Dive Brief:
- Peet’s Coffee & Tea announced its first major retail launch in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and becoming the new, official coffee of local Major League Baseball team the Washington Nationals.
- The company opened its flagship Washington, D.C., location on April 7 and will open 22 more stores in a phased rollout across the market this year, making Washington, D.C., the company’s biggest East Coast retail footprint and a retail market, second only to its home-state of California.
- The rollout is not just good news for the company but Washington, as it should l create about 350 local jobs and an additional market for local bakeries and open up new opportunities through local partnerships.
Dive Insight:
Dave Burwick, president and chief executive officer of Peet’s Coffee & Tea, in a statement. “We have a strong following of loyal fans, known as ‘Peetniks,’ in the Washington, D.C., community that know and love us. We couldn’t be more pleased to bring the Peet’s brand to life for them and also introduce more fans to our premium coffee experience.”
Peet's entry into Washington D.C. also makes it the new, official coffee of local Major League Baseball team the Washington Nationals. That means that its drinks will be served at the Nationals Park in Nats Dog stands, on premium club levels, and during all non-game catered events at the park. Free samples and coupons for the coffee chain will be available on designated days from its mobile barista truck outside the park.
Washington D.C. partnerships for Peet’s also extend to local bakeries and nonprofit organizations. Baguette Republic and Hawthorne Fine Breakfast Pastry are to provide fresh baked goods to accompany the coffees and teas daily. Another boon for the area is that Peet’s is providing store space for student tutoring sessions and writing workshops through the local non-profit organization 826DC to provide dedicated store space for student tutoring sessions and writing workshops.