Interesting Trivia And Facts About Peet’s Coffee
You’ve probably heard of Peet’s coffee, but you may not know that it’s the oldest coffeehouse chain in the U.S., founded in 1966 by Alfred Peet. Peet was a native of The Netherlands, and had learned about coffee roasting there. He opened the first Peet’s coffee shop near the campus of the University of California Berkeley in 1966, five years before Starbucks was born. The original Peet’s store still stands on Vine Street in Berkeley, and you can still go there to sample dark-roast coffee and quality teas.
As well known as Starbucks is, it owes its beginnings to Peet’s. The founders of Starbucks actually bought their coffee beans from Peet’s at first. Nowadays Peet’s operates nearly 200 locations across the U.S., and specializes in dark roasted coffees as well as a wide variety of teas. Peet’s expanded into the university arena in 2003 when the company opened shop at Stanford University. You can also find Peet’s coffee at your local supermarket.
Despite its expansion, Peet’s is known largely as a California company, and is most popular there. Peet’s loyal customers are often called “Peetniks.” Many refuse to drink any other brand, prizing Peet’s deep, rich roast and unique history.