Two Minnesota Companies Now Part of 15 Best Coffee Chains In The US

Two familiar companies here in Minnesota have been included on a list of the 15 best coffee chains in the entire country.

It's not exactly a surprise that we love our coffee here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes and across the country. According to this IBIS World report, the number of coffee shops operating in the United States in 2024 was a staggering 72,854, which is an increase of 3.3 percent from 2022.

Our coffee craze here in the US has been going on for a while now too. According to this story from Eat This, Not That! Americans have been getting a cup of java for well over 50 years now, noting that the 'first major coffee chain in America, Peet's Coffee, popped up in Berkeley, California, in 1966. More chains followed, and by the 1980s, coffeehouse culture exploded. Momentum hasn't let up since,' the story said.

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And while they may individually be small, cozy places, the value of those coffee shops is big business. According to the Daily Coffee News, the United States coffee shop market grew 8 percent to $49.5 billion over the past year, a 4 percent increase in the market’s pre-pandemic value.

So that's a LOT of places to grab a cup of java, right? So with all those choices, we're pretty lucky here in the North Star State to have not one, but two, Minnesota-based coffee chains included on a new list of the 15 Best Coffee Chains in America from Eat This, Not That!.

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While their survey says that Starbucks is the number-one chain in the country-- and they're certainly found here in the Bold North-- they're not a Minnesota-based company. But two big coffee companies ARE.

So, shout-out to Caribou Coffee, which took the number eight spot on the Eat This, Not That! survey.

Founded in 1992, Caribou has since expanded to some 450 stores across the U.S., with more than half of those in Minnesota, where the chain was founded. There are some locations abroad, across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, too.

But Minnesota's entry on the Best Coffee Chains in America list didn't end with Caribou Coffee. So, shout out to another Minnesota company that's been in business even longer: Dunn Brothers, which claimed the number ten spot on the Eat This, Not That! Best Coffee Chains in America List:

This Minnesota-based coffee roaster, with 52 locations across the Midwest, has been specializing in roasting coffee in small-batches to achieve the freshest, most flavorful coffee experience possible, since it first opened in 1987.

The only other coffee chain with locations in Minnesota that made the 15 Best Coffee Chains in America list was Dunkin, which came in at number two. Tim Hortons, which once had as many as 14 stores in Minnesota is ranked at number five on the list, however, all its Minnesota locations are now closed.

And seeing as many of us can't get our mornings started without a cup of coffee, keep scrolling to see how many varieties of another morning staple-- cereal-- you remember as well.

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