CBOU Caribou Coffee Company, Inc. (MM)

MINNEAPOLIS, March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Caribou Coffee Company Inc. (NASDAQ:CBOU) announced today that it's helping the 70 percent of Americans who are not alert in the mornings survive Daylight Saving Time when their clocks jump forward this weekend. Caribou Coffee, the second largest non-franchised coffee house chain in the United States, will give away free shots of espresso all day on Sunday, April 2, and Monday, April 3, after Americans turn their clocks forward one hour thanks to Ben Franklin, the inventor of Daylight Saving Time. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060330/CLTH050-a http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060330/CLTH050-b) Caribou Coffee CEO Michael Coles donned a Ben Franklin costume and encouraged Americans to consider the benefits of Daylight Saving Time in spite of the loss of sleep. The extra hour of daylight gained during the spring and summer hours, beginning on April 2, will help Americans enjoy daylight in the evenings, save energy because less electricity is used for appliances and lighting, and help decrease evening traffic accidents. Caribou Coffee CEO Michael J. Coles said, "Our company motto is 'Life is short. Stay awake for it.' This weekend, life seems even shorter! That's why we are the official coffee of Daylight Saving Time and are offering our customers a FREE shot of espresso in any drink this Sunday and Monday. It's just a small way for us to say thank you to our customers and help them make it through this launch into spring!" Ben Franklin created Daylight Saving Time at the age of 78 when visiting Paris as an American delegate in 1784. He then wrote an essay discussing the thriftiness of natural versus artificial lighting, and now Americans embrace his idea as a way to enjoy daylight while conserving energy. About Caribou Coffee Minneapolis-based Caribou Coffee Company Inc. (NASDAQ:CBOU) is the second largest non-franchised coffee house chain in the United States with 400 stores in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Caribou Coffee opened its first store in December 1992 in Minneapolis. Today, over 5,800 people work for Caribou Coffee. For more information, visit the Caribou Coffee Web site at http://www.cariboucoffee.com/. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060330/CLTH050-a http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060330/CLTH050-b http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Caribou Coffee Company Inc. CONTACT: Garet Hayes, +1-404-636-8200, ext. 225, or , or Holly Satterwhite, +1-404-636-8200, ext. 236, or , both of Hope-Beckham Inc., for Caribou Coffee Web site: http://www.cariboucoffee.com/

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