Biggby Coffee franchise
2022 filing · April 30, 2022Shares sales figures
Biggby Coffee at a glance
A coffee shop serving espresso drinks, brewed coffee, teas, smoothies and baked goods, with drive-thru at many locations. At the end of 2021 there were 281 Biggby Coffee locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Global Orange Development, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 1999
- 23 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- East Lansing, Michigan
- Typical size
- 1,300–1,700 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $276K–$439K
- A site-built Biggby Coffee store
- Franchise fee
- $20,000
- $10,000 for military service members
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, collected the next business day (5% for certain existing Michigan operators)
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 3% of gross sales or $100 a week, whichever is more
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- None
- No exclusive territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 281
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 281
- Company-owned
- 0
- States
- 10
- Most in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana
From Global Orange Development, LLC’s 2022 filing; revenue and net income from its audited financial statements, page 227; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
Biggby Coffee among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Biggby Coffee | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $357,500 | Costs more than 50% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $20,000 | Lower than 89% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 281 | More than 90% of franchises |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $662,228 | Lower than 59% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 1.9× | Higher than 59% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a Biggby Coffee franchise costs
Opening a site-built Biggby Coffee store costs an estimated $276,000 to $439,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($140,000 to $205,000) and equipment, furniture and decor ($61,500 to $71,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $20,000 | ||
| Real Property Rental | $1,000 | $21,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $140,000 | $205,000 | |
| Equipment, Furniture and Decor | $61,500 | $71,000 | |
| Drive-Through Equipment | $13,500 | $14,500 | |
| Blueprints, Plans and Permits | $5,500 | $11,000 | |
| Signage (Interior/Exterior) | $4,000 | $15,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $9,000 | $14,000 | |
| Insurance-General Liability, Property and Workers Compensation | $3,500 | $4,500 | |
| Utility Expense | $500 | $4,000 | |
| License Permits and Other | $1,000 | $2,500 | |
| Initial Advertising and Grand Opening Promotions | $9,000 | ||
| Miscellaneous Travel and Living Expenses for Training | $500 | $5,000 | |
| Organizational Expenses | $2,000 | $2,500 | |
| Additional Funds-3 months | $5,000 | $40,000 | |
| Total | $276,000 | $439,000 | |
Source: Global Orange Development, LLC, 2022 filing, page 21
Biggby Coffee franchise fee
The franchise fee is $20,000, $10,000 for military service members. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Global Orange Development, LLC, 2022 filing, page 14
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, collected the next business day (5% for certain existing Michigan operators). |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 3% of gross sales or $100 a week, whichever is more. |
| Minimum Local Advertising | Up to 3% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Global Orange Development, LLC, 2022 filing, page 15
Other fees as filed, from page 15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Biggby Coffee publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average sales
- $662,228
Yearly figures for 2021, covering franchised stores open at least 13 months at the end of 2021, drive-thru and walk-in (excludes kiosks and stores not open seven days a week) (234 locations). The filing gives an average for each format rather than one overall figure; this is the overall average worked out from those and each one's number of locations. The average is about 1.9 times the midpoint of the cost to open.
Sales are what a location takes in before rent, payroll, royalties and other costs, not what its owner keeps.
Source: Global Orange Development, LLC, 2022 filing, pages 53–56
SBA loans to Biggby Coffee franchisees
Lenders approved 257 SBA-backed loans for Biggby Coffee franchisees from 2008 to 2026, $69.7M in all: 251 7(a) loans and 6 504 loans. Of the 117 that have ended, 114 were paid in full and 3 were charged off (2.6%). The other 140 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How Biggby Coffee compares
Of the 58 breakfast franchises on this site, Biggby Coffee is the 9th cheapest to open and the 3rd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Biggby Coffee | Typical breakfast brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $276K | $640K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $439K | $1.2M | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $20K | $40K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5% | 6% |
| Sales per location | $662K | $1.72M | $794K |
| US locations | 281 | 13 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | +21.6% | +6.7% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 46 of 58 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 58 brands in breakfast franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 239 (+8) | 0 |
| 2020 | 245 (+6) | 0 |
| 2021 | 281 (+36) | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: coffee franchise costs, franchises for veterans and franchise failure rates.
Source: Global Orange Development, LLC, 2022 filing, page 60
Where Biggby Coffee locations are
At the end of 2021, Biggby Coffee had franchised locations in 10 states. The most are in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
- Michigan212
- Ohio35
- Indiana14
- Kentucky6
- Wisconsin5
- South Carolina4
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 212 |
| Ohio | 35 |
| Indiana | 14 |
| Kentucky | 6 |
| Wisconsin | 5 |
| South Carolina | 4 |
| North Carolina | 2 |
| Florida | 1 |
| Illinois | 1 |
| New Jersey | 1 |
Source: Global Orange Development, LLC, 2022 filing, page 61
Who owns Biggby Coffee?
Biggby Coffee franchises are sold by Global Orange Development, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Global Orange Development, LLC’s 2022 filing, page 9.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Global Orange Development, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 14, bankruptcy on page 14
Biggby Coffee filings
The figures on this page come from Global Orange Development, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued April 30, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | April 30, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other breakfast franchises
All breakfast franchises
Biggby Coffee is also on these lists: coffee franchises, food franchises.