One of the country’s largest coffee chains is looking to grow across the US through the franchising method.
Caribou Coffee, part of Panera Breads, has launched its first-ever domestic franchise program. Founded in 1992, the company currently has more than 718 locations, including 314 company-owned stores and 135 license locations in 22 US states. It also has 269 franchised locations in 10 global countries.
Caribou Coffee said the roll-out of its drive-thru focused “Caribou Cabin” prototype, which has a significantly smaller footprint, has positioned it for nationwide expansion. The streamlined design and efficient model immediately translated to success, with the first several stores reporting industry-leading customer satisfaction and strong sales and traffic even in the midst of the pandemic, according to the company.
“Leveraging our unit growth and omni-channel performance, we’ve designed scalable processes and support services to enable franchisees’ success,” said John Butcher, President and CEO of Caribou Coffee. “Recognising Caribou Cabins’ immense expansion potential, we’ve optimised this business model through our corporate-owned locations and are focused on replicating the success we’ve experienced in new markets in partnership with franchise owners.
