1851

Dennis Felton is a world traveler and a seasoned businessman in Ottawa County. He hopes to bring that knowledge to the world of coffee with the opening of his<a href="https://www.biggbyfranchising.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=the-winning-franchisee-globetrotting-family-man-brings-biggby-coffee-franchise-to-lake-eries-ottawa-county-2719686" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">&nbsp;BIGGBY® COFFEE</a> Ottawa County location. BIGGBY® COFFEE is a 250-unit coffee franchise with core values centered on loving unconditionally and supporting others.After traveling the world with his wife and tasting lots of coffee, Felton knew he wanted to get into the business of beans as an add-on to his other ventures on his Lake Erie property.As someone familiar with the area’s tourist crowd and boating traffic, he knew that BIGGBY® COFFEE would be the perfect supplement to his lakefront one-stop-shop destination that includes a restaurant, a bar, a fueling station and a convenience store.Looking at the future and the “goldmine” that BIGGBY® COFFEE’s business model will bring to his complex, Felton is eager to share his success with his teacher, daughter and 15-year-old granddaughter as they join the family business.&nbsp;1851 Franchise: Tell me your story – what did you do before franchising?Dennis Felton: I grew up in New Jersey, across from New York City. I’m a CPA by trade, but I’ve owned my property on Lake Erie, which will house BIGGBY® COFFEE, for the last 16 years. Since then, I’ve grown the property to include a marina, a fueling station, my Wild Wings Restaurant, a convenience store and a Marathon gas station off the property. Since running the businesses for 12 years, I’ve sold a lot of food and coffee to boaters and passersby traveling on their way to the nearby tourist destination of Cedar Point. I love to travel, and I’ve been all over the world. When my wife was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, we started to really ramp up traveling and went to South America every year, Antarctica, Russia&nbsp; — you name it. The last cruise started in England, then to Finland (I’m Finnish), Denmark, Germany and finally St. Petersburg. I learned that people are nice and friendly, and as long as you talk to people respectably, they will be nice in return. After she passed away and I returned to work on my business, I thought that BIGGBY® COFFEE would be an excellent add-on to my businesses on the property and also a great way to get my daughter and granddaughter involved in my business as well.1851: How did you initially find out about franchising, and what was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchise owner?Felton: I had a friend who was somehow involved in BIGGBY® COFFEE, so that’s what made me remember the brand. I knew I liked the coffee, and I went online and completed the online program with the owner and interviewer talking about franchising. I connected with them, checked out the franchise agreement and sent it in.1851: How did you decide you wanted to be a franchisee?Felton: From all my previous experience in business and owning property, I realized with franchising that I don’t mind paying the fee if I see their advertising billboards. With franchising, you don’t need a rocket scientist to run it. Everything is there. Just follow the procedure, and everything will go well. I knew that BIGGBY® COFFEE would be easier to get help from young people looking to get a decent wage and a tip with not a huge deal of product selection.1851: How did you perform your research?Felton: I pretty much knew I wanted to do something with coffee. I was familiar with BIGGBY® COFFEE since there was one located near my bank in Port Clinton. I initially looked into Starbucks, and the price was something ridiculous for what you’d get, and I decided it wasn’t for me. BIGGBY® COFFEE, I knew, was going well for the midwest. I have friends with 12-13 BIGGBY® COFFEE franchises. Not to mention, I know the market was already built-in as there’s a condo project right on the lake with 1,500 people living there, along with the summer bus traffic from Michigan.1851: Why did you pick BIGGBY® COFFEE? What excited you most about the potential?Felton: Coffee is like ice cream, and if you do a good job, you’re going to get the business. The whole thing is price presentation and how you’re marketing it. Some of the best coffee I’ve ever had was cajun coffee in Louisiana and, of course, Chile and Costa Rica throughout my travels. The main thing is preparation and doing it right. Plus, I usually go through about two pots of Kona coffee every day. A lot of people aren’t making just coffee and are really about the freezes as well. I’m also excited for my daughter to help me run the business. She’s a fifth-grade teacher, and so she gets off at 2:00 pm and then, of course, will be off in the summer. I’m getting really excited about getting my daughter and granddaughter involved, especially helping me in the hiring process and finding young people to work there. Plus, the summer brings a big party atmosphere, and I call the islands “Little New Orleans.” And with that amount of fun and partying, they will definitely need their coffee the next day!&nbsp;1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?Felton: There’s nobody around, and I’ll get a lot of Michigan drive-thru traffic with BIGGBY® COFFEE billboards. Plus, the front-side location model is going to be a great traffic pattern. My property is paid for, so it’s an add-on business for me. As a CPA, I know that investing a little here and there makes the pie a whole lot bigger. It’s gonna be a great location, and I hope one day to get my kids another location, maybe at my Marathon gas station. It’s a nice turnkey. I may copy the one like a trailer that comes to the site, and I’m really looking forward to doing it and making some money.1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?Felton: One, I’d say you gotta know a little bit about the business, and you want to go with something that’s growing and do the proper training and find a great location.1851: What do you do in your personal time (hobbies, family, sports, etc.)?Felton: I play a lot of golf a couple of times a week with a gentleman who used to play on the PGA Tour, so he can show me lots of tips and things like that. I’m a family man, and I’m incredibly close to my granddaughter and my oldest daughter, who lives near Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and son. I look forward to their visits coming home, and I try to visit them as much as possible. She can really do anything she sets her mind to and does. She’s an all-star freshman swimmer, and she’s into painting and writing. She even had a teacher tell her to enter a writing competition in New York! I also love spending time with my grandson and my son-in-law, who is a football coach and also a teacher. I love football and am a lifetime Alabama football fan. Roll Tide!

The Winning Franchisee | Globetrotting Family Man Brings BIGGBY® COFFEE Franchise to Lake Erie’s Ottawa County

1851 Franchise

Dennis Felton has tasted coffee worldwide and will bring his expertise in espresso to the Lake Erie area.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

the-winning-franchisee-globetrotting-family-man-brings-biggby-coffee-franchise-to-lake-eries-ottawa-county

Paris Baguette

Paris Baguette Franchise - Anusha Jonnala and Swapna Varala - 1851 Franchise

Blending Tech, Hospitality and Health Care: How Three Women From Different Worlds Came Together to Build a Paris Baguette Franchise

paris-baguette-franchise-flower-mound-texas

Minuteman Press International

The Brown Family and team at Minuteman Press in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

Minuteman Press Franchise Review: 30-Year Legacy in Rancho Cucamonga

minuteman-press-franchise-review-30-year-legacy-in-rancho-cucamonga

Beansquad

BeanSquad Franchise - How BeanSquad Is Taking the Stress Out of Franchise Bookkeeping - 1851

How BeanSquad Is Taking the Stress Out of Franchise Bookkeeping

beansquad-accounting-franchise-bookkeeping

Right at Home

20-Plus Year Right at Home Franchisee Turned Corporate Insights Into a Successful Home Care Business

right-at-home-franchisee-success-gregory-brewer

Crust Pizza Co.

Crust Pizza Co. Builds Major Momentum in 2025 With New Openings, Franchise Growth

Crust Pizza Co. Builds Major Momentum in 2025 With New Openings, Franchise Growth and Smarter Systems

crust-pizza-midyear-growth-2025

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Design with person in blazer, with laptop, holding sign that reads "LOOKING FOR A JOB"

Uptick in Jobless Claims Points to Continued Instability in Labor Market

jobless-claims-franchise-growth

Extraordinary Brands Acquires CycleBar and Rumble, Shaking Up Boutique Fitness Franchising

extraordinary-brands-cyclebar-rumble-boxing-acquisition

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

Planet Fitness Franchisees Donate $100K to Support Texas Flood Relief - 1851 Franchise

Planet Fitness Franchisees Donate $100K To Support Texas Flood Relief

planet-fitness-texas-flood-relief

McDonald’s Is the Latest Franchise To Bet Big on Beverages with 500-Store Premium Drink Test

mcdonalds-is-the-latest-franchise-to-bet-big-on-beverages-with-500-store-premium-drink-test

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

Navy Veteran and Professional Artist Couple Open Caring Transitions in Texas

Navy Veteran and Professional Artist Couple Set Out to Build a Purpose-Driven Business With Caring Transitions in Texas

navy-veteran-and-professional-artist-couple-set-out-to-build-a-purpose-driven-business-with-caring-transitions-in-texas

Why This Real Estate Broker Decided To Bring Caring Transitions to Central Texas

caring-transitions-san-marcos-kyle-chad-hardin

Sola Salons Franchisee Grows Salon Freedom Into a Multi-State Powerhouse 

sola-salons-franchisee-grows-salon-freedom-into-a-multi-state-powerhouse

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores

hooters-franchise-model-company-owned-closures

Rising Jobless Claims Could Signal Challenges — and Opportunities — for Franchising

rising-jobless-claims-affect-franchising

911 Restoration Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

The Winning Franchisee | Globetrotting Family Man Brings BIGGBY® COFFEE Franchise to Lake Erie’s Ottawa County

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS