The parent company of Bruegger’s Bagels will sell the brand to Caribou Coffee as it seeks to expand its international concepts in the U.S. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Le Duff America, which owns Bruegger’s and la Madeleine French Bakery and Cafe, will launch its global cafe brand Brioche Doree in the U.S. and expects the Bruegger’s deal to close by the end of September.
Caribou Coffee is owned by JAB Holdings, which over the last year has acquired Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Panera Bread. Privately held JAB also owns several other coffee brands including Peet’s Coffee and Tea and Einstein Noah. Bruegger’s and Caribou have experimented with co-locations over the past several years.
“We are ahead of plan in our asset-light strategy to dramatically grow our company over the next decade,” Le Duff America CEO Olivier Poirot said in a statement. “The recent transactions strongly reinforce our balance sheet and shift our mindset so we can focus on our French heritage brands, including the upcoming U.S. launch of Brioche Doree, and continued growth in North America through franchising.”
Le Duff America is the Dallas-based affiliate of French restaurant company Groupe Le Duff, which has nearly 2,000 locations across 90 countries and annual sales over $2 billion.
