Photo: Biggby Coffee of Franklin - Facebook
Biggby Coffee in Franklin
Biggby Coffee in Franklin
Up-and-coming regional franchise restaurants such as Portillo’s, Dave’s Hot Chicken and Sweetgreen have rapidly expanded into Wisconsin in recent years. In the coffee realm, Michigan-based Biggby Coffee, which started with a single store in East Lansing in 1995, today has more than 350 cafes in eight states, including Wisconsin, which they see as their next big market.
“This is just the beginning of what our long-term goals are for Wisconsin and Biggby nation. We are dedicated to having 100 stores in Wisconsin by 2030. Bringing our core value of loving people to my state is what gets me up every day and fired up to talk to people about this opportunity,” says Tom Belongia, the area representative in Wisconsin for Global Orange Development, Wisconsin Biggby stores.
Belongia adds that they are looking forward to not only the openings of the Red Arrow Park and Cudahy locations, but two new stores coming to Green Bay, along with their first locations in Madison and Eau Claire. “2024 is going to be an exciting year for us.”
Milwaukee entrepreneurs Curtis Grace and Keith Washington currently own the Biggby location in Franklin—the first Biggby to open in the Milwaukee area. They will open another Biggby shop in Cudahy this year, and they were awarded the bid as the new coffee vendor for Slice of Ice, the skating rink at Red Arrow Park. Starbucks had operated in the space for 20 years and closed that location in November.
Grace and Washington became friends when they worked together in the airline industry. Grace currently works in banking, and Washington is a real estate broker and investor. They decided to go into business together and found that franchising had advantages such as working with an already established brand.
Locally Owned and Operated
Washington says they chose Biggby because the company cares about the people involved in brand development. “They will support you in building the life you love. From the first impression, that all sounds good, but after going through their franchising process, they mean what they say.”
While Grace was self-employed as an independent financial representative, coffee shops regularly served as his mobile offices. Because of that, he and Washington gravitated toward the coffee concept. “With Biggby, walking into a location feels inviting and warm,” Grace says. They were also impressed by how all Biggby’s locations are owned and operated by members of their communities.
Grace and Washington are in preliminary talks with the city of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee County Parks department about the Red Arrow Park location. “The space needs refreshing. Starbucks was there for 20 years, and the current interior is kind of dark and dated,” Grace says. “Overall, Biggby has light, energizing colors and is livelier, so we will do a complete redesign.”
They hope to open Biggby’s Red Arrow Park location in spring or early summer.
Lattes, Lattes, Lattes—and More
The Biggby menu features a broad choice of lattes such as the Cinnabuzz, Coconut Cream, Hazelnut and Mint Mocha. Grace’s favorites include the Caramel Marvel, a caramel based latte, and the chocolate-based Mocha Mocha. “We’ve got staples, but we can also compromise per customers’ tastes.”
Washington’s favorite is the Wild Zebra, with milk chocolate and white chocolate topped with Biggby’s specialty sweet foam. There are also tea lattes, cold brews, hot chocolate, and Biggby Blast energy drinks—mocktails made with Red Bull— in several flavors like Scuba, with blue raspberry and strawberry boba, or Strawberry Punch. Those devoted to traditional coffee can get a Cuppa Joe or espresso.
Food items include the Bragel sandwiches, which can be made from a selection of meats and cheeses, or a vegan Bragel option. There’s also Three Cheese Egg bites, cookies and muffins.
Washington hopes to open one to two stores per year and be the largest Biggby operator in Wisconsin. Their Biggby locations are minority-owned and operated by members of the community.
“Both of us were born and raised in Milwaukee. We’re excited to put down roots with locations in the town in which we grew up,” Grace concludes.
Biggby Coffee also has a location in Waukesha (N20W22951 Watertown Road) opened this past June by franchisee owners Libby and Aaron Clarno. It is the first Biggby’s in Waukesha County. Biggby also has locations in Sheboygan and Plymouth, and a West Allis location is coming soon.
For more information about Biggby’s visit biggby.com.
