BIGGBY COFFEE announced plans to launch a new modular drive thru concept. BCubed Manufacturing, LLC will begin manufacturing modular drive thru BIGGBY COFFEE shops at the former ATI Castings foundry in Alpena, MI. Jeff J Konczak, an Alpena native, is the owner of BCubed Manufacturing, LLC and DarKon LLC which purchased the former foundry property and facility in late 2017. Jeff and his team designed and developed the concept for the innovative drive thru facility and presented it to BIGGBY COFFEE, who then committed to piloting the new system.
“We are excited to bring new manufacturing jobs back to Alpena and restart operations in a shuttered historic facility,” Konczak says. The former ATI Castings foundry is approximately 150,000 square feet on 10 acres and has significant opportunities to scale. BCubed Manufacturing will launch both installation and site connection crews from Alpena to ensure consistent placement and site layout designs while to employing 30-40 employees to manufacture the facilities.
Like BIGGBY, BCubed Manufacturing is Michigan-based and will utilize local materials and suppliers for the parts and materials used in the construction of the facilities. The modular units are built to the highest standards using high-quality materials and will arrive at the sites fully equipped. This allows for a quick turnaround from signing to serving the world’s best coffee. BCubed facilities are designed to be placed in large parking lots, small undevelopable green space lots, or near malls in high traffic areas.
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, Michael McFall and Bob Fish, 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 customer’s day and supporting them in building a life they love. The “Big ‘B’” on the orange background caught on, and today BIGGBY COFFEE has over 270 cafes open or under contract across nine states including: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Florida, and Texas. In 2018, BIGGBY launched an Area Representative Program and currently has 4 area representatives in 3 states.
