After announcing the addition of a Biggby Coffee to their family supermarket over a year ago, Market House co-owner Brandy Boyd said the Michigan-based coffee franchise will officially open its doors on Tuesday, Oct. 4, in the complex of the supermarket’s Hometown Hotspot.
The Biggby will be Hillsdale’s first ever franchise coffee store, and although they have not opened for business yet, there has been a lot of interest from members of the community.
“We don’t have a franchise coffee in town,” Brandy Boyd said. “We have some local shops that do a great job, but the Biggby brand is certainly going to bring a lot of people in. People are coming in basically every day wondering when we are going to open. There has been an overwhelming response.”
Brandy’s husband and co-owner of Market House Brett Boyd said in an interview with The Collegian in January that he was certain renovations would be finished by July. Three months behind schedule, Brandy Boyd said that her husband was obviously a little too eager.
“My husband was super excited,” Brandy Boyd said. “I think he made the announcement a little too early. Going into the construction, we were supposed to be first. Then we got moved to the middle, and then we got bumped to last. We’re glad to be open now.”
Brandy Boyd said the extra time for construction has paid off. The full-service coffee and tea bar occupy the front of the store. The back of the building sports a private lounge area, which includes eight leather-bound chairs and couches, a neon blue fireplace, flat screen televisions, and two private conference rooms which students can reserve for free for studying.
“Our loyal Market House customers are older,” Brandy Boyd said. “We wanted something that would appeal to the millennials. Biggby is a Michigan-based company, so that was even more appealing. We knew it was going to be a great fit, and so we went ahead and pulled the trigger.”
The hours are equally accommodating for the late night bookworm. Brandy Boyd said Biggby will be open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
Sophomore Katie Buursma was recently hired by Biggby, and said she cannot wait to see how Hillsdale students will react to the new space.
“I think it’ll be a great place for students to hang out,” Buursma said. “There’s great coffee and the conference rooms are great for studying. And the room with the fireplace is super comfortable. Not to mention there is free, steady wifi.”
Buursma was one of the last hires for Biggby, but Brandy Boyd said she would be willing to make exceptions for stellar Hillsdale students who would like to join the team.
“I encourage college students to fill out an application,” Brandy Boyd said. “If there is a dynamite applicant, I’ll make room. I want to get Hillsdale students. I think it’s important to have those partnerships between the school and local businesses.”
Brandy Boyd has been training her staff all week in preparation for Tuesday’s opening. As part of the staff training, she plans to open a few days early and serve free drinks to prep the new employees.
Brandy Boyd said the free coffee will be a good incentive to bring students into the store, but she’s optimistic that they’ll stay after seeing the accommodations.
“I encourage the students to come and check us out,” Brandy Boyd said. “It’s going to be a great place and, hopefully, their new hangout spot, because it’s a great atmosphere. Biggby is all about having fun and drinking great coffee.”