BIGGBY® COFFEE Names Michele Waits Chief Marketing Officer
Posted on February 6, 2023
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.