Two downtown St. Joseph businesses will be taking a formal bow midday Tuesday when the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber conducts a ribbon cutting at BIGGBY Coffee and ZOUP! Eatery in the Courthouse Square. The businesses have changed hands a couple of times in recent years. They are now owned by Karan Singh, one of St. Joseph’s younger entrepreneurs. Singh’s partner in the BIGGBY store is Nick Lafond.
Karan Singh may already be a familiar face to many in the community through Power Strike Fitness. Opening his first business gave him the opportunity to meet and build relationships with many people throughout the area—connections that have become especially meaningful to him.
In late July 2025, Karan and his family took over Zoup! Eatery in downtown St. Joseph. Since then, they have been working behind the scenes—learning, listening, and dedicating time to improving day-to-day operations, customer service, and overall consistency. After seven months of focused effort, they are excited to officially share this next chapter with the community.
More recently, in mid-January 2026, Karan partnered with Nick Lafond to purchase the local BIGGBY Coffee location. Together, they are looking forward to continuing to serve familiar faces while welcoming new ones.
Their goal is simple: to support and grow locally owned businesses while creating places where people feel welcome and confident in the quality they receive. For anyone who may have had a less-than-great experience with either business in the past, Karan and his team sincerely invite them to give it another try. They value feedback and view it as an important part of continually improving.
Karan and his team are grateful for the community’s support of local businesses and appreciate the opportunity to continue investing in the place they are proud to call home.
The SMR Chamber Ribbon Cutting runs from 12:30 to 1:30 pm Tuesday, with specials available at both BIGGBY and ZOUP! for those who drop by.
Nick Lafond
