BIGGBY® COFFEE Names Michele Waits Chief Marketing Officer

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Waits brings 15 years of experience in the coffee industry, previously holding positions at Starbucks and illycaffè.

LANSING, MI — BIGGBY® COFFEE, the 340-unit coffee concept, has welcomed industry-veteran Michele Waits to the leadership team as Chief Marketing Officer. With 25 years in brand management and over a decade of experience in coffee marketing, Waits says she was drawn to BIGGBY® COFFEE  by its purpose-driven mission and growth mindset.

“Its emphasis on being mission-driven and delivering a custom-crafted consumer experience is what makes BIGGBY® COFFEE so unique,” Waits explained. “We offer a combination of great coffee and friendly service in a simple and unpretentious way that, I think, is really consistent with what consumers want today.”

Currently, Waits says, her days consist of learning and listening. Reaching the unit count that BIGGBY® COFFEE has achieved in a profitable way has not been an easy feat, and she will be integrating her experience and ideas into an already-successful network.

Looking to the future, Waits will work to better crystallize the brand’s market position.

“This is a brand that has grown to be so much bigger than coffee,” she said. “As we expand, we will work to clearly communicate our brand promise in a way that resonates with our customers. Getting the word out and telling our unique brand story will really catapult us forward.”

“Michele brings a remarkable professional history to the BIGGBY® COFFEE team,” said Michael McFall, co-founder and co-CEO. “As we work to drive the brand forward, her insights will empower the marketing team to connect with our customers in a more individualized way, streamlining and modernizing our efforts.”

Just as BIGGBY® COFFEE offers customers coffee however they want it, Waits’ marketing strategy will take a similar approach. By leveraging personalized digital marketing and a social media presence, the brand will be able to connect with its customers how and where they prefer.

“Personalized digital marketing delivered through an app is a perfect way to be able to extend the ‘any way you want it’ conversation that we have in our stores to deliver a great customer experience outside of the stores as well,” she said.

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 cafe 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 340 cafes across many states, including Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Idaho, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Florida.