Caribou Coffee

I am a big fan of Caribou in general.
This location is great. It’s right off of Highway 100 between Uptown & St. Louis Park. That is about all it has going for it.
I usually stop at this location in the morning, but I have been there a few times throughout the day. What I have noticed is that they always seem understaffed. It’s a busy location, especially, in the mornings so why not have more people available to help the customers?
My biggest gripe is in the morning. There is typically is one person helping at the register, who because of the 15 different things they need to clarify, takes FOREVER.
–What size?
–Iced or hot?
–What is your loyalty phone number?
–Is this a gift card or your loyalty card?
–Do you want an upgrade?
–What’s your name?
-«You’re right! Great job on the trivia, that’s $.10 off!»
–Would you like to add a delicious breakfast sandwich on to your order?
–Would you like to donate a pound of Amy’s Blend coffee to the cancer patients?
–Your total is $ 2.40
–Do you want your receipt? Oh, looks like you got a survey, take it within 3 days and get a dollar off your next order.
Caribou, if you want to have your associates ask so many additional questions, then staff appropriately. It’s insane that you would have 1 person ringing up people when the (simple) transactions take so long.
Then there is 1 person brewing coffee, running food, and handling other misc. tasks. And finally the Barista, who is pumping out the drinks.
No one is emptying the trash, no one seems to be filling up the cream container (which is always empty), Sugar is also empty often, plates throughout the store, etc…
Reel it in and figure it out. It doesn’t have to be negative.

This was my first ever Caribou coffee location, which was recommended to me by a U of M Golden Gopher alumus that lives near me in Texas. For starters, let me just say that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the coffee, as well as the quantity of the coffee given. I drink expressos mostly, yet my goodness! The quantity that I received is comparable to receiving a very hot and strong Americano. And I’m not complaining!
For the price-​to-​quality ratio, I will say that there is good value within Caribou’s products. I even liked the sausage egg & cheese biscuits that don’t taste so cardboard-​like in comparison to a certain competitor that rhymes with «BarLucks.» The baristas? What can I say? Minnesota Nice is definitely felt in this establishment, as it should.
If I had one complaint, its the parking lot. Seriously, what’s the deal? I like the location of this Caribou, but the parking situation is really, really something. Very tight space due to sharing it with the pizza place next door. I didn’t notice any street parking (not that it doesn’t exist), yet be prepared to park somewhere off of Minnetonka Blvd, if necessary. The outdoor seating is limited as well, yet the comfortable indoor seating makes up for that.

The Caribou is far from my neighborhood. It’s unlikely I’ll get back here ever again. I usually wouldn’t bother with a review under these circumstances, but I was struck by how friendly and helpful the staff here are. They also had a decent selection of snacks, more interesting and varied than what is typical. So, good job, distant Caribou!

I stop at this ‘Bou purely based on location and OMG THE PARKING LOT.
But what other people are saying about the baristas heres? Totally true. Awesome.
I’ve seen lots of study groups here and I think they all arrive in their own car and stay for hours… so there is often not a single spot in the lot.

The baristas at this place are awesome. They are *happy* to see me at 6:05 am on a Monday. No joke. And after a while they will learn your name and your drink.
The rest is meh.
All hot drinks come out extremely hot, i.e. I cant drink if for at least five minutes.
The internet connection here is slower then it was then the quest dial up we used to have in 1999. So, if you need to get some work done, this is not the place, but if you need your espresso cooler at 6 am, this is the place.

I am a Caribou fan. I will support them because of their Minnesota roots and their product. This location also boasts the most pleasant staff of any coffee shop I’ve ever supported. That is not an exaggeration. Time and time again, they will go out of their way to make your experience pleasant.
You will feel welcomed. Tip the baristas.

Um, these might be the nicest baristas in the world. Arrived around 9am on a Saturday and they kept apologizing for the wait, which wasn’t more than five minutes. Great coffee, good vibe.