Inside the plans to bring Caribou Coffee to Tampa Bay
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Apr 29, 2022

Michelle and Bill Mathis are always looking for opportunities.

The husband-and-wife owners of Subway franchises throughout northern Minnesota bought a home in St. Petersburg five years ago and were always examining the market, Michelle Mathis said: "What would fit here? What would be different? What do we love?"

Through Subway's sponsorship of the Minnesota Twins, the Mathises were introduced to Caribou Coffee. When the company announced a new domestic franchise program in 2021, the couple knew it was a fit for the Tampa Bay region.

"I think there’s a lot of great coffee houses here — they all hold their place in the market, and they’re very respected," Michelle Mathis said. "We are not going to plop down a corporate store. Caribou has a niche in the Midwest; however, we're going to be able to bring it here but give it a flair that’s Gulf Coast."

That means local artwork and a different type of decor than the chain's typical rustic vibe, she said. The couple is bringing both Caribou prototypes to the area: the cabin, a drive-thru store that's roughly 600 square feet, and the chalet, which is more like a traditional coffeehouse and can range from 1,500 to 1,800 square feet.

Mathis said it was too soon to say how many locations the company might bring to the area. Caribou's franchising information says it requires operators to commit to at least 10 locations. She said each of her stores will create 30 to 40 jobs.

The 600-square-foot drive-thru, she said, was part of what attracted the couple to the brand.

"That's another thing we were drawn to — the efficiency," she said.

Caribou's culture, she said, was another factor.

"In today's world, culture is huge," she said.