Bigface

Last updated
Bigface
Industry Coffee, clothing
FoundedOctober 1, 2021;2 years ago (2021-10-01)
Founders
Headquarters
U.S.
Products
  • Coffee beverages
  • apparel
  • mugs
  • tumblers
Website www.bigfacebrand.com

Bigface (stylized in all caps and sometimes spelled as Big Face or BigFace) [n 1] is an American lifestyle brand founded by professional basketball player Jimmy Butler. The company was originally created in 2020 as an informal side business selling coffee to other players while Butler was in the NBA Bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic. After studying the coffee industry further, Butler formally launched Bigface as a coffee company and lifestyle brand the following year, selling direct-to-consumer coffee, apparel, and related merchandise.

Contents

History

Background and origins as side business

Prior to the 2019–20 NBA season, the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) acquired small forward Jimmy Butler from the Philadelphia 76ers in a sign and trade. [6] Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA had to suspend their 2019–20 regular season in March. [7] The NBA would later resume the season in July, approving a plan to finish the regular season and host the playoffs in a "bubble" site. [8] The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex located at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando was selected as the site. [8] NBA teams' players had to follow safety protocols, including maintaining social distancing. [8] One of the 22 teams who played at the bubble, the Heat were housed at the Destino Tower within the Coronado Springs Resort. [9]

Jimmy Butler in March 2020 Jimmy Butler (cropped).jpg
Jimmy Butler in March 2020

When asked about his experience in the bubble in an interview with ESPN's Rachel Nichols, Butler stated "I'm working on my coffee skills. After my career, I'm opening my coffee shop." [10] From there, stories began circulating about Butler's side business selling coffee in the business. Players could bring items from home to use while restricted to stay on location at the bubble site; Butler brought with him a French press. [11] Finding the coffee options at the bubble sub-optimal, Butler began making coffee of his own using the coffee beans from El Salvador. [12] From his room, Butler began selling cups of coffee to his teammates at an upcharge for $20 as a joke. [11] [12] Butler selected this pricing because though cash was largely useless in the bubble—which was mostly empty aside from NBA players, personnel, and reporters—"NBA per diem rules still applied," which saw the league's personnel receiving "envelopes filled with cash like they would to cover meals and incidentals on a regular road trip." [3] Noticing that envelopes [n 2] included $20 bills, Butler charged the amount knowing most players would have such a bill available to them. [3] He offered the same price for all cup sizes and types of coffee. [14]

Originating as an inside joke, Butler called his business "Big Face Coffee", explaining that he would charge an initial $20 for a cup of coffee, adding that with potential buyers now out of $20 bills, they would then need to use "big faces," [15] slang for $100 bills. [3] Butler added "whenever they hand me the hundred, I'm going to be like, 'Whoops, sorry. I don't have change. Thank you for paying a hundred dollars for a cup of coffee.' Never really worked that way but the idea was genius." [15] Butler contributed the difficulty to find coffee as a reason why demand for his was high. [16]

In September, Butler filed for trademarks relating to "Big Face" and began wearing merchandise before a Miami–Boston playoff game. [2] The Heat's season would end with the 2020 NBA Finals, which they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, 4–2.

Prior to launching Bigface, Butler was originally not a coffee drinker. In an interview with coffee blog Sprudge , he recalled begrudgingly drinking coffee with his trainer before eventually finding a passion for both the beverage and business related to it. [17]

Post-bubble and official company launch

Following the season, Butler continued to study coffee-related topics such as beans, temperatures, and techniques. [3] Butler later shared with Insider that he was inspired to enter the coffee business due to connect with strangers over a cup of coffee during the offseasons of his NBA career. [1] Butler has studied and practiced latte art, even challenging others to latte art competitions. [15] [18] This interest has also led Butler to travel to coffee farms in Costa Rica, among other places, to further study the coffee business. [12] Butler further plans to travel to Africa off similar motivations. [18] In August 2021, Bigface won bids for coffee beans in the Cup of Excellence auction, where the company bid $65,000 for over 1,000 pounds of premium El Salvador coffee. [12] In addition to El Salvador, Bigface has been noted to source coffee beans from farms from various other countries including Ethiopia, Honduras, Colombia, and Ecuador. [18] [19]

To further expand Bigface, Butler joined Shopify's creator program, which sees Shopify select a group of athlete entrepreneurs, not taking any fees or equity stake, but integrating them into their e-commerce platform and using their name, image, and likeness for promotional purposes. [12] Butler officially launched Bigface Coffee as a company on October 1, 2021. [20] The launch date was selected to coincide with International Coffee Day. [12] Partnering with Shopify, Bigface launched a non-fungible token (NFT) online store, which sold limited-time boxes including coffee blends. [4] [15] In addition to selling coffee, Bigface also functions as a lifestyle brand, selling apparel produced by Lululemon and related merchandise through its online e-commerce platform. [21] [22] [23] Bigface collaborated with designer Daniel Patrick to release a clothing line at the Art Basel event in Miami in 2022. [24]

Pop-up shops and collaboration efforts

An image of Ethiopian-sourced coffee beans, which have been used in Bigface's collaboration with Van Leeuwen Ethiopia-kembata.png
An image of Ethiopian-sourced coffee beans, which have been used in Bigface's collaboration with Van Leeuwen

In 2022, Bigface opened pop-up shops, beginning with their partnership with Van Leeuwen, which sold caffeinated ice cream in New York City on Greenwich Street in Tribeca. [25] Using Ethiopian-sourced beans, the ice cream was affogato-flavored. [26] The flavor was also made available at Van Leeuwen's scoop shop locations throughout the United States. [27] The partnership followed up with pop-up shops in Miami, one at the Miami Open tennis tournament and another in the city's Design District. [5] [25] Bigface also served as the official coffee brand sponsor for players and VIP lounges at the Masters and WTA 1000 events in Miami. [17]

In April, Butler filed further trademark applications to have the Bigface brand include fresh produce, beverages, and baked goods. [28] In October, Bigface collaborated with Onyx Coffee Lab to release boxed sets including coffee blends and mugs. [21] The partnership arose after Butler visited the Amsterdam Hummingbird cafe, which Onyx is the home roaster of. [21]

Another Bigface pop-up arose in May 2023, offering the brand's coffee for free at the Paddock Club at the Miami Grand Prix. [29] In the same month, Bigface collaborated with Lids. [30] Another Bigface pop-up would be set up at the Kaseya Center ahead of Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals, which Butler's Heat hosted. [31]

Bigface would also collaborate with Artpresso, a design company, to release customized espresso machines and barista accessories. [32] Previously, Artpresso helped customize a Strada espresso machine model from La Marzocco for Bigface, as well as a Linea Mini model exclusively for Butler, [32] which he would take on road NBA games. [33] Later in August, Bigface collaborated with the coffee brand Fellow to release coffee-related products such as grinders, scales, and pour-over kettles. [34] [35] In 2024, Bigface collaborated with Bacardi, [36] as well as the Miami-based Salty Donut. [37]

Packaging by Brandmonger and Zenpack for Bigface's coffee products earned a runner-up award at the 2023 Core77 Design Awards. [38]

Future plans

Bigface has plans to open cafés in Miami and San Diego, where Butler lives during NBA offseasons. The former will be the location of Bigface's first brick-and-mortar location, set to open in September 2024. [39]

Maintaining close involvement with Bigface's ventures, [15] Butler also plans to expand the brand to have a global presence through cafés and grocery store merchandise. [13] [40]

Notes

  1. Listed are sources spelling the company's name as Bigface, [1] Big Face, [2] or BigFace. [3] The all caps stylization is present on the company's official website and used in some third-party sources. [4] [5]
  2. Sources differ on the exact amount of these envelopes, ranging from $1,040 up to $2,400. [3] [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami Heat</span> American professional basketball team

The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The club plays its home games at Kaseya Center, and has won three NBA championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elton Brand</span> American basketball player (born 1979)

Elton Tyron Brand is an American former professional basketball player and the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing college basketball for Duke, he was selected with the first overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, and later played for the Philadelphia 76ers, the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks. He was a two-time NBA All Star and an All-NBA Second Team selection in 2006.

A captive market is a market where the potential consumers face a severely limited number of competitive suppliers; their only choices are to purchase what is available or to make no purchase at all. The term therefore applies to any market where there is a monopoly or oligopoly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Butler</span> American basketball player (born 1989)

Jimmy Butler III is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Jimmy Buckets" and "Playoff Jimmy", he is a six-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA Team honoree, and a five-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team honoree. He won a gold medal as a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Hoffmann</span> Barista, YouTuber, businessman, and author

James Alexander Hoffmann is an English barista, YouTuber, entrepreneur, coffee consultant, and author. Hoffmann first came to prominence after winning the World Barista Championship in 2007 and has since been credited as a pioneer of Britain's third-wave coffee movement. Hoffmann has published three books, including The World Atlas of Coffee, amassed a significant following on YouTube, started several businesses, including the specialty coffee roaster Square Mile Coffee Roasters, and consulted for several coffee ventures.

Shopify Inc., stylized as shopify, is a Canadian multinational e-commerce company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario. Shopify is the name of its proprietary e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. The Shopify platform offers online retailers a suite of services, including payments, marketing, shipping and customer engagement tools.

This page details the all-time statistics, records, and other achievements pertaining to the Chicago Bulls.

The World Brewers Cup is an annual international coffee brewing competition organized by World Coffee Events, an organization founded by the Specialty Coffee Association. The stated goal of the competition is to showcase the craft and skill of filter coffee brewing by hand, promoting manual coffee brewing and quality of service. Contestants qualify for the international competition by winning their respective national championships. As of 2019, there were approximately 40 participating national organizations. The annual location of the event is determined by the World Coffee Events organizing committee, and is typically held in conjunction with the World Barista Championship, the World Coffee Roasting Championship, and the World Latte Art Championship. The first World Brewers Cup was held in 2011 in Maastricht, Netherlands. The 2022 WBrC was held in Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Three (Miami Heat)</span> Trio of professional basketball players

The Big Three, sometimes known as The Heatles, were a trio of professional basketball players – LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh – who played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from the 2010–11 season to the 2013–14 season. James, Bosh, and Wade had been selected as the 1st, 4th, and 5th picks in the 2003 NBA draft, and became scoring leaders for their respective franchises over their first seven seasons. During their 4 seasons together the Heat won 2 NBA finals, won 4 NBA Eastern Conference championships, and won the Southeast division 4 times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bam Adebayo</span> American basketball player (born 1997)

Edrice Femi "Bam" Adebayo is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats before being selected by the Heat with the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. He is a three-time NBA All-Star, a five-time NBA All-Defensive Team honoree, and he helped the Heat reach the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023. He also won a gold medal on the 2020 U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grant Williams (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1998)

Grant Dean Williams is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Williams played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers. He was drafted 22nd overall in the 2019 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics and reached the NBA Finals with the team in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caleb Martin (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1995)

Caleb Martin is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the NC State Wolfpack and the Nevada Wolf Pack. He was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year for the 2017–18 season by the league's coaches. He is the twin brother of Cody Martin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 NBA Finals</span> 2020 edition of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat

The 2020 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2019–20 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, 4–2, winning their first NBA championship in ten years. It was the franchise's 17th title overall, tying the Boston Celtics for the most in league history. The Lakers' LeBron James was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the fourth time in his career. He became the first player in league history to be named Finals MVP with three different franchises and along with teammate Danny Green, jointly the third players to win the NBA Finals with three different teams. Lakers president Jeanie Buss became the first female controlling owner to guide her team to an NBA title.

The 2019–20 Miami Heat season was the 32nd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the first time since 2016-17 that Dwyane Wade was not on the Miami Heat roster and the NBA's first time without Wade since 2002-03, as he retired from the NBA after playing 16 years in the league. It was the first season for Jimmy Butler on the Heat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 NBA Bubble</span> Sports season

The 2020 NBA Bubble was the bio-secure bubble at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, that was created by the National Basketball Association (NBA) to protect its players from the COVID-19 pandemic during the final eight games of the 2019–20 regular season and throughout the 2020 NBA playoffs. 22 out of the 30 NBA teams were invited to participate with games being held behind closed doors at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and the teams staying at Disney World hotels.

The 2021–22 Miami Heat season was the 34th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Heat looked to improve after the previous season’s first-round exit sweep against the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks. For the first time since 2019, Andre Iguodala was not on the roster as he returned to the Golden State Warriors.

Morgan Eckroth, also known by their username MorganDrinksCoffee, is an American online content creator and barista. A resident of Portland, Oregon, Eckroth maintains a popular TikTok account and YouTube channel along with participating in barista competitions. After competing in nationals and qualifiers for the United States Barista Championship in 2019 and 2020 respectively, Eckroth became the United States Barista Champion in 2022, thereby qualifying to represent the US in the 2022 World Barista Championship (WBC). Eckroth placed second at the WBC, where they were sponsored by Onyx Coffee Lab, an Arkansas-based coffee roaster where Eckroth also serve as the content marketing specialist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public Domain Coffee</span> Coffee shop in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Public Domain Coffee is a coffee shop in Portland, Oregon. Coffee Bean International opened the cafe in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 NBA Finals</span> Edition of the NBA Finals

The 2023 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2022–23 season and conclusion to the season's playoffs. The best-of-seven playoffs was played between the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat and the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets. The series started on June 1, and concluded on June 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celtics–Heat rivalry</span> National Basketball Association rivalry

The Celtics–Heat rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat.

References

  1. 1 2 Davis, Scott (October 1, 2021). "After selling overpriced coffee in the NBA bubble, NBA star Jimmy Butler is starting a coffee business and still ripping off teammates". Insider . Insider Inc. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Kasabian, Paul (September 17, 2020). "Heat's Jimmy Butler Files 3 Trademarks for Coffee Business in NBA Bubble". Bleacher Report . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Reynolds, Tim (March 23, 2022). "Coffee talk: At Miami Open, Butler is in the drink business". AP News . Associated Press . Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Sprung, Shlomo (October 14, 2021). "Jimmy Butler Talks BIGFACE Coffee's Shopify Progress". Boardroom . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Klausing, Sara (August 5, 2022). "Jimmy Butler Gives Us the Inside Scoop on His Coffee Company's Ice Cream Collab". Men's Health . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  6. "HEAT Acquire Butler And Leonard". National Basketball Association. July 6, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  7. Aschburner, Steve (March 12, 2020). "Coronavirus pandemic causes NBA to suspend season after player tests positive". NBA.com. National Basketball Association . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 Wojnarowski, Adrian (June 4, 2020). "NBA approves 22-team format to finish season". ESPN . Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  9. Chiang, Anthony (June 17, 2020). "What will Disney life be like for the Heat? Details from the NBA's 113-page safety plan". The Miami Herald . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  10. Jimmy Butler on Chris Paul beef: I don't care, I don't need friends in the bubble | The Jump. The Jump . ESPN. August 14, 2020. Event occurs at 2:58–3:34. Retrieved June 3, 2023 via YouTube.
  11. 1 2 Dator, James (August 17, 2020). "Jimmy Butler's $20 coffee hustle is the best business in the NBA bubble". SB Nation . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Young, Jabari (October 1, 2021). "NBA star Jimmy Butler launches his Bigface coffee brand". CNBC . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Briggs, David (November 21, 2022). "'I'll give them some good coffee': Jimmy Butler on venture Big Face Coffee". Yahoo! Finance . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  14. Winderman, Ira (August 15, 2020). "Barista Butler? Heat's All-Star forward wasn't kidding about his $20 brews". Sun-Sentinel . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Mizoguchi, Karen (October 1, 2021). "Jimmy Butler Launches Big Face Coffee After NBA Bubble Pop Up, Aspires to Run Own Café After Career". People . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  16. "Jimmy Butler is charging $20 a cup from his NBA bubble coffee shop". ESPN. August 16, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  17. 1 2 Fillari, Giovanni (March 30, 2022). "Jimmy Butler Of BIGFACE Brand: The Sprudge Interview". Sprudge . Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 Thompson, Kat (July 6, 2022). "How NBA Star Jimmy Butler Became a Huge Coffee Nerd". Thrillist . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  19. Squadron, Alex (April 15, 2024). "The Undeniable Realness of Jimmy Butler: Heat Star Talks Leadership, Staying True and the Playoffs". Slam . Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  20. Florsheim, Lane (October 11, 2021). "Jimmy Butler Wants You to Enjoy His $100,000 Cup of Coffee". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on October 11, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  21. 1 2 3 Brinkley, Rhett (December 14, 2022). "NBA star Jimmy Butler teams up with Onyx Coffee Lab on special limited edition coffee release". The Arkansas Times . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  22. Collins, Barbara (December 18, 2022). "NBA star Jimmy Butler on his coffee love affair and 'very, very hard' second career". CNBC . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  23. Bicks, Emily (February 6, 2023). "Heat's Jimmy Butler Reveals Big Face Coffee Banked Him Thousands". Heavy . Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  24. Richardson, Shandel (December 2, 2022). "Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler To Debut Collaboration with Luxury Sportswear Brand Daniel Patrick At Art Basel This Weekend". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  25. 1 2 Stoddard, Taylor (June 20, 2022). "Jimmy Butler's Big Face Coffee Pops Up In Miami Design District with Sweet Treats And Merch". Ocean Drive . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  26. Dator, James (June 20, 2022). "Jimmy Butler wants you to boo him at barista contests". SB Nation . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  27. McCarthy, Kelly (June 22, 2022). "Miami Heat star recalls ice cream that made him fall in love with NYC: 'Doesn't mean I'm coming to the Knicks'". Good Morning America . Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  28. Rodgers, Josh (May 24, 2022). "Jimmy Butler Could Be Expanding His Big Face Coffee Brand Based On His Recent Trademark Filings". AfroTech . Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  29. Sprung, Shlomo (May 8, 2023). "How Big Face Coffee Fueled the Miami Grand Prix". Boardroom . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  30. Richardson, Shandel (May 12, 2023). "Jimmy Butler's Big Face Coffee Brand Partners With Lids HD". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  31. Fernandez, Jenise (June 7, 2023). "Jimmy Butler's Big Face Coffee opens pop-up shop outside Kaseya Center ahead of Game 3". WPLG . Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  32. 1 2 "Artpresso Design Teams with Jimmy Butler, Bigface Coffee". License Global. Informa. June 2, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  33. Chin, Tyler (April 30, 2022). "The Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler Brings This $6K Espresso Machine Everywhere He Goes". Gear Patrol. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  34. Brayson, Johnny (August 4, 2023). "The NBA's Resident Coffee Nerd Jimmy Butler Teams Up with Fellow for a Caffeinated Collab". Gear Patrol. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  35. "This New Coffee Collab Has an NBA Pedigree". UrbanDaddy. August 9, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  36. Miranda, Alex; King, Ki-Jana (January 22, 2024). "Jimmy Butler brings the heat with a new collaboration between his coffee brand and Bacardi". WSVN . Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  37. Trattner, Charlotte (April 10, 2024). "The Salty Donut Launches A Limited Edition Collaboration With Jimmy Butler". Ocean Drive . Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  38. "BIGFACE Coffee - by Brandmonger / Zenpack". Core77 . 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  39. Nadkarni, Rohan (May 8, 2024). ""Miami Has Embraced Me": Slinging BigFace Coffee With Jimmy Butler at the Miami Grand Prix". GQ . Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  40. Gamble, Andrew (June 3, 2023). "Jimmy Butler could become a billionaire despite making just $45m in the NBA". mirror.co.uk . Retrieved August 2, 2023.

See also