A new Biggby Coffee location is headed to Alexandria’s Village Green Shopping Center. The 348-square-foot stand-alone restaurant will offer drive through service. It will feature a small patio but no inside dining. Locals noted it will be on the site of the former Harry’s Diner.
Owners Michael and Holly Chatterton also opened a location in Taylor Mill (5042 Old Taylor Mill Road) in 2019. The parent company, based in Michigan, has five Northern Kentucky locations including Erlanger, Ft. Mitchell, Hebron and soon-to-open Florence.
Site plan gets smooth approval
After a brief presentation by Chatterton, Alexandria Planning and Zoning commissioners approved the site plan at their February meeting.
City Engineer Robert Seitzinger confirmed the proposed restaurant is appropriate to the shopping center zone and meets all requirements. Storm water run off and related site concerns are already handled through the Village Green system.
Chatterton noted the building is pre-designed and pre-manufactured by a company in Michigan. “All site work is done locally with local contractors. The buildings are brought in and placed on concrete footers. They are engineered to be hurricane proof, tornado proof.”
The building includes a compact workspace and a 16-foot tower for supply storage. The shopping center has designated 12 parking spaces for the facility.
Another new business for Village Green
In addition to coffee, Biggby offers tea and other hot drinks, smoothies, breakfast sandwiches and baked goods. There is no grill or cooking onsite; all food items are pre-made and heated in a microwave.
Normal operating times are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Chatterton noted, however, his Taylor Mill location has been closing at 8 p.m. during the Covid period. He expects to do a quick business on the site, serving between 350 to 400 cups of coffee per day.
At the city council meeting in February, Mayor Andy Schabell said, “This will be a welcome addition to Village Green. Village Green is really filling up, which is a good thing. I’m not sure of the timeline but I expect very soon.”
Biggby Coffee is based in East Lansing, Michigan and offers franchise opportunities across 10 states.