Hospitality & Tourism  July 14, 2023

Ziggi’s to close one Longmont coffee shop, then open two

LONGMONT – Ziggi’s Coffee is moving out of a northwest Longmont storefront Tuesday but plans to open two other locations in the city next year.

Brandon Knudsen, Ziggi’s co-founder and CEO, said the closure of the shop at 1139 Francis St. after more than a decade reflected the Mead-based chain’s decision to focus on drive-through locations, and his plan had been to move the team working at Francis to a new 1,800-square-foot cafe and drive-through at Clover Basin and Airport roads – but “the timing just didn’t work out.

“This had been in planning for more than a year,” Knudsen said Friday. “We were hoping construction would be faster, but it’s taken so long that we had the opportunity to get in an awesome tenant behind us on Francis, and we took it.”

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The new tenant taking over that space is Wonder Press, an organic cold-pressed juice and wellness café.

“We are sad to say goodbye to our Francis Street location, but we are thrilled to be handing the keys over to Wonder Press,” said Knudsen, adding that its owners, Robyn Cronin and Brooke Jordan, “are passionate entrepreneurs with a deep commitment to the community. They will bring a fresh perspective and continue the legacy of providing exceptional products and service in this space.”

Knudsen will introduce Cronin and Jordan at a reception from 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Ziggi’s last day on Francis Street, and will give away free 16-ounce drinks to customers.

“We have so many great neighbors in that neighborhood,” Knudsen said, “and this is still going to leave a spot for locals to hang out and play checkers.”

Cronin said she knows Ziggi’s has been a staple in this community, but added in a prepared statement that “we are excited about the future of Wonder Press in this space. Longmont is a vibrant community, and we believe Wonder Press will bring even more life to this neighborhood. We are committed to continuing the warm and welcoming environment that Ziggi’s Coffee has built, and we look forward to serving the community with our organic cold-pressed juices and wellness offerings.”

Knudsen said he now expects construction to begin at the Clover Basin site in the last quarter of this year or the first quarter of 2024. He and his wife, Camrin, co-owners of the chain, are also planning next year to open a purely drive-through Ziggi’s location on East Ken Pratt Boulevard and Fairview Street, near Longs Peak Hospital and the Sandstone recreation complex.

He said the closure of the Francis Street cafe marks the first time he had shuttered a location that he managed directly. Another Ziggi’s store had closed in Erie during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that one had been run by a franchisee.

Founded in 2004, Ziggi’s Coffee, recently ranked on the 2023 Entrepreneur Magazine Franchise 500. The chain has 72 locations open nationwide and more than 140 additional units in development.

LONGMONT – Ziggi’s Coffee is moving out of a northwest Longmont storefront Tuesday but plans to open two other locations in the city next year.

Brandon Knudsen, Ziggi’s co-founder and CEO, said the closure of the shop at 1139 Francis St. after more than a decade reflected the Mead-based chain’s decision to focus on drive-through locations, and his plan had been to move the team working at Francis to a new 1,800-square-foot cafe and drive-through at Clover Basin and Airport roads – but “the timing just didn’t work out.

“This had been in planning for more than a year,” Knudsen said Friday.…

Dallas Heltzell
With BizWest since 2012 and in Colorado since 1979, Dallas worked at the Longmont Times-Call, Colorado Springs Gazette, Denver Post and Public News Service. A Missouri native and Mizzou School of Journalism grad, Dallas started as a sports writer and outdoor columnist at the St. Charles (Mo.) Banner-News, then went to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before fleeing the heat and humidity for the Rockies. He especially loves covering our mountain communities.
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