BIGFACE: How a hotel room coffee shop evolved to become a cold coffee trailblazer
Cold Coffee Success Stories is a series that focuses on pioneering companies in the cold coffee space and their unique journeys. Today, we feature BIGFACE, a specialty coffee company with unique beginnings that is now seeking the uncommon in common.
When visiting BIGFACE’s brand new coffee shop in Miami’s Design District, you’d be forgiven for assuming that this is a specialty coffee brand that’s been around for some years. Its sleek, elegant aesthetics, well-established and loyal following, and impressive, specialty-grade product portfolio should take longer than just four years to develop.
Nevertheless, BIGFACE is NBA star Jimmy Butler’s first foray into the food and beverage space, inspired by the limitations imposed by the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns and a subsequent shortage of available specialty coffee options. His first cafe? A hotel room at Walt Disney World.
We spoke with Britt Berg, COO at BIGFACE, to learn more about the brand’s unusual beginnings, its approach to cold coffee, and its plans for the future.
How a hotel room café became something more
“So BIGFACE was started in the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World during COVID by Jimmy Butler, a basketball player for the Miami Heat,” says Britt.
“He got really into coffee at the time and started ordering all kinds of equipment and coffee to his hotel room and just started brewing. Word got out because there was nowhere to get a decent cup, so he put a sign on his door and started charging $20 for a drink, no matter what the size or type.
“He was basically hustling his teammates,” Britt says, laughing. “He had a goal of selling a cup of coffee for $100. That’s where BIGFACE got its name – the Benjamin Franklin, the hundred dollar bill.”
Clearly, Butler’s name carries some weight of its own. BIGFACE just opened its first coffee shop, featuring a $100 three-drink coffee flight including a Jimmy’s Cap, a pour-over, and a specialty beveragge.
“There was overwhelming support for the concept during that time in the bubble, so the idea that BIGFACE could be something more developed organically. Every specialty coffee company in the country seemed to be sending him coffee for his operation. I was at Intelligentsia at the time, and we collaborated with Jimmy.”
BIGFACE is not alone in its COVID-19 origins. The pandemic catalysed tremendous shifts in the way American consumers order, prepare, and drink their coffee. Many consumers chose, or were forced to, drink coffee at home instead of heading to their local café. Coffee brewing equipment sales spiked in response, while the affordability of such equipment fell, in line with increased demand.
Ready-to-drink coffee was one of the biggest winners. In late 2021, Nielsen reported a 61% year-on-year increase in RTD coffee sales, and in the three years since, there has been no sign of things slowing down. Instead, RTD coffee products like cold brew and nitro coffee are forecasted to grow at over 20% CAGR for the next five years. RTD trends, it seems, are here to stay.
A foray into cold coffee and ready-to-drink beverages
BIGFACE manufactures three RTD coffee beverages: oat milk-based canned lattes with three different flavour options: original, coconut cinnamon, and ube vanilla. We asked Britt about the reasoning behind the line-up.
“You know, in the US market, no one wants to sit and wait for everything. Attention spans are short and demanding. In the café, things are slightly slower, but from an RTD perspective, people want something they can grab and enjoy straight away.
“It’s always been that way in the States, but I definitely think it’s picking up even more so. A lot of specialty coffee companies are getting into the RTD space. I was with Intelligentsia when we launched cold coffee and ready-to-drink. Technological advancements are really paving the way for the segment.
“You can retain great quality and taste now. In the past, the manufacturing processes didn’t really allow for that – you needed to really heat the product for safety reasons, and then you’d burn all the flavour. Technology has shifted so that we can keep up with the quality of the products and the taste of the coffee. That was always the hesitation for specialty RTD.
“Now that the tech is there, the sky is kind of the limit. It’s a much easier way for coffee companies to be on the shelf in supermarkets, etc., and you’re seeing a lot more cold brew products as opposed to just the iced coffee.”
All three of BIGFACE’s RTD products are dairy-free: the company uses oat milk instead of regular cow’s milk. Additionally, each features MCT oil, a nootropic compound that is usually used by people for extra energy or managing dietary requirements and boasts ‘natural ingredients’ for flavour variation.
It’s clear, then, BIGFACE is appealing to a specific demographic: younger consumers whose purchasing decisions are driven increasingly by health and wellness-related decisions. Britt, however, makes clear that BIGFACE’s RTDs are not claiming to be functional products.
“We don’t talk about functionality or performance. What’s important to BIGFACE is quality: whole ingredients, great coffee, etc. Shoppers are more educated than ever, but they are still looking at the price, the convenience, and the brand.”
BIGFACE’s approach to RTD packaging and product design is an example of the changing demands and preferences of modern coffee drinkers. High-quality, varied, and innovative beverages are simply expected today. Regardless of how they are marketed, advertised, or directed, canned coffee drinks need to stand out on shelves and offer something novel.
How sustainability and design factor into the BIGFACE ethos
BIGFACE’s RTD canned coffee beverages are packaged in unique, recyclable aluminium cans. However, BIGFACE approaches packaging in much the same way as it approaches product and ingredients: give consumers the kind of quality and sustainability they expect, and don’t shout about it.
“As a company, we don’t talk about sustainability,” says Britt.
“We approach these topics with the best tools we have and make responsible and informed decisions, but sustainability has become a bit of a buzzword, and it’s not to be used as a selling point anymore.”
Once again, the BIGFACE team is spot on in this approach. Sustainable, recyclable packaging is vastly preferred – and expected – by today’s shoppers. 85% of European consumers, for example, expect their packaging to be easy to recycle. In Spain, 55% of consumers reported choosing a brand specifically for its more sustainable packaging, and 51% of French shoppers claimed to have switched brands for the same reasons.
“It’s your responsibility as a human to choose the right packaging and live sustainably,” Britt adds.
“We focus our efforts more on the supply chain, making sure our coffee partners are correctly compensated and our sourcing processes are ethical and sustainable.”
“The aluminium cans perform the best for RTD coffee. We wanted to create a shelf-stable product that tasted great. Now, we’re working on three more SKUs for next year, plus a handful of new cafes. We would also love to do something in glass down the line as it fits with our aesthetic. It’s a really exciting time at BIGFACE.”
At Cold Brew Pak, you can source your own line of sleek, slimline, and sustainable custom aluminium cans for your RTD product portfolio. We offer vast customisation options, helping you grab customer attention on busy supermarket shelves and be safe in the knowledge that your product is going to perform well when stored ambiently.
Visit our website or get in touch with our team to learn more about custom cans at Cold Brew Pak.
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