Caribou: Announces Milestone in Global Expansion

Minneapolis / MN. (cc) Caribou Coffee Company Inc., the second largest company-owned premium coffee-house operator in the United States, has officially opened its 100th international operating location. The 100th international Caribou coffee-house is located in the cosmopolitan and bustling city of Istanbul, Türkiye. Caribou´s 100th operating coffee-house, which opened on May 10, 2012, in partnership with master franchisee Al Sayer Group and Türkiye´s Yildiz Holding, is Caribou´s sixth store in Türkiye.

«The Caribou brand, and our shared dedication to quality and service, has resonated well in this region of the world», said Al Sayer Group General Manager Hamad Alsayer. «We view this market expansion as an important step in our combined commitment to global franchise development over the next several years».

Al Sayer Group currently operates 89 of Caribou´s 100 international locations in Türkiye, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In 2011, Al Sayer Group entered into a joint venture with Yildiz Holding to bring the first – and largest – Caribou coffee-house to Türkiye, a country known for its coffee traditions and culture, in an effort to share Caribou´s love for coffee with Turkish communities.

«The 100th international coffee-house milestone is part of our larger expansion strategy to develop and strengthen Caribou´s brand in the countries where we already exist, before proceeding to grow in new markets», said Mike Tattersfield, president and CEO of Caribou Coffee. «We plan to open a number of stores, both domestically and internationally, and increase our total store count by ten to twelve percent in 2012».

Caribou has also ramped up its packaged coffee sales in grocery and foodservice channels over the past several years and grown its commercial business significantly, primarily in the United States. As Caribou continues to engage new fans in international markets, the brand plans to maintain this trajectory, and demonstrate a strong presence in all channels of the coffee market across the globe.