miserable going to work every day. So, 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.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Kevin: I think you learn a lot about yourself on these types of journeys. You have to be persistent, resilient and understand that it’s a lot of hard work. It strengthens you as a person.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Kevin: The first step can be the hardest. There’s a lot of risk involved with starting any kind of business. But without the risk, there’s no reward. Everyone fails, it’s normal. We’ve had a lot of failures up to this point. But failure is a part of the process.

About The BIGGBY® COFFEE Franchise

BIGGBY® COFFEE, based in East Lansing, Michigan, 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. The brand’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® COFFEE 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 340 cafes across many states, including Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Idaho, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Florida. The cost to open a BIGGBY® COFFEE franchise ranges from $246,305 to $564,626. For more information on franchising opportunities, please visit biggbyfranchising.com.