‘The Bachelor’: Ben Higgins Said His 3 Restaurants and 2 Coffee Shops Are ‘Doing Really Bad Right Now’
While Peter Weber is still being talked about thanks to his outrageous Bachelor season, there are plenty of Bachelors who have a much better reputation. And one of them is Ben Higgins. Higgins thought he met the love of his life on his season as the lead, but we know that didn’t work out. Even so, he met his current fiancée, Jessica Clarke, without the help of the series — and the two seem happier than ever.
Higgins recently went on Nick Viall’s The Viall Files podcast to talk about his relationship and life during the coronavirus (COVID-19). And while he still has quite a following thanks to reality TV, he’s also an entrepreneur. Unfortunately, his restaurants and coffee shops aren’t doing well at the moment. Here’s what he said.
Ben Higgins co-founded Generous Coffee Company
Higgins isn’t just interested in being known as a reality TV star. He wanted to use his platform for the greater good, and he launched Generous Coffee Company to help fund operational expenses of nonprofits that are doing work to help the world. Higgins calls the business “for purpose” instead of “for profit.” The business is run out of Denver, Colorado, and has been operational since 2018.
“It is the most amazing thing to witness when lives are changed through the funding of Generous, whether it is people having the opportunity for education, access to health care, clean water, jobs, newly built and safe infrastructure, or equality in the household,” Higgins explained to Daily Coffee News.
Higgins didn’t create this company alone, though. There are actually three founders as well as a director of communications and over 50 volunteers. “Our biggest difficulty has been finding ways to involve these volunteers — people who are interested, passionate, and inspired in spreading the mission and vision of Generous,” Higgins added.
He got involved with restaurants in 2018
Not only is Higgins involved with coffee, but he also co-owns restaurants. The Denver Post reported back in 2018 that Higgins co-owned Ash’Kara, an eatery known for showcasing Middle Eastern cuisine. Higgins even called his involvement with the place a “childhood dream,” as he was inspired by a restaurant in Leesburg, Indiana, that brought back memories.
“The owner, Stacy, he always had a bottle of wine, a cigar, and his books, he had his financials right in front of you,” Higgins explained to Delish while talking about Ash’Kara’s opening. “From that point forward I said, I want to be that guy. I want to be in a place that people want to come to. I want to be in a place where I’m not pulled in a thousand other locations, where people come to congregate and meet.”
Higgins told Nick Viall that his businesses aren’t doing well due to coronavirus
Higgins talked to Viall on The Viall Files about his businesses, and he mentioned that he knows if everything goes down due to coronavirus, he knows he’ll be OK in the end. But he still has a lot to lose.
“Here’s the bad part about my life right now is over the last three years, I’ve invested and bought three restaurants and two coffee shops,” Higgins said. “Those things are doing really bad right now.”
But he’s not all doom and gloom about the situation. “The benefit of life for me is realizing that if I lose everything I’m still OK, like meaning that my identity does not lie in what I have,” Higgins added. “The sad part of that is I’ve tried to work hard and often so that I could do those things so that later on in life I could have the freedom and the time to invest in my family and friends. That part is sad. I don’t know what this looks like in six months for me when it comes to those investments.”
Higgins mentioned small business loans have helped, and he’s remaining positive it’ll all work out in the end. We’re hoping the restaurants and coffee shops can pull through during this difficult time.
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