Caribou Lovers ‘Dislike,’ Air Grievances Online

Facebook pages, including one "boycott" page pop up, while CEO explains closures.

While Caribou Coffee is planning to shutter some stores and reopen others as Peet’s Coffee & Tea, customers across the country are commiserating online about the loss of their Biscotti Mochas and Café Milan Lattes. Some were vocal about closings; others didn't want to see a changeover to Peet's. The company, in the meantime, is trying to minimalize negativity. The store’s Facebook page began deleting comments but postings today remain, primarily sympathizing with those who are losing their jobs. One “friend,” Jim Skinner, took offense to an April 8 posting promoting the stores breakfast items. “Out of respect for the employees who are losing their jobs the least you could do is stop these posts,” Skinner wrote. “No one cares about your …

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Avon Patch Office Hours Set for Tuesday

Come out and meet editor Melissa Hebert and account manager Holly Barnes, and learn about all things Patch!

I often get asked, "Where is your office?" My reply? "Avon!" I work wherever I need to work, whether it's at the scene of a car crash or awaiting election results at the middle school. One of my favorite offices is Caribou Coffee in Avon Commons, and that's where you'll see me from 3 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, as account manager Holly Barnes and I will be holding office hours. Office hours are great chance for you to find out about how to use Patch to make your life ridiculously easy. Have a garage sale coming up? We can show you how to create a free event listing to get the word out and bring in the money. Get engaged? Learn how to post an announcement. Got something to say? We can get you started with blogging! If you own a business or run a …

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Melissa Hebert

3:15 pm on Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Sorry, Brian, but no. But come on by anyway. We'd love to meet you!   more ›

Editor's Notebook

An Awesome Patchiversary

Not even lousy weather could stop Friday's event from being a success

As I was in the garage to double-check the trunk of my car early Friday morning, making sure everything for the day's Patchiversary event at Caribou Coffee in Avon Commons was there, I heard an awful sound. It was the sound of rain changing to something icy and hitting the siding of the house. "Son of a biscuit!" I muttered. "No one's going to be there!" Turns out I was wrong. In spite of the lousy weather early on, Patch followers came out, from my old Plain Dealer buddy Jim Strang to Maryjane Edgar from the Crushers Booster Club to Hope Christian Church minister Rolland Bryar to former Caribou manager Shannon Masters, who is now running Cafe 83 in North Ridgeville. Maryjane was nice enough to bring one of our free coffees to Avon Clerk …

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It's a Patchiversary!

Come celebrate with us as we mark our first birthday. Did we mention free coffee?

Northeast Ohio's Patch web sites are 1 year old! Yep, it was the closing weeks of 2010 when all of our 17 community-based news, opinion and information websites got up and running. We’re excited to be marking this very important milestone, and we’d like to invite the community to share in our celebration. We’ve partnered with Caribou Coffee in Avon Commons to bring you a special treat: a free cup of coffee for the first 100 people to stop in from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 27. There’s other treats in store too: Everyone will have a chance to win Patch prizes. One lucky friend will win a giveaway to one of our most-favorite shops in town. It's also a great chance to help your community. We'll be collecting non-perishable food for …

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Melissa Hebert

9:51 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012

Thanks, Kristin! Hope to see you Friday morning!   more ›

Caribou Rings in Christmas With Music

Employees, friends collaborate to entertain guests

It wasn't carols at the spinet, but carols at the keyboard, mic and karaoke machine on Wednesday night at Caribou Coffee in Avon Commons. Caribou employee and social media coordinator Shane Siniscalchi, along with store manager Shannon Masters and employee Charlotte Young, were among those performing. Also perforning were Sara Schoch, Jake Watkin, Connie Brannon, James Oblak and Wynn Gerber. The selections ranged from classics like Silent Night and White Christmas to non-traditional pieces like Christmas Island and an updated arrangement of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Here are some of the highlights. Enjoy!

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Black Friday Slowly Becoming Black Thursday

Some national retail stores are moving the annual shopping spectacle to late Thursday night.

If Black Friday starts any earlier, it will be Black Thursday. Several big retail chains in Avon, including Best Buy, Kohl’s, Old Navy and Target, are kicking off the annual day-after-Thanksgiving shopping holiday at 12 a.m. Friday. Wal-Mart is beginning its door-buster deals at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving night. “We need to keep our foot in the door with our competition,” said a customer service manager at Kohl’s in Avon Commons who wished not to be identified. Caribou Coffee is taking it a step further. “This year we’ll be opening at 11:30 p.m. on Thursday,” said Shannon Masters, store manager. Masters said Black Friday is always the highest grossing sales day at the store, which was pushed to open on Thursday this year after the big-box …

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Kristin Leb

11:45 pm on Tuesday, November 22, 2011

It is a shame that folks can't spend time with their families, what the Thanksgiving and Christmas season should be about. You won't find me at the stores this weekend, or any weekend day after Thursday. Too much hassle and too many crowds. I feel for the folks dealing with all the shoppers.   more ›

Summer Music Series at Caribou Coffee

Shane Siniscalchi covered a variety of music

As part of Caribou Coffee's Summer Music Series, Caribou employee Shane Siniscalchi stepped up to the mic Thursday evening. Siniscalchi performed music from a wide variety of performers, including Michael Buble, Katy Perry and Amy Winehouse. In this video clip, he brought up fellow barista Charlotte Young to perform a duet of the Jason Mraz-Colbie Caillet song "Lucky." The next Summer Music Series show is August 18. Its open mic night, so if you want to sing, then is your chance.

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Five Things: Music, Food and Fun

No reason to be bored this weekend!

Enjoy a diverse range of music as Shane Siniscalchi performs songs by artists such as Michael Buble, the Beatles, Amy Winehouse, the Temptatations and Katy Perry as part of Caribou Coffee's Summer Music Series at 7 p.m. Thursday at Caribou Coffee in Avon Commons. There's fun for the whole family at the Holy Trinity Carnival, which runs Thursday through Sunday. There will be rides, games, tasty treats, a bake sale, a casino, and more. The circus comes to town this weekend as the Knights of Columbus hosts the Kelly Miller Circus for two performances on Sunday. Tired of seeing the same old made-halfway-around-the-world stuff in stores? Find something new and unique at the Lakewood Arts Festival on Saturday. More than 150 artists and artisans …

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