How These Immigrant Siblings Are Pursuing the American Dream with BIGGBY® COFFEE

According to Jaime Vega, he and his sister, Claudia, learned the importance of hard work at an early age: "Our parents have always emphasized the importance of hard work and dedication in order for us to work towards achieving our goals. As long as we're working hard and doing it the right way, we can always achieve them." 

Case in point: business ownership is something that the siblings have always wanted to do, and now they are achieving that dream with BIGGBY® COFFEE. The Vega siblings are working hard to open their first location of the high-energy coffee franchise in Midlothian, Illinois this summer, with eyes on expanding into Chicago in the future with a second and third location.

1851 Franchise spoke to Jaime and Claudia about their franchise journey with BIGGBY® COFFEE and plans for the future.

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

Claudia: I'm an accountant for a boat tourism company in downtown Chicago and I plan to continue working for them. The idea of franchising was introduced to me by my brother, who after doing extensive research, was very excited about BIGGBY®. And once he decided that he wanted to be part of it, he asked me to join in and I couldn't say no. 

Jaime: I am currently employed as the manager for a pizza chain, here in the south suburbs of Chicago. Even long before we entered into BIGGBY®, we were looking to start a business. We were looking to do something on our own and we were exploring our different options. I stumbled upon BIGGBY® on Facebook, and I started doing some research. We liked the idea of how the business is set up, and I proposed it to my sister and she liked it too. So that's where we are. 

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?

Jaime: I would say it was something I was interested in. I always thought that franchising was a good option to start a business because, with a franchise, there's usually a business plan set up already. Even though it's a lot of work, there is definitely a business plan and a community of people with experience to help. 

Claudia: I had more of a negative opinion of franchising. I thought that it was something where the company was going to be very restrictive and controlling about how things are operated. But as I started becoming more immersed in the company culture through participating in the events and meetings, everyone was so sweet and supportive of each other.  

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

Jaime: I liked how BIGGBY® is community-focused and they help the community. We also liked how supportive they were. Everyone is like a big family [at the] company. They treat their employees well and customers matter. And on top of that, they really have a great product. We are big fans of coffee and the product that BIGGBY® has is high quality. 

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

Jaime: One of our goals is to get the BIGGBY® name out there and known and recognized in this area. I think our area is filled with opportunities that can be expanded. It’s a great area to have a business like this. But we're not gonna stop there. Eventually, we're going to open a second and third location. We’re very interested in expanding in the future. 

Claudia: We’re already looking at a second location and the first isn’t even open yet. We are very excited.

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

Jaime: We're a family of immigrants. We came from Mexico in 1998. Our grandparents helped us to be able to move to the United States. Our parents have always emphasized the importance of hard work and dedication in order for us to work towards achieving our goals. As long as we're working hard and doing it the right way, we can always achieve them. And even though we started with empty hands, because we had nothing when we came in here, little by little we're working and reaching our goals. 

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

Claudia: Go for it, because even the things that you're afraid of, you can learn along the way. And even when there is a step backwards, you can use that experience to continue building and growing stronger.

About The BIGGBY® COFFEE Franchise

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. 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 379 cafes across many states, including Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Idaho, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida.