One of the Best Coffee Chains in the U.S. Has 12 Rochester Locations

Minnesota's third-largest city is no stranger to coffee, and if you want to grab a cup of some of the java in the entire country, you now have over a dozen places to go.

It's not exactly a surprise that we love our coffee here in Rochester and across the Land of 10,000 Lakes.  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.

The Growing Coffee Culture in Minnesota

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.

Which Top-Rated Coffee Chain Has 12 Rochester Locations?

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 Minnesota's Med City to have 12 different locations of a Minnesota-based coffee chain that was included on a 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 this big coffee company is, and they have over a dozen locations in southeast Minnesota.

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.

Where to Find Caribou Coffee in Rochester: All 12 Locations

If you're looking to grab a cup of joe from Caribou Coffee, you don't have to look too far. Here are the Rochester locations currently operating:

1. Downtown/Subway Level - 101 First Ave SW
2. Kahler Inn - Street Level in hotel - 9 Third Ave NW
3. Southgate - 1021 15th Ave SE
4. HyVee Barlow - 1315 6th St NW
5. River Center Plaza - 1593 North Broadway Ave
6. Civic Center Drive - 451 16th Ave NW
7. Shoppes On Broadway (near Fairgrounds) - 1620 Broadway Ave S
8. Apache Mall - 1200 12th St NW
9. County Road 22 & Viola - 2190 Wheelock Dr NE
10. West Circle Drive (near Costco) - 1930 36th Av NW
11. 41st St & Highway 52 - 3938 Marketplace Dr NW
12. Maine Ave (near Target South & Lowe's) - 4662 Maine Ave SE

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.