Biggby

If you really want to get Biggby, go to the location on Packard. This location has rude employees, a lacking atmosphere, electric outlets that don’t work in half the store, and they are extremely picky about coupon use and the reward program. I’ve never had a problem with their products, but allow me to reiterate, if you’re willing to pay the high cost of biggby, choose another location or outright avoid it, there’s a tremendous number of other better coffee house options in Ann Arbor.

I used to come to biggbys a lot for their special drinks like the teddy bear. However, I came for just a cup of coffee and I was extremely disappointed. The coffee was very bleh, it was obviously sitting around for a long time. There wasn’t any creamer, just nasty powdered creamer.
Uhh I didn’t like being in there. something about the yellow walls and brown carpet displeased me.
Hopefully the next time I am there, I will order a special drink and it will be delicious!

The drinks are a bit expensive, but the staff was hilarious. We chatted for a while about all sorts of different topics, and left with a smile.

This location does little to protect the citizens of Ann Arbor from aggressive panhandlers. On a recent Thursday afternoon I was approached by a panhandler sitting next to the entrance of Biggby. Once inside I asked the employees to please phone the local police department to report this behavior. Many Ann Arbor women & families with children are not keen to shop in the downtown area, particularly on State St., when there are a number of panhandlers on the street very close to local business entrances (on this particular day there were 4 along E. Liberty). As I was leaving the panhandler entered the store & asked for water, which he was given. These employees need to be educated & empowered to help maintain the Ann Arbor business philosophy of encouraging customers & business owners to give/​donate to local organizations who help various groups (inc the homeless) vs providing cash & goods directly to the panhandlers. I will not frequent this location anymore & I will encourage others not to as well.

I came here during the week to work. No need for headphones here. They play really interesting music, and not to loud or distracting either. Not once did I have to say «turn down that damn racket!» Good atmosphere for working, and of course delicious coffee and bagel sandwiches. Not bad for a chain. I recommend the mocha caramel and a turkey havarti on asiago with garden veggie cream cheese. Cheers!

I’ve gotten to know this location quite well due to its proximity to my workplace, and it offers attentive, enthusiastic service even in the 6 — 8am time window when I usually come by. The staff seems to be encouraged to be creative with their drink design, with most drinks coming out with artistic swirls or extra flavoring.
Biggby’s prices are admittedly too expensive, and if this wasn’t the closest spot to my office, I probably would not come by as much. If you’re looking to support a Michigan-​based chain, this is your place.

Hello Coffee and smoothie lovers alike! My daughter and I went to Ann Arbor yesterday on Monday, April 29^th, 2013. We had a fun day of looking in the shops and eating out at our favorite «Afternoon Delight» (**see my several great reviews on this fun place to eat… and not to mention «YUMMY»…did I say it was really good food? LOL)…
So to get down to business, I have to tell you that I am a chronic pain patient. I was tired and in pain and we were sort of at the end of our looking and shopping day out together. I had a coupon for «Biggby Coffee», so I asked my daughter if she wanted to try it? We went inside and it was such a cute and clean «Campus» or «College town» atmosphere, in my opinion! There are many many places to sit. There are quiet type areas and then the open air areas. But then, the fun part are the stools that wind all around the windows. You can just sit for a very long time looking at things and doing some very good «people watching»!
We did just that! We each got a frozen smoothie. I got the Vanilla bean and my daughter got Vanilla with Butterscotch! I didn’t thing that sounded very appealing but after tasting it, I compared it to the «frozen Butter Beer» at the «Wizarding World of Harry Potter», in Florida! It was really good… sweet, yes… but very yummy! Mine was very good, less sweet… but very yummy indeed! We got both of these usually $ 4.00 or so drinks for just $ 4.50 or so *TOTAL! The coupon that we had (and which are often seen in many coupon mailings and papers!) gave us a «BOGO» or «Buy one and get one free»! You’d never get that kind of offer at a Starbucks (Or…Umm.well, I’ve never seen it. but I’m sure it is possible? I mean… anything is possible, right?) or some other coffee places.
They didn’t mind how long we sat there and it was pretty full of people, but not too noisy. Many were on their computers sipping a latte’ or a smoothie! I have tasted their coffee in the past, but had never wrote a review because it just didn’t hit me over the head as being so wonderful! BUT…;this was in fact wonderful and fun and the Barista was so pleasant and helpful in offering ideas!
The Barista that took our order was very pleasant and kind and didn’t mind that I took forever looking for my coupon! I was very glad of that, because I felt a little bad as it took me forever and then I dropped my cane and yada yada! But she was still patient and very nice!
I recommend this Biggby coffee and the one in Canton, MI too! I’ve been to that one but before I was an Elite Unilocaler… I’ll have to go back again! Thanks so much! Enjoy!

I usually go to the Biggby on Stadium (because it’s closer to my home and I get coupons on the back of my Kroger receipts — score!) but I often find myself stopping by the Liberty location on my way to work because I know it will always be a pleasant experience. There’s one barista in particular who’s there almost every morning who is ALWAYS in a good mood and makes you feel like you belong… silly, maybe, but it always brightens my day. That, coupled with consistently good beverages (my favorites are the Nutty Buddy and the Cinnamon Spice Tea Latte — hot, reduced cal), is why I’ll go out of my way to visit this location.

Earl grey tea latte is nice.
Avoid the crème freeze/​smoothies. They are sickly sweet, and settle out if you don’t drink them fast enough into the dairy and water layers.
They don’t have outlets by every table so it’s not ideal to study with a laptop.

I’ve heard great things about Biggby Coffee, so I finally decided to give it a try today. I ordered a wildberry crème freeze, which sounded delightful. That lasted for about a whole 3 sips… The smoothie-​like beverage rapidly separated into a liquid layer on the bottom and a cream/​foamy layer on top and it just didn’t appeal to me very much after that.
There is also a severe shortage of outlets for those of you looking to study on laptops, so beware.
The staff was nice though.

Having to have come here multiple times in the day during the film festival, it’s better than most national chains. We never stayed here for more than a few minutes, but the drinks were pretty phenomenal. I had their teddy bear, the caramel mellow and the butter bear. I’m not great with butterscotch, but loved their teddy bear and the caramel mellow. Because they were the only coffee we were allowed to bring into the Michigan Theatre, we had plenty of visits while in town and liked their selection. While i wouldn’t call this super local since it’s a chain and is franchised, I would still say this is a regional chain and therefore worth the shot if you’ve never been to one. Also, if you prefer more sugary lattes this could be the place for you.

Music soooo loud… I put on my I pod to block the craziness of how loud the music was… I could hear it over my iPod… give me a break… place is only good because it is open late if you need to get out and study… it’s too bad… the one on Stadium is not like this at all.

One more star for improved wifi (probably the fastest coffee shop in A2, now, imo) and free peanut butter and jelly for your bagel (yes, I’m easily pleased).

Logo central! This place sure likes to show off their brand. And that’s fine. I mean, at least it’s fun! Compared to the cleanliness and relative classiness of Starbucks and the woodsy feel of Caribou, Biggby goes for a candy colored kiddie style. The signs up on the wall showcasing their drinks rock a bubble letter type font, lots of colors, lots of fun flavors and combos. A little something for everyone.
This particular location is right in downtown Ann Arbor, where there’s a Starbucks on one end of the block, a Cosi not far, and a few other indie joints nearby as well that’ll offer up a much better cuppa. But when you’re walking out of the Michigan Theater after having seen a holiday film and it’s cold and you want a hot chocolate, they’ve got the prime location.
The space is nice and roomy. Good amount of tables and it wasn’t overly crowded. The cashier was new and very flustered. Hey, I’ve been there, so I’ll cut her some slack. But it did make me slightly uncomfortable if I’m being honest. The coffee is ok. It’s honestly not that wonderful but it’ll do in a pinch. The peppermint stick mocha is fine holiday fun although light on the mocha, heavy on the mint. What I do like is that they’ve got a great selection of sugar free options, including a sugar free dark hot chocolate which can be helpful if you’re watching the calories but still want a treat. The double dark SF is tasty, although not all that rich. The marshmallow hot chocolate is yummy, but quite sweet. More of a light chocolate flavor than the others, but it’s a mallow blend so it’s to be expected. But I have to admit if I’m going to a chain for hot chocolate, I’ll choose Starbucks every time. They do make a rich cocoa. Also the price here is not so hot. 10oz for a short, 16 for a tall. No in between and the 10oz is about the same price as a 12oz tall at Sbucks. More money for less product. Meh.
Overall it makes a nice alternative to the other chains but it’s still a chain. Although they did start out in Michigan if that means anything to you. Nothing that’ll knock your socks off but it’ll do if you’re nearby and need a caffeine fix or a warm drink. Their swipe card is also handy – accumulate drinks to earn a free one, although I think it may take me some time to get there since I’m not quite rushing out the door to get there again.

It sucks that this coffee shop is just doors down from megacoffee shop Starbucks, but that doesn’t give this place an excuse for being sucky. The cappuccino here has this weird super sweet aftertaste that is just bad — I couldn’t even finish my drink. The second time I tried the hot chocolate — not bad, but also really really sweet. It’s the only reason why this place didn’t get 1 star in my book, because it’s not too bad, probably one of the better drinks here. The third time I just tried regular coffee, which was OK, but not great. For the same pricing as Starbucks and other coffee shops, I just can’t justify coming here for just so-​so coffee. Sometimes internet is shaky here too. I guess there’s a reason this place is relatively uncrowded most of the time I walk by, and this is a pretty busy street near central campus!

Considering the location of Biggby Coffee, you’d think that this place would consistently be filled with undergrads, like me, doing homework (or at least attempting to). Yet on a consistent basis, except for Sundays and during finals, I can always find a seat. But why?
First, the coffee. In general, the drinks are generally average with the surprisingly good (hot chocolate) and the amazingly bad (anything blended). Moreover, the quality of your drink is highly dependent on the barista. I’ve had some who over roast and burn the flavor out of the drink while others can brew the perfect cappuccino.
Second, the prices. On average, the prices at Biggby Coffee are on par with Starbucks just down the street. If paying ~$ 4 for a specialty drink, the quality is just too inconsistent. To make up for that, they do have a frequency card (1 free drink for 12 drinks purchased).
Third, the Wi-​Fi. Thankfully, the Wi-​Fi at Biggby is free. However, the speed and the connection, much like the coffee, is inconsistent. While there, I often find myself switching to another open network because the Biggby network won’t connect or is painfully slow.
Despite the negatives of Biggby coffee, I think it has the best customer service of the area coffee shops. The baristas are all very friendly, amiable, and don’t hesitate from striking up a conversation. One time, when I was under the weather, one of the baristas sent me home with a free goodie bag with cookies and candy!
Despite its flaws, I still regularly frequent Biggby. It’s definitely far from the worst coffee in Ann Arbor (I’m looking at you Espresso Royale) but not the best (yet).

It’s just like Caribou and Starbucks — surprise! Everyone has mentioned the chain-​ness of this coffee place, so of course I’ll have to comment. Everything was stamped with the «Biggby» logo, but so is everything in Caribou and Starbucks.
I guess I was interested in Biggby’s because their local advertisements claim that Biggby is «Michigan-​grown» and completely local. I guess that’s sort of true, considering the company was founded in East Lansing. However, to have franchises in nine states kind of makes this a little less Michigan and a little less appealing to me. I really thought it was Michigan-​only.
Anyway, the coffee was pretty good and I really enjoyed that you get your choice of coffee that you serve yourself at the end of the counter. They had a bunch of blends, including some seasonal selections that were pretty good. The place was pretty empty when we arrived so the service was fast and friendly. There was a ton of cool stuff on sale (like mugs, cups, sweets, etc.) that I probably would have been into if I lived near a Biggby’s in real life.
I’d probably come back the next time I’m in AA — the coffee was pretty good and it was the same price as all the other chain stores. Also, this coffee is way better than the Seattle’s Best in the Border’s across the street, so come here if you need a pick-​me-​up. I think they have a coffee club, too, in case you’re a frequent buyer.

This place feels like a chain because it is a chain, its located in nine states. The place used to have the ridiculous name of «Beaners» but was recently changed (long over due).
The atmosphere kind of feels like a warmer Starbucks with carpet. The staff is super friendly so be prepared! And the coffee is not that great but service is good.
The good thing is this place has free wi-​fi access. And some pretty decent breakfast bagels. They usually have really good coupons, so keep your eye out. They also have a punch card to work your way to a free coffee!

It feels like a chain-​owned coffee house when you walk in the door, because everything is logo-​embossed, branded, and pre-​packaged. All the cost and none of the vibe of Amer’s or Espresso Royale.
Coffee is for sale in a cup or by the pound, including organic blends. Pricy pre-​made sandwiches, salads and deserts can be had.
It will shorten the trip for a lot of people who would have walked all the way to Starbucks