Caribou Coffee — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

I got an iced chai tea latte here yesterday morning and it was the grossest chai I’ve ever had, it tasted a lot like vinegar (which usually indicates expired chai). I ended up taking it back and explaining the taste to the barista. She assured me the chai wasn’t expired but didn’t even go and check. I was a barista for 3 years and understand that sometimes expirations aren’t noted and things can get expired before anyone notices but the fact that they didn’t even bother to check was frustrating. They remade my drink and it still pretty much tasted the same. I ended up throwing both drinks away and am really bummed cause I really needed my caffeine fix. I ended up having to go to Starbucks on my lunch because I know they’re consistent and take accountability when things aren’t made right. I’m bummed because I travel for work and get coffee with a breakfast item at least every morning, I was hoping I’d be able to visit Caribou Coffee a lot in the future but sadly, I won’t be after this experience. The barista yesterday morning (Tuesday) was very friendly but the one on Monday morning was rude and short which wasn’t a great experience. I got an energy drink on Monday and it didn’t have much flavor or sweetener so I didn’t end up drinking much of it, not sure if that’s usually how they are or if it was just a one off but disappointing nonetheless. I decided to give it another chance today but was sadly even more...

I used to come here all the time either to have a hot drink and use the wi-fi or just take advantage of the drive through quick. I thought I was supporting a truly Minnesotan company. Wrong. As it turns out the money you spend here benefits the Middle East more than the Midwest. They are 88 percent owned by a Muslim bank. God bless the Muslims. For real. But I'm not giving my hard earned money to people with agendas that go against everything I believe to be good and decent. Would you like a greater understanding of Islam? Check out the fair and balanced truth from two men who know. Read "Unveiling Islam".

"Michael Coles (former CEO) says it is true that Caribou is 88 percent owned by Atlanta-based Crescent Capital, the investment arm of the First Islamic Bank of Bahrain."

If you want to grab a great beverage while supporting a truly local business, try out Brewed Awakenings instead. You won't be...

Service used to be excellent here. The staff is still friendly. However they’re more interested in chatting, than getting drinks out. The drive through is too slow. There is no reason for a line of 10 cars, to take a half hour. My friends and I often drive by. It just takes too long, anymore. This week, I alone, skipped it 3 times. I love coffee. I usually spend around $12-$15. You are easily losing almost $2,000 a year, on just me. Imagine others like me. Even if you only consider 5 customers. That’s still $10k. Is it really worth the money, to pay kids and not teach them to work? If it’s their first job,...