BIGGBY COFFEE, the Lansing-based 260-plus-unit coffee brand that has expanded steadily across the U.S. over the past 26 years, has opened its first location in Akron, Ohio.
Greg Alberty, a local Ohio resident with twenty years of experience in the retail industry, has opened this new BIGGBY COFFEE location with his brothers Brian and Kevin.
Alberty is no stranger to business. His grandfather founded Pat Catan’s Craft Stores in 1954, and Alberty worked alongside his family for two decades before Michael’s bought the brand in 2016. After the brand was sold, Alberty and his brothers began looking for a new business opportunity. In 2018, the trio was introduced to the BIGGBY COFFEE brand, and they’re now open at 2260 West Market Street.
“I’m excited to jump into the business and hopefully become a successful multi-unit franchisee,” Alberty says. “My dream is to build a business with BIGGBY® COFFEE that I can pass on to my kids.”
Founded in 1995, the BIGGBY COFFEE brand specializes in providing customers with the highest-quality coffee and service with a focus on supporting people to build a life they love. United behind this purpose, baristas, operators and corporate employees work together to create a welcoming culture for all customers.
Alberty said the experience that each location gives its guests, especially compared to other coffee brands, gave him the confidence to sign on. In addition to offering an exceptional guest experience, the BIGGBY COFFEE franchise offers an operational model that is well-positioned to thrive in a rapidly shifting consumer landscape.
After visiting a BIGGBY COFFEE BCubed model by the family’s lake house, Alberty knew this was the perfect fit for what he was looking to bring to Akron.
“While our background experience in business was focused on retail, coffee is something that people love and isn’t going anywhere,” Alberty says.
In addition to their first location in Akron, Alberty and his brothers have signed to open an additional unit in the greater Cleveland market. They are currently searching for potential locations.
