Why Not a Biggby Coffee on Big Beaver?
December 30, 2008
The December 29 edition of the Troy-Somerset Gazette features an article entitled “Council Gives Approval for Urban Design on Big Beaver.” The article states that this new development on Big Beaver “will result in two Tim Horton’s restaurants located within about a mile of each other.” In addition to the one proposed for this site, another site is already under construction on Rochester Road just north of Big Beaver.
I’ve got to wonder why the developer wants to place a Tim Hortons within such close proximity to another one? Did the developer ever think about a Biggby Coffee? I can just think of all the great co-marketing opportunities between “Biggby Coffee” and “Big Beaver.”
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Starbucks on every corner works in some areas – there may be sound reasons two close Tim Horton’s could work. To really answer, one would have to see their demographic studies – it might be just that the developer didn’t think of competitors, or might be a relationship the developer has with Horton’s. I suspect that demographic location at Rochester is independent of the other site and can support multiple coffee-lite food business locations (there’s already the Panera at that intersection) because I suspect most of the business comes from the Rochester Rd. movement and neighborhood than it does from Big Beaver corridor traffic. If you start off west of main, you’ll most likely end up in the Crooks intersection for breakfast-lunch purchases.
Regardless, if people want to develop whatever in this type of business, I don’t see a reason to be concerned about the brand or success as long as we don’t bail them out like the big banks (when/if it goes under, someone else like you can buy the developed land at a great price and put a Biggby’s there).
I think I know why Tim Hortons is going in two locations so close together. They can afford the cost. I’ll have a post up tomorrow that offers some additional information on this.