Local Air Force Veteran and Parks, Recreation and Libraries Supervisor Hope to Bring a Taste of Home to the Military Community With Their New Coffee Shop

Mitch and Cathy Peters have a special connection to the community in Virginia Beach, especially the military community in the area. Mitch was in the Air Force for 23 years and Cathy served her previous community as a park and recreation manager for years. Their experiences and Cathy’s love for her hometown of Virginia Beach inspired them to follow their business ownership dreams and bring a brand from Mitch’s home state of Michigan to Virginia. The Peters recently signed with BIGGBY Coffee* to do just that.

The Peters are gearing up to open their BIGGBY location in Virginia Beach. Not only will this be the first location for the brand in Virginia Beach, but also in the state. The couple is excited to bring the beloved brand to the community. Because of their military history, they know how hard being away from your home can be. The Peters are hoping that bringing a northern coffee brand to Virginia will provide a taste of home to those in the military and their families in the community as well as introduce Virginia Beach natives to the amazing beverage options BIGGBY has to offer.

1851 Franchise spoke with Mitch and Cathy Peters to learn more about their franchising journey with BIGGBY Coffee.

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

Cathy Peters: I was in Parks and Recreation management for years as well as worked in libraries. I’m also a Virginia Beach native. When Mitch and I decided to open our own business and started looking into BIGGBY Coffee, it was important that the franchise was all locally owned. 

Mitch Peters: I was in the Air Force for 23 years. Currently, I work in the calibrations world. I work in data systems calibrating the systems. I come from an entrepreneurial family, so business ownership has always been on my mind. I’m originally from Michigan, where the brand started so I was already familiar with BIGGBY. After a lot of research, I knew that franchising with them was a great opportunity. This is our first business, so we wanted some support and someone to coach us. With franchising, we get that, and we get to work with a brand we love. 

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?

Mitch: I had mixed feelings about franchising at first. I thought it was a large corporation owned and took away from the local communities. But with BIGGBY it’s the complete opposite. Owners and operators have a few stores and are very involved in the community with brands like BIGGBY Coffee.

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

Mitch: I was already familiar with the brand from a customer point of view but when we started researching the business side it became clear that BIGGBY is a great brand to work with. I talked with other franchise owners, and they all had amazing experiences. So I’m excited to bring the first BIGGBY to Virginia and get involved in our local community. I want people to fall in love with the brand just like we did.

Cathy: I was the taste tester when we began researching and I immediately fell in love with the products. What really stood out to me was the brand’s encouragement for community involvement. I’m most excited about that aspect because it ties in well with my parks and recreation background. I’m also excited to bring a brand that people here might be familiar with. We live in an area with a big military presence so we have a lot of transplants and for some, BIGGBY might be a brand that reminds them of home.

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

Cathy: Ultimately, we want to create a family atmosphere. We want our store to be a place where you can walk in, and people know your name and order. It’s a personal touch that I think people will appreciate. It brings a small-town feel to a larger city. 

Mitch: We want to build a successful business that has room for growth in the future. To do that we want to keep our customers and employees happy so they can enjoy their experience with us.

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

Cathy: We are locally owned and operated. Mitch and I are a part of this community, and we are military people. We’ve been in the military families’ shoes, so we want to use this business as a way to support the families and the community. I know this brand can bring a sense of home to a lot of people here, and there is already a lot of excitement in the community around the brand because of that. 

Mitch: I think that because we know how these military families feel, we can really do some good here. Especially for spouses that have a loved one in the service. We can offer them some comfort with a brand they are familiar with. Our goal is to serve our community while serving great coffee. 

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

Mitch: Talk to as many other franchise owners as you can. Learning their experiences streamlines your own ownership process before you really even start.

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. 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 300-plus cafes across many states, including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Idaho, Georgia and Florida.