On the heels of its latest opening in Cumming last week, Caribou Coffee has at least three more locations in the works in Georgia. Plans reviewed by ToNeTo Atlanta indicate that new Caribou Coffee shops are planned for former Checkers restaurants in Athens, Griffin, and Lawrenceville.
A metro Atlanta Checkers at 41 Cobb Parkway, a stone's throw from The Big Chicken, closed earlier this year and could be of interest to Caribou or other quick-serve chains looking to grow but capable of making use of small format drive-thru only restaurants.
Caribou's Cumming location, as well as others that opened earlier this year in Kennesaw, Milton, and Loganville all make use of former Burger King or Hardee's restaurants, and as such, have inside dining as well as drive-thru service.
The Minnesota-based chain has, in recent years, closed more locations than it has opened in metro Atlanta, but the new locations mark a return to growth for the brand.
Caribou Coffee was in 2013 acquired by German private equity firm JAB Holding Company, a multi-billion dollar firm that also owns Panera Bread, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Peet's Coffee, Pret a Manger, and Bruegger's Bagels, among other brands. Today, Caribou is part of Panera Brands, a JAB-controlled holding company.
JAB intended in 2014 to convert Atlanta area Caribou Coffee locations to its Peet's Coffee brand but later abandoned those plans.
There are currently ten Caribou Coffee locations in metro Atlanta: Cumming, Loganville, Kennesaw, Milton, Peachtree and Piedmont in Buckhead, 10th and Piedmont in Midtown, Peachtree Center, and Truist Garden (Bridge Level) downtown, and a pair of locations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Of the six, only the Buckhead location is freestanding with a drive-thru.
Founded in 1992, as of March 26, 2024, Caribou Coffee had 334 company-owned stores, 143 "non-traditional," and 335 franchise locations in 11 countries.
Are you excited about the return of more Caribou Coffee shops to metro Atlanta? Who do you think offers the best coffee in metro Atlanta? Where else would you like to see Caribou Coffee open?
Please share your thoughts below.
3 comments:
All of these new freestanding locations, plus the one other freestanding location, are within a block of a Taco Bell. Guys. I think I cracked the code.
FIND ME A TACO BELL!!
Ding dong! Suppers ready! The taco bell is ringing.
"A...Checkers at 41 Cobb Parkway, a stone's throw from The Big Chicken, closed earlier this year..."
(1) Why is there no article on this?
(2) This month, August 2024, or last month, July 2024, is hardly "earlier this year." Did you even bother to research it? I am not sure of the closure date, but I know that the location was still open in June 2024.
(3) No one wants another ho-hum coffee joint there.
The location's dimwitted, outside-for-a-smoke staff could not get right this summer's Brisket Bosswich, with one moron repeatedly putting in the small portion of meat that goes in the regular brisket sandwich, thereby ripping off customers.
The cheap-a$$ chain hired bottom-of-the-barrel staff, which affected food quality throughout that location's decade-plus existence. Its 4:00 AM close time will be missed but not its many F-ups.
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