Biggby Coffee comes to Hamilton bringing java and treats to busy patrons
Dustin and Amy Hepburn and their family didn’t know that they were destined to own coffee shops, but when the opportunity came to this Loveland family, they made it happen.
“We had dreamed of owning a business, but looking at franchising fees, they often seemed unattainable,” says Hepburn.
They’d been to Biggby Coffee before, an East Lansing based coffee shop that also had a few franchises around the country, and a friend of theirs had just become the area representative for the company, bringing in new franchise owners.
“We all went out to dinner and it felt like we blinked and we’d picked our spot and opened our location,” says Hepburn. “They really are a small business and each shop is owned by local people. We liked their company feel and the kid-friendly, fun environment and the products too. That’s what sold us on it.”
This was three years ago, and they have expanded since, working to have four total locations open soon. Hamilton’s Biggby location is on High Street near the intersection with Erie Boulevard.
For this location, they chose a design with a drive-thru on one side of the building and a walk-up window on the other. This design choice promotes efficiency, which could come in handy as the High Street corridor sees tens of thousands of commuters and other drivers throughout the day, all hankering for a good cup of coffee and a snack or meal.
The Biggby company grew slowly for about 25 years before a recent burst of growth that has brought them to around 300 locations. Hepburn and her family were drawn in by the way that the company retains its smaller-company attitudes and heart, making their experience positive and allowing them to create a great work environment for their workers.
“I’ve gotten lots of applications to work at the Hamilton location,” Hepburn explains. “I let people know that I want kind, reliable people who are fun and love to come to work. The rest I can teach them, but we want a fun atmosphere. Ideally, we want people to leave in a better mood than they arrived in.”
Biggby is known for their many speciality and brewed coffee drinks, including flavored lattes that can be served hot, iced, or frozen. They also offer non-coffee frozen drinks including smoothies, as well as some food items including breakfast sandwiches and muffins. There are options for children too, making Biggby a hit with the younger crowd.
The CEO has a passion for farmer-direct coffee, where even a larger account like Biggby sources beans from the farmers themselves. The CEO himself goes to countries and meets the farmers personally, seeing the beans and connecting with the people raising them. Sourcing beans from the farmers results in a fresher product that goes into things like the Biggby Best signature blend of coffee.
At its heart, Biggby remains a small business, and the local owners run shops right near their home, even as shops are popping up around the Cincinnati and Dayton area. If you develop a favorite order here in town, you are likely to be able to get it in many other local spots down the road.
Hepburn hopes that Hamilton residents will give the drive-thru or walk-up window a try, and the support of their parent company has only made their coffee shops around the Cincinnati area more successful.
“Franchises can be small businesses, just with support and backing from a company,” says Hepburn. “We’re so glad to be here – it’s a really good opportunity and we’re so glad that the city leadership have embraced us and been so supportive.”