Caribou Coffee to Acquire Bruegger’s Bagels

Caribou Coffee, the second-largest company-operated premium coffeehouse in the US, has agreed to acquire the Bruegger’s Bagels chain from Le Duff America.

Caribou Coffee is part of JAB Holding Co., which over the past year also has acquired Panera Bread Co. and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1983 in Troy, N.Y., Bruegger’s operates approximately 300 restaurants in 26 states, the District of Columbia and Canada.

The sale of Bruegger’s Bagels is part of a larger initiative under way at Le Duff America, which is the Dallas-based affiliate of Rennes, France-based Groupe Le Duff, a leader in the bakery-café segment with 35,000 employees and nearly 2,000 locations across 90 countries.

In addition to the sale of Bruegger’s, Le Duff said it has nearly completed its refranchising initiative of la Madeleine French Bakery & Café that was first announced in March, and is focusing on company wide expansion, including the U.S. launch of the global cafe brand Brioche Dorée.