New Website...

We are happy to announce we have upgraded our blogsite and can now be located at biggbyjackson.com (no blogspot)

Valentines day, or Single Awareness Day... you choose!

Hello, Hello! We find ourselves here once again, another day that is either the opportunity to tell those you appreciate in you life that you do in fact appreciate them, or it may feel like a day that is just a constant reminder that you are single. Of my 30 years I've actually only had a Valentine one year, (and if I remember correctly, he conveniently "forgot" about it....;), so that means 29 years on my own on Valentines Day. I've finally reached the point where I realize that today doesn't have to be lonely. We all have people in our lives that mean more to us then we can ever tell them. Rather than being cranky today and tossing rude looks at happy couples, I am changing my attitude, being happy for those are in love, encouraging those who are not and reminding those in my life that I love them. In Arabic we say أحبك (O-Hib-kee), which I love because it reminds me of "the key to life".

So go out and celebrate those you love and appreciate today. It can be your significant other, your children... even your favorite barista at Biggby! (hint, hint ;) We have free hugs and kisses while supplies last!

In the words of a great man... "wuv, twu wuv, is what bwings us togever To-day, it's a dweem wiv in a dweem..."

Take care, drive safe, B-Loved.
Ed

B-Thankful...
Today I would like to say thank you to one of my favorite customers Mark, he always gets a decaf americano and takes the time to get to know each of us individually. Mark thank you for caring about each of us... you brighten our day!

Friday the 13th

Historically, Friday the 13th is rumored to be the most unlucky day of the year. You know the sayings; "Step on a crack, break your mother's back", "Don't let a black cat cross your path", "Break a mirror, and you will have 7 years bad luck". So, if anything will go bad, today is the day. . . . or IS it? This could be the luckiest day of your life. Create your own luck by coming in to the Jackson Biggby to get our "Lucky Latte"! Mention that you read about the "Lucky Latte" on this blogspot, and recieve a 10 oz for just $1.00! You never know, with all the rain we have had latlely, you may just find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

B - Lucky!

~Denise

Twitter Contest

Extra terrestrial "B"ings have invaded our shop

With warmer weather, comes the melting, the fog, and yes, the RAIN. You can view it 2 ways: it can be gloomy and depressing, making you want to curl up in a blanket, and sleep. Or, you can look at it as a renewal. Life abounds from water. It grows out of water, it grows when watered, and it glistens with dew. As I see it, with water, or rain, it is a new beginning. I know it is a little chilly and early yet to get out the galoshes and traipse through the puddles, but this rain is an appetizer to those soon-to-be-coming warm spring showers. I like to feel the rain hit my face and wash away yesterday, and start anew.

As I know it is still February, and it WILL get cold again, I still like to think about the hope of spring, and all that it means. Now with that said, you can take advantage of this delightful day. Be playful again: park your car a few spots father away, and take a refreshing stroll in the mist. Or, if you are on your way to a destination, and feel that the rain is nice, but better left on the outside, while you enjoy viewing it from the inside of your car, visit us through our DRIVE-THRU. We would love to see your smiling face through the drive thru window, OR, coming through the front door with a freshly dampened face from the rain! Enjoy the day! B-playful

~Denise

Valentines Day

It's that time of year again. What better gift could you get your sweetheart than caffeine? Caffeine in the form of coffee, chocolate, or the ultimate, chocolate and coffee together in the form of chocolate covered espresso beans.

Biggby Family Guest Book

Do you feel like family when you walk in the door at Biggby? You should, we consider all of our customers to be family. You are what makes us what we are, and our sole purpose is to make your day. But in order to do that, we need to know a little about you. What is your name, your fav drink, what is something that makes you, well, YOU? Tell us what you like about Biggby 143, Jackson, Michigan. And, please, tell us what we could do to make your "mini-vacation" with us the ultimate experience. We have a "Guest Book" at the front counter waiting to be journaled in. Just ask one of our friendly baristas to see it. So, help us fill the pages with the uniqueness of you. Then take a few minutes to browse the other pages that have been filled. We want to discover a bit about your history, your interests, and even your future aspirations. B-inspired! ~Denise

Can you feel that?

That warmth as it creeps up on you, sneaking through your hair to warm your scalp, the feeling of your fingers being out of your gloves and not recoiling in response to the cold? The ability to run out to your car and not have to spend five minutes bundling up... Its amazing.. and it is the sun. In Arabic it is شمس and is pronounced shem's, which is fantastic.
"But really tacos are soo good I love them. I sometimes wake up in the knight and have the worst craving for a burrito. Also I think that I might be Batman. Did you ever notice how nice lemon pledge smells? Drink coffee. Do you ever wish you could drive a tank, just once. Just to feel the power...VROOOMMMM!!! WHEEEEE!!!!! Ah but I digrese(or however its spelled). Dry skin hurts. I think that turkey subs with bacon is just awesome. Most people are unaware of the fact that Swiss Miss makes pudding cups. They are amazing, a little bit like hot fudge pudding. hugs are great. Perhaps I should pursue goat herding. Amen."
So this last bit... I walked away from my computer and Aaron commondeered it... This is what I work with... can I get some sympathy?
As I was saying... Shem's... I love the sun, it makes my heart fill with hope of summer just around the corner. It has been decided that I was born about 5 states too far north. Once it warms up a bit you will see my little bike out front when I am working. There is nothing better than going for a nice long bike ride that ends with a delicious iced tea or coffee at the end. That is what we have to look forward to. And quite honestly, I am excited!
Be WARM!!!!!
Ed.

BE-THANKFUL
============
This week I am so thankful for the young man at Jackson 10 (tall, thin, and has a dark beard) who is always so very nice to me. He is a hard worker and is pretty much always in a pleasent mood. So thank you mystery movie guy, it is always a pleasure doing business with you!

Imitation is the fondest form of flattery!!

Below is a blog post from biggbybob.com. Enjoy!

A BIGG 'Thank You' to Jackson Coffee

Yep that's right "Thanks Jackson Coffee" it's been fun watching you try to capitalize on our logo, our reputation, and all that we have built in these short 10 years we have been franchising!An interesting business model you have...let's see, create a unique logo and identification for Jackson Coffee. Ahhhh not so much, simply change the highly identifiable BIGGBY rectangle block orange and black B logo to an orange circle with a black J....hmmmmm, not feelin' too original there, ya'know? Then let's see, for marketing....strike a notable difference in the marketplace by creating a unique identity. Ahhhhh, not so much again, instead chase after BIGGBY customers by buying the paid keyword BIGGBY on GOOGLE (and other sites) and offer those people a free beverage...or better yet, now, buy $1,600 dollars worth of outdoor advertising to emphasise BIGGBY COFFEE, it's font style, and the unique spelling of it's name to people (customers, maybe even yours) that may not have even considered going to BIGGBY COFFEE before, but definitely will now...Wow! Unbelievable! Again, Thank You! Thank you for making BIGGBY COFFEE the one to beat!

On another note this idea that you roast everyday is at best interesting...I mean we are not able to roast all of our 500,000 pound annual usage in one day either, but I assume the larger point you would like to make is that you roast on site...but, even that is akin to somebody like KFC suggesting that they slaughter their chickens at their stores (yuk.) The coffee shop industry is littered with concepts that have come and gone based on the idea that they roast at their shop...many from Michigan, including Java Master to name one, or Lone Star Coffee to name another. Although in store roasting is a quaint idea that some have done well with including the Woolly Bugger in Harbor Springs...this manufacturing process called 'roasting' is a sophisticated and scientific process and tends to be very inconsistent in a small applications...and is often explained away with the use of words like artisan and micro. Don't get me wrong, there is such a thing as Artisan and Micro Roasters out there doing a great job...but none that are trying to articulate that great job by first emulating another company in one breath and then knocking them with the next breath. No the companies that I know that do a great job all have their own distinct personality and ID's...you should try it !Of course I couldn't resist flipping through your website a little, and there are a coupla points that you may want to brush up on there too.

You suggest that you are 'family operated'...certainly a noble statement, but if it's going to be a point of differentiation...then make sure it's different. All BIGGBY COFFEE shops are independently and locally owned, and of course pretty much everybody comes from a family, right? I mean that's the way that works, I think? Sure it does, and the Jackson BIGGBY COFFEE is no different it's owned and operated by a local family too! Wad'ya thinkin'?

Another little nugget of info...you state you use a 100% arabica coffee...so does Folgers in some of their blends, but that doesn't make their coffee good, ya'know? This is tantamount to you saying you use 100% coffee...whoppeee! Please note that because coffee is 100% arabica is not a statement of quality...there are good and there are bad arabica's, and there are good and bad robusta's alike. Please also note that, how many countries you buy from, is completely irrelevant, oh and, FYI coffee needs to de-gas for at least a day before it should be brewed and consumed. Freshness is key in coffee production...and coffee really does start oxidising right away after roasting, but some of this oxidising is necessary to begin to develop the beautiful and complex flavors that we all look for in a cup of coffee. Come on get with it! My last little rant is your reference to no 'secret blends'...and of course BIGGBY COFFEE has some blends that are secret...and after I have watched a company like yours try to copy so much that we do...is it any surprise that we may not divulge every recipe that we have?...Particularly in our core product. Duh!Well, usually I'd let this kinda thing go...and simply chalk up your emulation as a form of flattery. But seriously, I have watched companies try to copy things we do and try to tear down who we are...and I find either pathway not very healthy or productive...it doesn't work. It doesn't work because it doesn't come from a good place...sure everybody has a right to compete, but if you look at the great companies they never do it do it this way. They know who they are and where they want to go...and they pursue that with integrity and passion. I would encourage you to choose a better pathway than the one your on and fire whoever is making your marketing decisions(even if they are a family member)...simply said, they are doing more for BIGGBY COFFEE than anything...and although

I would love to thank them personally someday, I'm guessing that might never happen :)But until then keep this in mind... B-Happy, Have Fun, Love People, Make Friends, and Make Great Coffee!All my best,BIGGBY BOB

A bloggers contract!

So, my wife Denise and I were talking and I decided to make a commitment to blog everyday until we get some traffic on the site. The site will be filled with wierd, fun, and random bits of information that will make you leave it in a better mood than before you visited. Please make comments if you would like!

Drink Coffee and love life!!!

Matt

Proud Moment in History!

So... I was there. And it was amazing! To see such a proud, hopeful and beautiful moment in American history was absolutely indescribable. Standing in on the Mall with 1.2 million other people changed my life. The feeling of renewal, the feeling of a fresh start and the feeling of an opportunity for an entire community that had felt apathetic towards our political system coming together and watching with great pride as they were finally able to relate to someone in the White House.

All political debates aside, all talk of past administrations and incoming administrations aside, here were a group of folks (1.2 million just on the mall alone) coming together to watch history before our very eyes, the energy was crazy amazing! Never before have I felt so much warmth from strangers. The city was alive with the excitement of a new day in American history.

I have never before visited our nations capital, which is strange because I am so involved in politics. The monuments were beautiful and breath taking. I got yelled at by the secret police!!! So much fun, I guess I should not have crossed that fence, eh?

Standing in the World War II memorial with the hush of those who sacrificed their lives around me was the most painful and beautiful moment in my life. Stepping out of the Holocaust museum and feeling so helpless and incapable in the face of such horror, gave me a sense of responsibility to my fellow human beings, not just in my country, not just on my continent, but all around my world. I pray that we do not have to face something so horrible in our lives, but should we be confronted with social injustice of any kind we need to stand up and stop such things.

I do not know what my role in the story of our country or our earth will be, but I do know that it starts today, tomorrow and every morning that I am blessed to wake up. Living in a free country we do NOT realize just how incredibly blessed we are. Let us not forget that there are others who are not given the opportunities that we are given, let us always remember that given a simple geographical shift, we could find ourselves in that same boat.

Well that is awfully depressing reading! But there is always Hope, Hope that we can build a better future, and that Hope begins in your and my heart.

Take Care,
B-Involved...
Ed.

PS... there is a new feature to the blog... in an effort to support thankfulness in my own life, I have decided to include in every blog, a random thank you for simple acts of kindness that I see through out my journeys.
So

BE THANKFUL
- Thank you to Alicia, a waitress at Cracker Barrel who was patient with my mother as she took her time figuring out what to order a week ago Friday, also thank you for all the lemons!

I leave you with a picture shot just before I got chastised by the Secret Police... Enjoy!

Exciting News Below!!!!

Audrey is engaged to someone she met here!!!

Names / Ages / Occupations:
Audrey Besey: Age 20 // Student at MSU // Barista at Biggby Coffee & Receptionist at Personal Images Salon, in Jackson, MI

Benjamin Schultz: Age 24 // Department Manager atMenards in Toledo, OH // Has Finance degree from Central Mich. University.

Short story about how you met and your first date? (who asked who out, where did you go):
We met at Biggby coffee, where I worked. He was in having lunch with his sister and nieces (who I knew previously from working there). As he was leaving, I made a comment about how good looking I thought he was, so the girl I was working with ran over to his sister, Sarah to tell her what I had said. She came over and was very excited that I was interested in her brother who she said was “new in town.” So she told him to come in the next day to meet me. When he did, we were both too nervous to talk to each other. He just ordered a coffee and as he was turning to leave, my boss Matt (who also knew Ben) called him back and got his number for me. I called him the next day and we decided to go out to dinner.

He picked me up and we went to Olive Garden, then to Cascade’s park, where we walked around talking. There, we stumbled upon a Jazz concert, which made the night even more special. As we were walking to the car to leave, his sister called him to ask if he would drive a group of her friends around Lansing for one of their bachlorette parties. He asked me if I’d like to come and keep him company and I agreed. I eventually got home at 3am after our 9hour long date. We hit it off immediately and spent the entire 9 hours talking and laughing. It was a perfect match from the start. We’ve now been dating for 1½ years.


What is the thing that makes you love them?
I am constantly laughing when we’re together. Ben is always doing something silly or telling jokes to make me laugh (whether they’re funny or not). But seriously, one of the best qualities he has is selflessness. He always puts everyone else before himself, which shows me what a good husband and someday father he will be.

What are the little things that make you smile that the other person does?
Everything. I don’t know if I ever stop smiling while we’re together. One of my favorite things is when he leaves me little notes just telling me how much he loves me. Once I was at work and went to get something out of my purse and found a folded up piece of paper that just said, “ I love you – hope you have a great day at work – I can’t wait to see you again!” That just made my day!

Tell me about when you got engaged?
He started by asking my parents permission. He thought about asking me at Biggby where we met, but when he came in, he decided it just wasn’t the right moment (in other words, he chickened out). So he asked me later that night at his sister’s house. We were sitting in the living room watching House, MD (our favorite show). We were laughing and talking about how in love we were when he got down on one knee and stumbled through the words, “will you marry me?” and I managed to squeak out a, “yeah.” Then we stayed up half the night sharing our excitement and looking at my ring!


What are your wedding plans?
Not sure yet. I’m still in school so it will have to be this summer break, x-mas break, or next summer after I graduate. I’m hoping for a Lake MI ceremony! But we’ll have to wait and see.

New Years, its almost here....

So i dont know if you've been paying attention, but it is here. The end of the year. When we find ourselves recounting our past year, asking the hard questions about what we did, who we touched, how we improved ourselves.

The best thing about the new year is that we have an opportunity to start fresh. Begin new, make resolutions and goals for the coming year. Will you resolve to stop smoking? Lose weight? Spend more time with your family? Get better grades?

My resolution this year is simply this: I hope to be more gracious and generous with my community. It is so easy to sit back and whine about where I live, and who I live by. This year I am going to stop whining and start doing. Anyone interested in joining me?

In the past when I have made resolutions about me they have always flopped, perhaps if I make them about those around me I will be more successful, that is all I can hope for anyways. Lets touch some lives this year, shall we?

On another note, if you are out late on New Years Eve and need your morning joe to get your groove back on, we will be here... helping you out on New Years Day from 8am to 10pm. Come on in, tell us about your day, get a cuppa and start out the new year right with the perfect brew. Remember if your family didn't get you that mug that you wanted or the gift card that you were longing for for Christmas... Good news! ...we still have them for you.

Be safe and well
Ed

P.S. Don't forget game night, a time for all to come and hang out, play cards or board games with Elizabeth and get to know others in your Biggby Community. Friday nights at 7:30. Come, get dinner at Roly and then fun and games at Biggby. See you there!

Two Days!!!!

Only two days...TWO DAYS(!!!!!!) until the biggest day of love and joy shared with our families. Big dinners, children running around screaming and chasing each other, apple pie, warm coffee, snowball fights, card games... and Grandma's "special" egg nogg. This Christmas I will be spending the morning with my Dad and Stepmom and the rest of the day with my brother and sister in law, their five boys, my younger sister and brother and my Mom.

It.will.be.chaos!
No question.

Yet through all the rodeo that is getting everyone to the table, there will be that joy that spreads through the heart filling every corner. Seeing my nephews light up with excitement over race tracks and my parents appreciate my meager but thought full offerings, this is what i wait for all year long. My dad will be getting a pound of his favorite coffee this Christmas (Biggby's Best) and a travel mug. He was easy to shop for... one stop shopping... At Biggby's! The rest of my family was not as easy, but I managed to get things together for them. Do you have all of your shopping finished? If not, stop in and see us, we will help you get a warm coffee for you and a gift card for that person who is impossible to shop for! Tomorrow (Christmas Eve) we will be open from 6am to 6pm... lets see you then!

B- Safe (in this crazy weather!)
Ed

2 words. GAME. NIGHT.

That's right folks, we are having the first of many game nights this Friday at 7:30pm. We will be playing cards, haven't yet decided if it will be Euchre, Hearts or some other card game it will depend on how many people show up. This is an opportunity for every one to meet each other, we are all connected to the store in one way or another. There will be fun and prizes and of course good people, so be there... 7:30 pm. Your loyal barista Elizabeth, with a cuppa joe in her hand, will be your guide... Can't wait to see you all there. So come on out get some coffee and stay for a great time. (hey you can even get some nosh at Rollys!)

Take Care,
Ed.

P.S. Don't forget our food bank box out front, it is looking kinda lonely.... lets fix this!

Who gets a chill in the middle of DECEMBER??!!!!

I love our customers, i really really do. But sometimes they totally confuse me. Seriously... who wants a Big Chill in the middle of December? I just don't get it. If you are one of the strange ones who like Chills in December, please give me a decent argument in the form of a comment below... if it is valid, then perhaps i will change my mind. But it has to be valid.

In other news: Finals are finally done, so everyone in my life is happier! Especially my coworkers. :) I have to say, though, when I am studying for an exam the Biggby lobby is definitely my location of choice. The people are always happy to see you (customers and baristas) there is always good music to listen to, and the perfect latte (extra foamy with spenda) awaiting you when you walk in the door. All of this combined with a sandwich from Rolly... can it get any better. Stop on in and see us, bring a canned good for the food bank box in the lobby. Lets make this season about giving!

Take care for now,
Ed.

PS. EVERYONE STOP TALKING ABOUT WHO YOU HAVE FOR SECRET SANTA... its not going to be a secret if you all figure it out by telling everyone who you have!

PPS. Go to Jacksonmagazine.com and vote for your favorite coffee local.... Biggby of course silly! We will do it again for 08!

Im a student, please be kind this week...

So this up coming week is finals week for most students, me being one of them. If you have a college student in your life, whether they are a child, a sibling, a parent or just a friend, please give them some slack this week. It' a tough week. Think back to when you were in college... This was the week that you put off for the entire semester. All of your well planned procrastination has now come to bite you in the behind. You find yourself staying up late at night, writing papers that you've known about for 15 weeks, or studying for 4 different finals.

College student get a lot of crap from non-college students. Most people think that college is just an extension of high school. We are viewed as lay abouts whom take naps throughout the day, watch youtube and update our facebooks during class. Let me say that it is true that we take naps, and we don't always pay attention during lectures; but lets be honest... neither did you! :) We are running low on our left over financial aid, and have decided that if we have to eat one more package of ramen or box of mac n' cheese we just might loose it!

In our defense, most of us haven't had five consecutive hours of sleep in years. (When I was in Florida my body wouldn't allow me to sleep beyond about four hours, because it is so used to terrible sleeping habits). Most students have moved beyond the shame that is public sleeping, and have little problem with crashing in the library or lounge. We are faced with another meal out of a vending machine, and another day of bad nutrition. And to top it all off, we will only see a 70$ return on books that we paid 470$ at the beginning of the semester.

So if you find yourself faced with a short tempered student in you life, buy them a Caramel Mocha or a bag of coffee, offer to cook them a real dinner or just be nice. We promise, in a week we will be mostly back to normal... well, at least until midterms next semester...

Take Great Care,
Ed

Additional Photos.

From the warm sand....

Hey Yo! Did you get in this morning to see our two favorite brothers Josh and Jacob?
Well here i am in beautiful Florida, on Anna Maria Island, and let me just tell you, it is beautiful. I didn't know if i would like it, as i am typically not a huge fan of Florida, BUT.... This is defiantly a place i could come back to. I rented an adorable scooter (see pic) and have enjoyed discovering the island. The weather is a very tolerable 68 degrees, and I am getting ready to go out and find myself a latte. I will say though, it is pretty difficult to get a decent latte here on the island... maybe someone should consider opening a Biggby Coffee here... Hum, i'll have to think about that.

Take Care, be well

B- Thankful.
Ed

Give. Thanks.

Here we are, less than a week from Thanksgiving. The snow is falling, bowl games are on the horizon, and as custom of late, the Lions are killing me!!! Every year at Thanksgiving we assemble at my Aunts house. There are 6 grandparents, 17 parents/aunts/uncles, and pushing close to 20 grandkids. Aunt Barb always had a few "strays", folks who had nowhere to go or do for the day. It is chaos! But it is also love, in its most precious form. Families coming together, hugging, sharing, cooking, laughing, drinking, eating and giving. Aunt Barb insists that we all go around the table and state what we are thankful for. When I was a child I saw this as a silly ritual that we participated in (sometimes unwilling). Now as an adult I love listening to every one talk about the blessings in their lives.

This Thanksgiving I am going to be in Florida for the week, so I am going to miss that wonderful atmosphere. It is surely a loss for me, but I know that they will be there next year, and all the years after. I am so blessed to have my family and friends so close by. There are so many who don't have that luxury, either they have moved far from home and cannot return, or simply do not have any family. I think that we should all make it a priority to include those people in our day. Whether it is a smile and a hello, an invitation to dinner, much needed groceries to help fill their table or maybe helping to feed them at a kitchen. What ever you can do, where ever you can do it, this Thanksgiving reach out to those around you. Lets just be a little like my beautiful Aunt, reach out, and you never know what you will find.

Josh and Jacob will be reaching out here at the store between 6 and 10, so if you need your morning joe, come on out... they would love to see you. If you bring a non perishable food item for the food bank box in our lobby, we will give you a dollar off a super size drink.

Happy Thanksgiving all.
B-Giving

Ed.

P.S. I promise I will post a picture of the warm beach!