Caribou coffee enters the middle east

This case illustrates how a small US specialty coffee company is striving to go international. It provides an opportunity to analyse and comment on the company's international market entry strategy. Relevant information has been compiled from publicly available sources. Osiris database has been used to generate the company's financial data. Caribou first expanded to regional US states and then entered the Middle East through franchising. Although coffee is popular in the Middle East, Caribou, a late mover, has not been able to achieve its target primarily because of stiff competition. This is perhaps the first case on a coffee company that entered the Middle East. It provides an insight into company's leadership, strategies, organisational and cultural realities as well as franchising issues. Academics and practitioners will find this case interesting and useful.