The high-energy coffee franchise is celebrating three decades of growth with a nationwide party and looking forward to its continued impact as it supports people in building lives they love.
BIGGBY COFFEE, the 430+ unit high-energy coffee franchise committed to helping people build lives they love while centering ethical and sustainable practices, is marking its 30th birthday with a nationwide celebration on March 26. From a single coffee shop in East Lansing, Michigan to a flourishing franchise operation across 13 states, BIGGBY COFFEE‘s journey exemplifies the power of putting people first and strengthening the communities they serve.
“Most businesses don’t make it past five years,” said Co-Founder and Co-CEO Bob Fish. “We’ve navigated three different economic cycles, a financial crisis and COVID. We’ve been nimble, perseverant and maintained our durability.”
“Our company thrives because of the people who power it — our team members, franchise owners, customers and vendor partners,” said Co-Founder and Co-CEO Mike McFall. “We are dedicated to unlocking human potential, encouraging every individual to pursue their passions and be themselves, while ensuring our culture remains deeply rooted in care, connection, inclusion and belonging.”
The company’s success stems from its unwavering commitment to its core values. BIGGBY COFFEE has fostered enduring relationships with vendors, including their roaster who grew from processing 20,000 pounds of coffee in their first year to 2.6 million pounds today. The franchise system has evolved into a multi-generational business, with second-generation owners taking the reins and expanding their family networks.
As it celebrates the past 30 years and looks ahead to the next three decades, BIGGBY COFFEE remains focused on transparent business practices and sustainable growth, with a focus on revolutionizing coffee sourcing. The company aims to achieve 100% Farm-Direct sourcing by 2028, having already achieved 50% for all coffee bought throughout the BIGGBY COFFEE system in August 2024, reinforcing its dedication to ethical practices and environmental stewardship. And as it works to become a $1 billion company by 2028, all while staying true to its core values of putting people first, strengthening the communities it serves, and revolutionizing coffee sourcing, it will continue to demonstrate just how powerful leading with love can be.
“Our investments continue to be in the restoration and protection of our Earth for the next generation,” Fish said. “We’re committed to focusing on health, safety and security as fundamental building blocks for personal and professional growth.”
As BIGGBY COFFEE marks this milestone, Fish emphasizes that the company’s success has been a collective achievement: “Our success really revolves around the consumer who has supported us since 1995, our franchisees, our owner-operators, the people that work in our home office and our vendors,” he said. “All those people are really the ones responsible for making BIGGBY.”
To celebrate the milestone — and those who have made is possible — BIGGBY COFFEE invites guests to join teams nationwide on March 26th to party like it’s 1995, offering its signature Caramel Marvel Latte, which has turned many first-time visitors into long-time BIGGBY COFFEE fanatics, at a throwback price of 95 cents.
“The BIGGBY experience is more than just about serving a great cup of coffee,” McFall said. “It’s about creating a legacy of enduring impact. We strongly believe that if you start with doing the right thing by your customers, employees and partners, profits will follow.”
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 430+ cafes across many states, including Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Idaho, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida.
Learn more about franchising with BIGGBY COFFEE: BIGGBYfranchising.com.
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