The Coffee

I think ended up going to the shop 3 or 4 times in the last year and I’m a moderate coffee drinker 1 or 2x per week, generally on my way to work. I usually order up a vanilla latte or a mocha (grande size of course). All 3-4 times I visited, my coffee was not at an acceptable temperature. The last time I visited, I finally got smart and order it “extra hot” so it would be a reasonable temp. My suspicion was that they put so many syrups in it brought the overall temperature down.

Coffee drinkers know, taste is #1 and temperature is #2. If it doesn’t taste good we at least want it hot.

The Price

Biggby’s in Owosso was among the highest priced coffee in the area, it’s that simple. If you lived in Owosso for very long, you understand that the community is what I like to call “frugal”. You certainly don’t want to be the most expensive house in the neighborhood.

Competition

There’s quite a few coffee shops in Owosso, it’s possible our market might be saturated for a town of only 15,000.  There’s Guido’s, The Bake Shop, Courtside Cafe, Tim Hortons, and two McD’s.

Location

The location of Biggby’s was good, but not great. It certainly wasn’t going to pick up any foot traffic from events downtown. The best foot traffic spot is currently occupied by the Owosso-Famous Cone Zone (Across from the amphitheater and Middle School, which has an auditorium used by many organizations). The other thing you have to take into consideration is that Biggby’s was on the way to Flint and not Lansing. So for many commuters who make their way to Lansing every day, they aren’t driving past the Biggby’s to get to work. I’m guessing that at this point in the game more people are driving to Lansing every day then Flint.

Over all Quality

Biggby’s certainly didn’t have the best coffee in town, as far as quality is concerned. There was at least 2 or 3 players in the area that had a better brew. Being a barista take trade and almost a fine art, so I doubt it’s the beans or the machines. If you’ve ever been to the State of Washington you know what a good espresso drink should taste and look like. I’m sure Biggby’s trains, but I’m sure they spent more on their signage then training the baristas.

Decor / Atmosphere

I love the original Biggby’s in the Lansing area. The one down town East Lansing and the one at Okemos / 96 are great I think they have good great atmosphere. I even like the new one in Mason in the old bank, but the one is Owosso feels like the franchise monster threw up all over it.

If I’m spending $4 bucks on a cup of coffee there better be real art on display, smooth colors on the wall and no mass marketed bull-shit signs everywhere. So Biggby Bob if you are reading can we make the new ones look a little more authentic (unless you are going for the mass marketed look)? The McD’s in Owosso felt more like a coffee house to me than Biggby’s did.

Ultimately

I’m sad to see another business in Owosso close. I’m sure it’s not without trying and I’m sure someone lost a ton of money on the deal and we certainly wish them the best of luck in the future.

As for my coffee buying-

It’s McD’s in the morning. They are fast and cheap and are on the way to Lansing (where I work). They also have a consistent and acceptable quality although it’s not the best of the best.

If I want the best coffee in town (for me Saturday mornings), I go to Guido’s. Travis the owner is very friendly, makes a mean espresso drink and you can’t beat atmosphere in Woodard Station. The quality of the coffee and atmosphere reminds me of the places I stopped in Washington State last fall.

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I’m home today after what I call an “unpleasant adventure” at the dentist yesterday. I snapped this of Ruby (my cat) on back yard surveillance and Bailey chilling in the chair.

I want to shoot a wedding like this.

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My little cousin just got married in June. I finally got around to looking at the pics and putting them on flickr. It was a good wedding and we wish them the best.

Muscat Canelli – Chateau Ste. Michelle (Columbia Valley)
2007 Vintage

This was  a good sweeter dessert wine. I picked this up when we were on the Washington 2008 Trip.

Gamy Rouge – V. Sattui Winery (Napa Valley)
2006

Even though this is the only Gamy Rouge I’ve had, I thought it was pretty good. I bought this when we were in Californai in 2007.

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The Smitty’s got a new car, an ‘09 Traverse. It’s pretty slick. It’s unfortunate that bsmith isn’t going to be the primary driver of the new ride.

Check it out: http://pd.inghamisd.org/

So you are asking why a back pack for a dog? It’s this simple. After 3.5 miles of walking he’s just not tired. So we took the Cesar Milan approach and put a backpack on him and a couple bottles of water. Now he’s more focused because he has a job and tires faster given he’s carring more weight.

This guy is pretty creative.

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This is either first or second beach, I’m really can’t remember.

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I’m a master at tic tac toe.

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Love the dahlias already

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He’s typically always looking around the corned. He’s a very curious dog.

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took this tonight

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Got to chance test my new 5D Mark II out on a local band. If you get a chance check out the full res shot at 5000 iso!

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this photo spoke to me for some reason.