Caribou Honors Former Employee With Blend

Caribou Coffee announced that, in memory of former employee Amy Erickson, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 1995, it will once again offer Amy’s Blend coffee and new Amy’s Blend tea, along with other merchandise, at all its stores and online throughout October. The company will donate 10 percent of all sales of Amy’s Blend coffee, tea, and merchandise to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, with the goal of raising $200,000.

Erickson helped develop the stringent standards the company still uses today, according to Chad Trewick, senior director of coffee and tea at Caribou Coffee. “Amy helped revolutionize the way coffee is tasted and developed at Caribou,” he says. “She inspired a daily cupping ritual that helped change our production routines.”

Erickson’s passion for coffee and for life, even while battling cancer, was contagious and inspirational, and has left a lasting imprint on the company. A plaque and quality control facility was dedicated to Erickson in 1995 and then rededicated on October 13, 2004. The Amy Erickson Cupping Lab is a daily reminder of the impact she had on Caribou Coffee and its employees.

“At Caribou Coffee it’s important to us to be a positive force for change in our communities, especially in areas such as health, animal welfare, and sustainability,” says Mike Tattersfield, CEO of Caribou Coffee. “Our Amy’s Blend campaign is focused on women’s health, specifically finding a cure for breast cancer. This cause is important to us at Caribou because of Amy’s legacy. We love that it’s embraced by the community at large and that we can join together to help fight breast cancer in Amy’s name.”

Amy’s Blend coffee is inspired by some of Erickson’s favorite coffee beans from East Africa, including Kenya and Ethiopia. The new Amy’s Blend tea is a caffeine-free red tea from South Africa blended with spicy cardamom and cinnamon. Amy’s Blend tea is all-natural and high in antioxidants.

Other Amy’s Blend merchandise available in October that helps support Susan G. Komen for the Cure includes coffee, tea, and travel mugs; stainless steel water bottles; pens; notebooks; and reusable totes.