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NILES – A new coffee shop is coming to the Niles area.

The ground has been broken on the new Biggby Coffee drive-thru to be located at 2518 S. 11^th St. in Niles. A Michigan-based franchise, Biggby Coffee operates more than 230 locations in the U.S.

Owner/operator Sarah Docekal, of Decatur, said she and her husband, Joshua, come through Niles often.

“We thought it would be a great spot when we looked at franchising,” Docekal said.  “ Niles didn’t have [a Biggby] yet.”

The “up-and-coming” feel of the area and the “beautiful” downtown also drew the Docekals to the location.
While the visible progress for the business is new, Docekal said it has been in the works for the past year.

“COVID-19 has set us back, but we are trucking along,” she said.

The green light to begin excavations was granted after plans were approved and the work was started.

A pre-fabricated building will be erected in the area as one of the first parts of the construction process.

“We are set to have it arrive next week if all goes as planned,” Docekal said.

After that, inspections of the building and construction will need to be passed.

With everything lined up and in place, Docekal said the goal is to have the location open in mid to late Jun.
“We have a lot of training coming up, and we have to hire,” Docekal said.

The new location will not only be couple’s first Biggby Coffee, it will be their first time operating a franchise business.

“This is new to us,” Docekal said. “We are enjoying every step of it. We have met many people in the Niles community.”

Her love for coffee was just one of the things that attracted her to the Biggby Coffee business.

“We love their motto,” Docekal said. “They love to love people. They love to invest in a community.”
Docekal has a background in occupational safety. As her children grow older, she wanted to try something new.
“I wanted to veer into something that would allow me to spend time with my children but be my own boss,” she said. “This was the perfect opportunity for us.”

More updates on the location may be found at the location’s Facebook page, Biggby Coffee of Niles.