Ziggi’s Coffee set to open on Jasper’s south side by year’s end

Construction has begun on a new coffee option on Jasper’s south side as local entrepreneurs Aaron and Ashley Cochran prepare to open a Ziggi’s Coffee drive-thru before the end of this year.

The Cochrans, who live in St. Meinrad with their two young children, Cyrus and Owen, are bringing the Colorado-based franchise to what they consider an underserved area of Jasper that holds a lot of potential.

“We felt that there was a need and there was a service that wasn’t being filled.” Aaron explained.

With other options being planted Downtown and on the northside of Jasper, the southside seemed to be getting overlooked for businesses like the Cochrans. This, combined with the high-traffic Highway 162 entry point to the city, attracted them to the location near Vincennes University, at the corner of South Meridian and Third Avenue.

Ziggi’s Coffee, with approximately 200 franchises and nearly 100 active locations nationwide, offers a diverse menu that extends beyond an extensive list of traditional coffee offerings. A strong selling point for the Cochran’s interest in the franchise was the caffeine-free kids’ menu.

“I love the kid’s menu,” Ashley explained. “It’s nice to go up and not have to think, ‘Okay, I want a coffee but what what am I going to get my kids?'”

Current drink offerings on the kids’ menu include a Shark Bite Slushie made with frozen lemonade and blue raspberry, a Cotton Candy Blender, and Unicorn Punch, a “magical” taste of strawberry smoothie and vanilla.

Another popular item is the specialty “dirty sodas” that combine name-brand sodas with coffee flavorings and other ingredients. Think Dr. Pepper with some almond flavor and vanilla cream with a cherry on top, or a Mountain Dew with added lime, sweet cherry and strawberry puree.

In addition to drinks, they also have breakfast sandwiches, burritos, pastries, cookies and oatmeal as well as a few gluten-free options.

The menu rotates seasonally, with new offerings introduced at least quarterly. Customers can also join a loyalty program through the Ziggi’s app to earn points toward free drinks and receive birthday rewards.

The couple’s path to becoming a Ziggi’s franchise started with a family friend’s connection to the company’s founder but was instigated by the pandemic’s impact on their livelihood.

Aaron’s 25-year career in retail management brought the Cochrans Southern Indiana for a job in Louisville until Covid-related downsizing left him unemployed. They had fallen in love with the area, but rocked by the pandemic, the future still felt uncertain as they considered how they would accomplish that.

“We were just really forced to consider, you know, what, where do we want to our lives to go, and what do we want to do,” said Ashley.

They decided to stay in Southern Indiana, but they also decided they wanted to open their own business. In 2021, they purchased into the franchise with plans to open in Jasper. Though finding the right location proved to be more difficult than expected, the Cochrans are invested in building a successful addition to Jasper.

The key ingredients to that success, in addition to a great menu, are great customer service and employee satisfaction.

“We care. We want to connect with customers. We want to know your name when you come through the drive-thru. We want to remember what your order is when you’re a regular,” Aaron said. “We really want it to be a good experience to kick off your day.”

He added that he understands the frustration of waiting for your order for 10 minutes when you are trying to get to work. One feature of the Ziggi’s model is a leaderboard that measures each location’s performance to others around the nation.

“It compares who is the quickest. It is a very important metric we follow,” he explained.

Adding to quick, friendly service, the franchise specializes in adding that little something extra. “All of our hot drinks come with a chocolate covered espresso bean,” Aaron said. “We really want it to be a good experience to kick off your day.”

The Cochrans also believe that well-treated staff provide better customer service.

“We look forward to really investing in our employees providing a place where people want to work,” Ashley said.

The business expects to employ 15 to 20 people when it opens. While the Cochrans will have a store manager handling day-to-day operations, they plan to remain actively involved as local owners.

The Cochrans have a passion for taking care of people and are looking forward to bringing something special for the community to Jasper’s south side.