Join the BIGGBY® Team! Check out current job postings!

BIGGBY COFFEE OWNER RIDES TO MAKE WISHES COME TRUE

Posted on July 20, 2019

BIGGBY® COFFEE Make-A-Wish Michigan Team Rides 300 Miles for Critically Ill Children

 

East Lansing, MI,July 19, 2019–BIGGBY® COFFEE is excited to announce that one of their multi-unit operators will be participating in the 32nd annual Wish-A-Mile Bicycle Tour. Randy Neelis and his BIGGBY® COFFEE bike team will be joining the 300-mile bike ride Friday, July 26, through Sunday, July 28. The ride will raise money for Make-A-Wish® Michigan, which strives to grant wishes for children with critical illness.

 

Make-A-Wish® Michigan serves children across the entire state with life-threatening medical conditions and endeavors to make these children’s dreams come true. The non-profit organization has granted more than 9,500 wishes since their conception in 1984, and has a goal of reaching more than 450 children meet their wishes in 2019.

 

Neelis and his riding partners, Ron Clift and Stephen Walker, are participating in the race for the second year in a row. The team hopes to have BIGGBY® COFFEE participate in the ride every year and gain even more riders next year! Fueled with BIGGBY® coffee and BIGGBY® COFFEE jerseys, the team will ride from Traverse City to Big Rapids on Friday; from Big Rapids to Grand Ledge on Saturday; and will finish out the tour on Sunday, riding from Grand Ledge to Eaton Proving Grounds.

 

“I love to help make a child’s dream become a reality,” Neelis said. “BIGGBY® COFFEE provides me with a source to generate revenue to make these kids have a better life and forget about their illness.”

 

Neelis owns three BIGGBY® COFFEE locations—in Albion, Mich., Eaton Rapids, Mich., and Jackson, Mich.—and each location is selling stars and wristbands for anyone that donates to their ride. Donations of as little as $1 are being accepted at all three locations to go toward the teams goal of raising $2,400 for Make-A-Wish® Michigan.

 

Raise your lattes and join BIGGBY® COFFEE as we wish the BIGGBY® COFFEE Team a safe and successful ride! To donate visit any three of the Neelis BIGGBY® COFFEE locations or visit www.classy.org and search for the team BIGGBY® COFFEE.

 

####

BIGGBY® COFFEE, East Lansing, Mich.-based, 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. BIGGBY® COFFEE’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 pronounceable names like Teddy Bear® and Caramel Marvel®, BIGGBY® 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 more than 230 cafes across 9 states and counting including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Florida, and Texas. In 2018, BIGGBY® launched an Area Representative Program and currently has 8 Area Representatives in 6 states.

 

For franchise opportunities with BIGGBY® COFFEE, contact franchiseinfo@biggby.com.

 

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Nicholle Robertson at 517-294-3487 or email at press@biggby.com.

 

Previous Next

Recent posts

Letter From Mike McFall

Posted on November 26, 2025

It’s an honor that you’re considering joining the BIGGBY® family as a franchise owner. When I speak with potential franchise owners, there’s one quality that matters more than anything else to me: a people‑first orientation. In plain terms… do people genuinely bring you joy? If you look at our most successful franchise owners, they’ll all tell you the same thing: their favorite part of the business is the people. It’s the...

Read More

BIGGBY COFFEE Cracks Top 200 on Franchise Times Top 400, Climbing More Than 100 Spots in Four Years

Posted on November 14, 2025

By Jim Ryan - Sr. Content Writer LANSING, Mich. — BIGGBY® COFFEE, the 450+ unit high-energy coffee franchise, has once again been recognized by Franchise Times as one of America’s top franchises, landing at No. 188 on the 2025 Franchise Times Top 400 list. Entering the top 200, BIGGBY® has moved up more than 100 places over the past four years, proof positive of the impact operational innovations and franchise support can bring for...

Tags:

Read More