This summer, Beachwood’s Caribou Coffee location at La Place, a long-time community hangout, will take on a new form: Peet’s Coffee & Tea.

The Minneapolis-based Caribou Coffee announced on April 9th that they would be converting 88 of their locations to Peet’s Coffee & Tea stores. Many BHS students and staff were relieved that the Beachwood location would be converted, as Caribou also announced that on April 14th, 80 of their underperforming stores would be closed down outright.

“Over the past few months, we at Caribou have revisited our business strategy, including closely evaluating our performance by market to make decisions that best position us for long-term growth,” Caribou president and CEO Mike Tattersfield wrote in a statement via the company’s media relations department.

“While the decisions we’ve made have been difficult for our team in Minneapolis, as well as our team members across the country and our guests and fans everywhere, we are working to make this transition as seamless as possible for the Caribou community,” Tattersfield wrote.

Jonathan Berns, a managing partner of Boardwalk Partners, which owns the La Place shopping center, was just as surprised as anyone to learn of Caribou’s plans.

“We heard about them closing down just like everybody else… they didn’t contact us directly,” Berns said.

While some diehard Caribou fans may be skeptical of the Emeryville, CA-based Peet’s, Berns assured The Beachcomber that Peet’s is very highly rated for their quality.

A Peet’s representative declined to comment at the time of publication and Caribou’s media relations department did not reply to a request for further comment on the transition.

As a result of the transition, a concern that many devout Caribou customers likely have is whether familiar employees will be serving up their beverages.

“The employees at our Caribou have a really strong relationship with the clientele,” Berns said.

Berns said current Caribou employees will have the opportunity to apply at the new Peet’s store.

The transition forces the La Place Caribou to close down for several weeks in order to change over into a Peet’s store.

Tentatively, the coffeehouse is scheduled to close on June 23rd and reopen on July 19th as Peet’s.

When customers return to the new Peet’s store in July, they will be welcomed to a different decor than that of Caribou.

“[There will be a] complete renovation of the interior… [and] they’re going to update all their furniture,” Berns said, adding that Peet’s will be keeping “everyone’s favorite fireplace.”

While Berns is anticipating a slight drop in foot-traffic at other La Place tenants during the weeks of the coffeehouse’s renovation, he believes that the opening of Peet’s will more than make up for it.

“When something is new and remodeled and reinvested in, there’s a certain level of excitement,” he said.

“I think that the growth from the energy and excitement of a new tenant being there will outbalance the loss of [foot traffic],” Berns said.

The La Place Caribou location is beloved by many members of the BHS community, most notably by English teacher Peter Harvan.

Harvan, who has patronized the La Place location nearly every school day since it opened and is on a first name basis with several of the employees, is both reminiscent of his loyal patronage and optimistic for the transition.

“What got me started [with Caribou]… [was that] they were cheaper when they first opened. They offered more perks in regards to free stuff,” Harvan said.

“[When Caribou opened,] if you bought a certain amount – they used to have – if you buy ten, you get one free, you buy ten and you get a big plastic mug or something like that and, admittedly, that’s how I started there.”

“I like their lattes a little better than Starbucks,” he said, adding “they offer free refills, so it was just… more customer friendly.”

However, Harvan thinks the Caribou at La Place does have one shortcoming; one that he hopes Peet’s will improve upon.

“It was always crowded. There [were] times where… there [was] no place to sit, and that [included] sometimes the seating in the mall, as well,” he said. “[That was] probably its biggest problem.”

While Harvan will miss Caribou, he’s not opposed to Peet’s.

“I’ve been there… they’re nice places. They’re a lot like Starbucks, so in regards to quality, I don’t expect there to be a real drop-off,” he said.

“I don’t mind this [change]. I like to patronize local places, but sometimes with coffee shops, there’s more consistency with some of the chains, so if someone had to take over there, I’m kind of glad it’s this place.”

“It’s new, it’ll be different, but I know it’ll still be a quality place,” he said.

Many BHS students felt the transition would not affect them.

“I’m more of [a] Starbucks [customer],” sophomore Danny Stanescu said.

“I guess the name of the coffee shop that I go to is changing, but… as long as the food isn’t that much different, [it doesn’t affect me],” sophomore Alex Machtay said, adding that he would give Peet’s a try.

Though to the BHS students who offered their condolences to Harvan over the loss of Caribou, Harvan was appreciative.

“I’d like to… express my thanks to all those who offered their sympathy to me when they discovered that Caribou was closing,” Harvan said.