Pittsburgh Bids Farewell to Caribou

It seems that Caribou Coffee, once a mainstay in Pittsburgh, has now left the city for greener pastures.

The four locations around Pittsburgh closed up shop for good on Sunday night, to be converted later this month into Peet's Coffee locations. Earlier this year, Joh. A. Benckiser SE, the German holding company that owns Peet's Coffee, purchased Caribou and announced intent to convert more than 88 locations from Caribou Coffee to Peet's, across the country. While Caribou is not going out of business, Benckiser has announced that it intends to consolidate its brands, maintaining limited Caribou operations in only a select few states.

Peet's Coffee & Tea is a San-Francisco-Bay-Based chain which was founded in 1966 by Alfred Peet, a Dutchman who was (the story goes) appalled at what Americans called coffee. It was one of the first cafe chains to introduce dark roast European-style coffee to the U.S. and is considered a founder of the gourmet coffee industry. In fact, it is often considered to have been an influence on the founding of the much better-known Starbucks, whose founders knew Alfred Peet on a personal level.

The company is also known for providing extensive benefits plans to part-time employees, though it has also come under fire for its employee and labor relations and anti-union policies.

Coffee fans in Pittsburgh are split on the development; Caribou fans are unhappy with the closure of the stores, noting that Caribou offered a very welcoming, homey atmosphere where people always felt welcome. Pitt Senior Rose Giardina said, "I love Caribou Coffee. It has such a great atmosphere, and the hot chocolate and mochas are delicious."

Another Pitt student, Anne Morocco, stated, "Caribou is different; it's a warm, friendly, cozy and inviting space. It was easy to sit here if you wanted to stay. At some other coffee places, it's kind of rushed -- you go in, you get your coffee, and you leave."

Peet's, however, has its own group of devotees, who call themselves "Peetnicks," and will be understandably pleased to hear about the new locations in Pittsburgh. 

For more information, see the following:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/closing-of-pittsburgh-area-caribou-cof...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peet%27s_Coffee_%26_Tea

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribou_Coffee