Business growth

Steven and Rachel Lawrence are sharing their love of coffee with the Medford community by bringing a Ziggi’s Coffee franchise to a new building on Hwy 13.

“We closed on the property at 11 a.m. and had a crew there at noon working,” said Steve Lawrence.

The house and buildings on the fouracre parcel are set to be demolished this week and the property cleared as part of the site preparation. Construction of the new 2,200 square foot building is scheduled to begin the second week of July. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the first week of October. If everything goes according to plan, they will be open by the third week of October, just in time for the start of the peak coffee drinking season as the weather turns cooler.

Steve Lawrence said they were for- See ZIGGI’S on page 3 tunate that Ziggi’s is allowing them to build such a large building on the site. He said many national chains are scaling back their footprint, but the Lawrences envision a location where travelers can relax and people can gather and socialize.

“We wanted to provide a large space with a lot of seating,” he said, explaining they took the largest footprint option Ziggi’s had and added to it.

When completed, the restaurant will have seating for 50 people with a double-sided fireplace serving as a focal point with couches on either side of it. He said they plan on having the seating area sectioned off to provide additional privacy for groups enjoying their coffee and a full menu of food items.

The whole front of the store will be floor to ceiling windows with a glass door patio going into a patio area for people to enjoy sitting outside when the weather is nice.

Steven Lawrence said he envisions in the winter months people sitting by the fireplace enjoying their coffee while the snow falls outside.

For Steve and Rachel Lawrence, the construction of a new coffee shop is a dream they have had for some time. “Rachel and I have been looking for a coffee shop franchise for about two years,” he said.

Both Steve and Rachel are avid coffee drinkers and wanted to share that with the Medford community.

“To say that we enjoy coffee would be an understatement. Coffee has been a facet of our lives, and its aroma carries with it memories of us,” stated Rachel Lawrence writing about plans for the location.

The couple already owns the Culver’s located on Hwy 13 in Medford, so are familiar with working with franchises. Steve Lawrence said that one of the things that drew them to working with Ziggi’s is the similarity between its mission statement and Culver’s with an emphasis on wanting to give back to the community and provide high levels of service and hospitality.

According to the company’s website, Ziggi’s was started as a small coffee shop on the corner of Main Street in downtown Longmont, Colorado in 2004, has since grown to multiple drive-thru and coffeehouse locations in 18 states across the country. The company was founded by Brandon and Camrin Knudsen and is now one of the fastest- growing coffee franchises in America.

“From the beginning, Ziggi’s mission has always been simple: To serve a convenient and superior cup of coffee with service customers can rely on,” states the company’s website.

Steven Lawrence noted that Ziggi’s has a reputation for having some of the highest grades of coffee on the market, with the addition of it being roasted entirely by companies within the United States.

Beyond the coffee, Steven Lawrence said there is a vast food and drink menu including a number of breakfast options. He said while Ziggi’s is a national brand, Medford will have the distinction of being home to the company’s first franchise location in Wisconsin.

Looking to the future Steven Lawrence said they have additional plans to develop other portions of the property which will occur in 2025.