Biggby Coffee opens in Fenton
Posted on May 11, 2008
From the Fenton Press
by Bernie Hillman
FENTON - There's a new brew in town, and Laurin Hunt said her Biggby Coffee shop serves the best from start to finish.
"We have real smooth espresso, which makes wonderful lattes and cappuccinos," Hunt said.
Her franchise opened Tuesday and is serving free coffee through today.
Besides brewed coffee and teas - and a long list of hot drinks - the shop also blends chilled specialty drinks including banana cream freeze or mint chip freeze.
Customers also can choose whole coffee beans such as Rwanda, Costa Rica or mocha java.
"You can grind here or take them home and grind," Hunt said. Besides beverages, customers can dine in or out on muffins, danishes, bagels or bagel sandwiches.
"We have fancy desserts - berry stack, lemon bars and crumb cake," she said.
The store is staffed with 19 employees.
"That's not counting me and my friend, Chris Bent of Lennon," Hunt said.
"When I'm not here, she is in charge. She's my right hand, left hand and other leg - it's true."
Bent said the staff can please any palate.
"If you can dream it up, we can make it," Bent said.
"I like all the drinks, but caramel marble is my favorite. It's made with espresso, caramel, velvetized milk and whipped cream on top. We don't just steam our milk, we velvetize it," Bent said.
She explained that's done by incorporating air into the milk. "It makes it creamier," she said.
"Our recipes for espresso and our French roast are secret recipes only he knows," Hunt said.
Hunt said she's in a career she didn't see coming a few years ago.
"I used to pour concrete," she said. "I got hurt, and about four years ago, I went to work as barista at a Biggby store in Lansing."
She became assistant manager and started to dream of owning her own store. While researching the best location, she discovered Fenton.
"It's a nice area," Hunt said.
She lives near St. Johns, about a 75-mile commute each way, but she plans to relocate.
Meanwhile, she urges everyone to check out the shop.
Original article: http://www.mlive.com/flint/stories/index.ssf?/base/business-0/1210479696257830.xml&coll=5&thispage=1