Biggby Coffee plans to add 10 new locations in Memphis area: What we know about where & when

Biggby Coffee is looking to add nearly a dozen locations across the Memphis area in the coming years.

The Lansing, Michigan-based chain already opened one area location in February 2023, at 200 S. Germantown Parkway in Cordova. Because of its success, Biggby is preparing to open at least 10 new locations in the next five years.

"We've had a great response," said Jabin Newhouse, franchise owner of the Cordova Biggby location. "I think everybody wants to try something new... that's obviously part of it. But I think also the breadth of our menu, the wide variety, has really piqued a lot of interest."

Biggby Coffee is known for its extensive menu options. They offer anything from a typical black coffee to tea lattes, energy drinks, mocktails, hot chocolate and smoothies. There are more than 80 different smoothies, or freezes, listed on its website. Energy drinks can be mixed with Red Bull too, if you need an extra kick. Many drinks come with fun recognizable names, like Green Lagoon or Moonboot Latte.

Biggby is 100% franchised — though the company can suggest expansion locations, it's ultimately up to franchise owners like Newhouse to make that decision.

"It's a collaborated process for our franchise owners," said Tony DiPietro, Vice President of Emerging Markets. "They make the end decision of where they want to put a location... we're giving them our opinion, but at the end of the day, we truly believe that the franchise owner has to make that decision."

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Rather than bombarding a region with 10 new stores at once, Biggby locations will gradually open close to the existing Cordova location, and continue to expand outward one at a time. Though it's too early to say where the next store will pop up, a lot of the decision-making process comes down to customer feedback.

"We had several customers that come in and see our marketing, see our advertising, and say, 'You're like 4 miles away, you're just out of where I would love to make you my coffee shop,'" Newhouse said. "I love that excitement from customers telling me where to go. And I do take that input seriously."

Every corner of Shelby County is currently on the table, from Midtown to Arlington. According to DiPietro, depending on the area new locations could have a drive-thru with a lobby, be drive-thru only, or even be modular, a concept called "BCubed" by the company. BCubed locations are small structures with no indoor seating that can be assembled far quicker than a normal location, as all materials are pre-built before being shipped out to the site.

Regardless of the size, DiPietro said the core of Biggby locations is approachability.

"Our menu tends to be unintimidating," he said. "We don't have this cross language between French and Italian. You don't have to know everything about coffee."

Menus can vary across Biggby locations, and Memphis is no different. Newhouse said he likes the freedom Biggby allows to let him choose what goes up on the menu, and what gets discounted.

"We take those menu items, and then I have an opportunity as a local owner to highlight certain drinks," Newhouse said. "So obviously we do have a different palate in the South, meaning we do see drinks that are more popular here than maybe other regions... so we run our specials and discounts on those more popular products."

Jacob Wilt is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach him at jacob.wilt@commercialappeal.com .

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Biggby Coffee plans to add 10 new locations in Memphis area: What we know about where & when