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Jimmy Butler’s In-Bubble Coffeeshop Now Has A Rival Competitor… From Within His Own Team

Last month, while being interviewed by Rachel Nichols for ESPN’s ‘The Jump’, Jimmy Butler confirmed the rumors of him operating a coffee shop in the NBA Bubble – the Big Face Coffee shop.

Additionally, Butler confirmed that it comes with a steep price for a cup – not least due to having a Bubble monopoly.

“I’m working on my coffee skills. After my career, I’m opening up a coffee shop. Right now, I’m charging $20 bucks a cup, so if you want some, come through.”

Butler then even added some merchandise for the shop and wore it before games of the Eastern Conference Finals.

But while the $20 per cup aren’t too much of a problem for Butler’s teammates, and they indeed buy a lot of coffee from Butler, it is a lot of money for team employees who aren’t on multi-million dollar contracts.

Brandon Gilliam, Miami’s assistant athletic trainer, recognized the need for a cheaper in-bubble coffee option, and opened a rival coffeeshop called ‘Little Face Coffee’.

Gilliam also operates from his hotel room, using his own French press. Each cup only costs $5, with the first one being free. He calls it “The Best Little Coffee Shop in the Bubble”, that has its own tagline ‘It’s All About the Grind.’ That’s what he told Malika Andrews of ESPN:

 

“My poor video coordinator, he can’t afford that. He is up all hours of the night, breaking down all sorts of film. I am just trying to keep him going.”

“I tell [Butler], ‘You’re the high frills, you make mochaccinos and frappe-lattes,'” Gilliam said. “‘I am just black coffee, man. So let me have my little world down there.'”

Butler though doesn’t appear to be too afraid of the new, cheaper in-team competition. When asked about Little Face Coffee, he simply replied with:

“Ain’t no one going over there to Little Face Coffee,” he teased. “It’s all about Big Face.”