Peet’s Coffee & Tea

Peet’s Coffee & Tea is a well-established specialty coffee company based in Emeryville, California. The brand traces its roots to 1966, when Alfred Peet opened the original shop in Berkeley and introduced a darker roast style that helped shape American coffee culture. That first location, still in operation near the University of California, Berkeley, remains a symbol of Peet’s longstanding presence in the industry.

Over the years, Peet’s has grown from a single neighborhood shop to a national brand, with a reputation for high-quality Arabica coffee and a distinctive dark roast profile. The company’s influence is notable; it inspired the founders of Starbucks and played a key role in the evolution of the specialty coffee movement in the United States.

A significant milestone came in 2012, when Peet’s became part of JDE Peet’s, a publicly traded global coffee and tea group under JAB Holding Company. This transition provided Peet’s with the resources to accelerate its growth and expand both its retail and grocery distribution channels. In the last five years, Peet’s has continued to evolve, focusing on selective expansion in major U.S. metropolitan areas, particularly in California, Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Colorado. The company has also broadened its reach by acquiring respected brands such as Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Intelligentsia Coffee, and Mighty Leaf Tea.

As of November 2021, Peet’s operated approximately 200 company-owned stores, primarily in California and other high-traffic urban and suburban locations. Its packaged coffee products are widely available in grocery stores across the country, reflecting a dual presence in both retail and consumer packaged goods. Backed by the scale and credibility of its parent company, Peet’s continues to be recognized for its commitment to quality, responsible sourcing, and innovation in the specialty coffee segment. The brand’s established reputation, diverse retail formats, and ongoing expansion in key markets make it a reliable and adaptable tenant for a variety of commercial real estate settings.