As Starbucks Closes Stores, Biggby Coffee Opens New Ones

As Fourbucks closes 19% of its stores, Michigan-based Biggby Coffee, formerly known as Beaner’s (yes Beaner’s) is celebrating the opening of their 100th store – a 30% increase since January 31st, 2008.

Back in January Biggby received a bit of press because of their name change. Some criticized them for caving into pressure from the “politically correct” crowd. I said it was a smart move. As the Detroit Free Press reported:

Juan Tornoe, an Austin, Texas-based Hispanic marketing consultant, said it’s clear to him and should be to anyone that Beaner’s name is about coffee, not contempt.

But the name change could be a smart move for a company with national aspirations: By 2050, nearly a quarter of the U.S. population will be of Hispanic heritage.

The company stuck to its core values and customers stuck with them. Hell, they could have named it whatever they wanted (I’m quite fond of “Tornoe’s Coffee”, but maybe it’s just me), yet they wisely chose a name that helped preserve an iconic element (the “big B”, get it) related to its former self.

As reported on July 21st issue of The Lansing State Journal:

Another recent change for Biggby was the conversion to a new company name. Biggby officials changed the name in January when they realized the former name – Beaner’s Coffee – could be considered a derogatory term used against Hispanics.

And so far, the transition has gone smoothly, Fish said.

“We haven’t missed a beat,” he said. “For a lot of people, it just took seeing the change” because customers realized everything else, even the logo, remained the same.

No picketing outside, no hate mail, just a wise – and gutsy – strategic decision made at the right time.

Congratulations (former) Beaner’s!