Biggby Coffee – Frandor

22 05 2009
  • 1429 W. Saginaw St. #100
  • East Lansing, MI 48823
  • (517) 324-7007
  • Website
  • Menu
Biggby Coffee in East Lansing near the Frandor Shopping Center.

Biggby Coffee in East Lansing near the Frandor Shopping Center.

After my last trip to Starbucks, I’m sure you all know how I feel about the place.  If you missed that review, I’m not a fan.  I don’t like coffee anyway, so my opinion on the subject doesn’t really matter.  J’s not the kind of person that can’t function without coffee, but she does enjoy the occasional after meal mocha.  Since we ate dinner at Lou & Harry’s Grill & Bakery and there was a Biggby around the corner, she wanted to stop and get a drink.

You all know the Beaner’s/Biggby story better than I do, so I won’t even get into it.  There are several East Lansing locations.  This location is right on the Lansing/East Lansing line in a strip mall between Saginaw and Grand River. The Biggby faces Saginaw Street, but it’s accessible from both roads.

The store isn’t huge, but it is typical of the franchise.  The thing I absolutely love about Biggby is how they adapt to their surroundings.  They don’t tear buildings down and put up the same pretentious building on every street corner.  I like that they use the available space and, in some cases, blend right into the fabric of the community.  This store is in a strip mall, so it’s not anything super unique, but it’s still a Biggby.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Categories : Chains, Coffee, East Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Name Change Doesn’t Hurt Biggby’s Growth

26 01 2009

The State News did a profile on Biggby founder and MSU Grad Bob Fish.  The only real newsworthy thing is almost an after thought in the lead. 

Fortunately, the name change didn’t stunt the growth of the company. Biggby has doubled its store numbers every two years since Fish began franchising stores in 1999. The company had its best year ever in 2008, opening 35 new stores across the Midwest and Southeast.

I know how hard change is for people.  I still don’t like to call Comiskey Park US Cellular Field.  It’s just not right.  To me, Beaner’s is an obvious reference to coffee.  It was the only thing I thought about when I heard the original name of the coffee franchise.  J actually had to clue me in as to why Beaners could be offensive.  Then, just last month, I figured out where the new name came from.  Duh…

Anyway, the thing I really wanted to write about today was Biggby’s ability to adapt.  The thing I absolutely LOVE about the franchise is that there is no set model on how the stores have to look.  I love the store in Holt that’s put in an old building or the store in downtown Lansing.  Biggby doesn’t have to go into the same, boring, building every time.  Outside of major cities, all the Starbucks look exactly the same.  What will help Biggby grow is being able to use existing buildings.


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Categories : Food News, Michigan

Press Release – New Biggby Store

15 10 2008

From a press release….

BIGGBY COFFEE TO OPEN 24th GREATER LANSING LOCATION
Growing Hometown Brand Thriving Despite Economic Downturn

LANSING, Mich., October 15, 2008 – East-Lansing based BIGGBY COFFEE will open a new location in its hometown of Lansing on Tuesday, Oct 21st, across from Eastwood Town Center. The new store, located at 2250 Lake Lansing Road, marks the 24th greater Lansing location for the increasingly popular coffee retailer.

Long-time franchisee, Jane O’Connor, is the catalyst behind the new store, which is her fourth BIGGBY COFFEE location. O’Connor owns successful franchises in Okemos, Marshall and East Lansing.

“I’ve been with the Big ‘B’ a long time now, so I’m an oldie but a goodie,” said O’Connor, in reference to her first store opening in Okemos more than seven years ago, when just a few stores existed in the region. “The truth is, the brand has become a local legend before my very eyes, and that’s extremely fulfilling on a professional level. Of course, I’m a huge fan myself so I can’t wait to bring the experience to the residents of Groesbeck and the shoppers across the street at Eastwood.”

The store is open 6 a.m. – 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Sundays. Soft seating and free wireless access will be paired with a fun, inviting atmosphere—all standard options at BIGGBY COFFEE.

The new location marks the 104th for the rapidly expanding coffee retailer. BIGGBY COFFEE currently operates in eight states, and has another 66 locations under contract to open over the next 24 months.

The new Lansing store will bring nearly 20 new full-and part-time jobs to the area.


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Categories : Food News, Lansing, Michigan, Press Releases

East Lansing Coffee Shop Set to Open 100th Store

10 07 2008

East Lansing’s own Biggby Coffee is gearing up for the grand opening of it’s 100th store.  The grand opening of the Biggby Coffee in Bloomfield will be next Tuesday, July 15th.  As an added bonus, the 100th customer at every Biggby store will get a free cup of coffee.Biggby Coffee

How crazy is it that a small coffee shop from East Lansing is expanding and competing in a market that was flooded with specialty coffee shops?  There’s a funny story on Bob Fish’s (CEO and Co-Founder) blog about a store in Davison that just opened and the next day, the McDonald’s across the street gave away free coffee. 

The company is not planning on stopping at 100.  According to the State News, they plan to double their franchises every two years with a planned 250 by 2010.

Biggby Coffee plans to open 73 more stores in the next two years, and to have more than 250 stores by 2010. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Food News, Michigan