Wednesday, February 13, 2013

AN IDENTIFIABLY UNIQUE CULTURE


As CEO of BIGGBY® COFFEE, it is my responsibility to make sure the culture in our company is well-defined. That definition has to make sense to the consumer, the franchisee, the employees, and to all the other people we effect daily in our great system.

If you follow me on social media, you will often see me talking about our culture with these words: “B happy, have fun, make friends, love people, and drink great coffee.” Although this sounds a little new-age, it is really pretty simple. We are in the retail business, and the idea of being happy and having fun means you are a person who likes to smile and you enjoy life. Making friends? That’s simple! When we meet people, we treat them like friends and because of this, they become our customers. Love people? If you are a grumpy person and do not really enjoy interacting with others, you probably do not belong in retail. And last, drink great coffee goes without saying! You have to truly love and admire the product you are selling. Knowing and communicating our culture has been an intricate part of our success.

I always hear our customers saying, “You have the friendliest people in your stores,” and I could not agree more. However, I think it is important to ask yourself, how does such a “soft” idea, like cultural values, translate into business success? Well, here are a few statistics to help answer that question. Our same-store-sales growth (growth for locations open for more than 13 months) has been positive for 38 consecutive months, with an 8.5 percent average monthly growth rate. These are numbers that exceed the quick service restaurant industry both regionally and nationally. Also, Franchise Business Review has ranked (through franchisee surveys) BIGGBY® COFFEE as a Top 40 Food Franchise once again! Additionally, in their 2013 edition, Entrepreneur Magazine ranked BIGGBY® COFFEE number 201 in their Top 500 Franchise Opportunities, which includes concepts across all industries in the nation. In 2012, on this same list, BIGGBY® COFFEE was ranked number 268, and in 2010, we were ranked number 387. Our customers, our franchisees, and our peers, are all ranking us higher and higher, and acknowledging that we are continuously growing.

BIGGBY® COFFEE is a serious company when it comes to performance and it is all wrapped up in a culture that is identifiably unique. This cultural identity is so strong that we have conquered many competitors, who have never understood why. I can tell you though, it is simple; you just have to B happy, have fun, make friends, love people, and drink great coffee!

Saturday, February 9, 2013

How to open a Biggby Coffee by Mark :)




This video tugs at my heart, and makes me proud of all the accomplishments (personal and business) that our BIGGBY operator/franchisees have acheived. Love People :)