Dive Brief:

• Caribou Coffee, which has over 750 units globally, has signed several multi-unit franchise agreements to develop over 300 domestic units, the company said Tuesday.
• The additional units follow the company’s 50th opening of its drive-thru-focused Caribou cabin format. 
• The coffee chain began domestic franchising in October 2021 and signed its first multi-unit development agreement with Mike Mariola Restaurants to develop 60 units across Ohio, the first of which opened Nov. 17 in Wooster, Ohio.

Dive Insight:

The new deals with franchisees will bring the company’s total unit count to over 1,000. Caribou leveraged its relationship with sister brand Panera Bread to add three Panera franchisees to its system, including Panera’s largest franchise, Covelli Enterprises. It will also work with Hamra Enterprises, which also owns Wendy’s and Noodles & Company stores, and Manna Development Group. As part of its franchising efforts, Caribou also brought on Matthew Walls in July as chief franchise officer.

Helping speed up development is the Caribou Cabin prototype, which uses a smaller footprint and has a streamlined design and efficient model, the company said. The prototype, which is about 600 square feet, was developed in 2019. Franchisees also have the option to develop a larger Caribou location, which are about 1,600 to 1,800 square feet and include indoor seating. 

Additionally, the company has boosted product awareness by providing retail products available in all 50 states. On May 4, it will revise its Caribou Perks rewards program with the additional benefit of non-dairy milk add-ons for no additional charge for orders completed on its app.