Caribou Coffee and Einstein Brothers Bagels plan two Duluth locations

What's better than one? Two. Of course we have two reasons for that.

Reason One: When it comes to coffee and bagels, it's a given that the two belong together. That's why Caribou Coffee and Einstein Brothers Bagels have teamed up to open co-branded stores across the country.

Reason Two: It's great when that coffee and bagel duo decides to open a location within Duluth. It's better when they open two.

ENDI AND KENWOOD VILLAGE

Kenwood Village | United Properties

We announced a few weeks ago that Caribou Coffee would open a location at Duluth's newest luxury residential building, Endi, at 2120 London Road.

At the time it was unclear if the location was to be a standalone concept or one that was co-branded with Einstein Brothers Bagels. Caribou Coffee has been expanding their co-branded locations for last three years with a number of locations in the Midwest, including seven in Minnesota.

Soon after we posted our article job postings (if you're interested, look here) began to surface for a co-branded location at 2100 London Road confirming that Einstein Brothers Bagels would also be coming to Duluth.

THE SECOND LOCATION

Today the Duluth News Tribune revealed that Caribou Coffee would also open a co-branded location at Kenwood Village, a new mixed-use development at the corner of Kenwood Avenue and Arrowhead Road.

A few years back Bruegger's Bagels, another bagel chain that Caribou Coffee had opened co-branded locations with at the time, was to open within the space with Caribou Coffee. However in 2014 it was announced that Caribou Coffee and Bruegger's Bagels would end their relationship and not open any additional co-branded locations. This was due to a number of reasons, however soon after a new partner was selected: Einstein Brothers Bagels.

This means that the location at Kenwood Village will also be co-branded as a Caribou Coffee and Einstein Brothers Bagels location. It will feature a drive-thru, as will the London Road location, which currently none of the three Duluth Caribou Coffee locations have.

Caribou Coffee and Einstein Brothers Bagels will open first at Kenwood Village in October and then second in Endi in late fall or early winter 2017.

A Caribou Coffee and Einstein Brothers Bageks location in Woodbury, Minnesota | Caribou Coffee

EINSTEIN BROTHERS BAGELS

While Duluth, along with Minnesota, is quite familiar with the Minnesota based coffee chain Caribou Coffee, Duluthians might be a bit more unfamiliar with Einstein Brothers Bagels.

Einstein Brothers Bagels began in 1995 in Golden, Colorado. The bagel shop was created by Boston Market as a way for them to service breakfast foods. Currently the company has nearly 800 locations across the United States including nearly 30 in Caribou Coffee co-branded locations. The company partnered with Caribou Coffee on that concept in 2014 upon the departure of Caribou Coffee's bagel partner, and Einstein Brothers Bagel's competitor, Bruegger's Bagels.

Exterior of a recently opened Caribou Coffee and Einstein Brothers Bagels location in Grand Forks | Grand Forks Herald