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Michigan Business Beat | Mike McFall, Biggby Celebrates 30th Anniversary And Reflects on 3 Decades!

Chris Holman welcomes Mike McFall, Co-Founder/Co-CEO, Biggby Coffee, East Lansing, MI

Michigan Business Network: Biggby logo

Watch Mike and Chris discuss BIGGBY COFFEE turning 30! The Biggby Co-CEO shares milestones, growth, and what’s next for this bold franchise, in the YouTube video shared below:

For their conversation several questions Chris wanted to find out from Mike:

Mike welcome, remind the Michigan business community about Biggby Coffee’s history?

Big news right now is BIGGBY COFFEE celebrating 30 years of growth, customer loyalty, and specialty coffee innovation, tell us about that?

What have been some of the highlights over those 3 decades?

BIGGBY COFFEE has been known for fostering enduring relationships with vendors, speak to that for business success?

Your roasters are now processing 100 times as much from your early days, speak to the consistency?

How is the company planning for its future, at 30 years it’s also evolved into a multi-generational business, speak to that?

The high-energy coffee franchise celebrated three decades of growth with a nationwide party and looking forward to its continued impact as it supports people in building lives they love.

EAST LANSING, Mich.March 2025 — BIGGBY® COFFEE, the 430+ unit high-energy coffee franchise committed to helping people build lives they love while centering ethical and sustainable practices, marking its 30th birthday with a nationwide celebration that was held 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 invited guests to join teams nationwide March 26th to party like it’s 1995. They offered their 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.”

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 café 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 VirginiaMichiganOhioIndianaIllinoisIdahoGeorgiaNorth CarolinaSouth CarolinaWisconsinTennesseeKentucky and Florida.

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