Intelligentsia sold (mostly) - Page 2

November 1st, 2015, 10:54 pm

FWIW, Doug Zell caught the coffee bug at Peets.

I can think of worse outcomes than Peet's becoming the umbrella organization for a number of different third wave roasters. For one thing, it will know better than to make moronic consolidations; I expect that the operations of Intelly and Stumptown will remain autonomous in this arrangement.

If anything, I think the influence may be running in the opposite direction. I was at a Peets today, and spotted some welcome third wave touches -- improved espresso making procedure, a brew bar, and a few prominently displayed high quality light roasted coffees.

#12: Post by **yakster** » November 1st, 2015, 11:03 pm

That's a welcome change... the last time I was at Peet's--about three years ago IIRC--I asked for their lightest roasted coffee and it was still way past too dark for me.

#13: Post by **SlowRain** » November 1st, 2015, 11:10 pm

How was the taste of the coffee? I mean that genuinely. I've never tasted Peet's, but I'd be interested to know if you feel there's a trend forming with regards to their overall taste, or if it's just the appearances of the store and their merchandise.

I also feel there's a chance that the two brands can remain separate. It happens with a number of European luxury brands. It also happens in the automotive sector as well. However, if their goal is to pose a challenge to Starbucks, then I see the slow and eventual uniting under a common name/image/brand.

But, just because I'm cynical of corporate shenanigans in general, I'm going to call it now that quality will go down at both chains (if it hasn't already started at Stumptown since their initial sale). This will be an interesting case to follow. Maybe we can revisit it around Halloween 2018.

#14: Post by **LaMarzooka** » November 2nd, 2015, 12:50 am

What may be our best local shop stopped carrying Stumptown a while back, instead switching over to Heart and Phil & Sebastian.

#15: Post by **another_jim** » November 2nd, 2015, 3:29 pm

SlowRain wrote:How was the taste of the coffee? I mean that genuinely. I've never tasted Peet's, but I'd be interested to know if you feel there's a trend forming with regards to their overall taste, or if it's just the appearances of the store and their merchandise.

Good question. I only had their espresso, a medium dark roast. To my taste, very sweet and balanced, and a few notches up from the last time I was at a Peets (this is a new store). They had roast samples out for all the coffees they sold, running from oily dark for their old line blends like Major Dickinson's and the Christmas blend all the way to cinnamon for the Ethiopian coffee that was their specialty of the week.

#16: Post by **SlowRain** » November 22nd, 2015, 11:49 pm

Here's an interesting twist. The former co-CEO is suing them. It also gives more information about the shape of Intelligentsia's business and terms of the sale.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ ... story.html

#17: Post by **bostonbuzz** » November 24th, 2015, 6:03 pm

Stumptown, now Intelly. Counter Culture is the last man standing of the big 3. I've already heard a café say they are probably going to drop intelly because of the buyout. Loss of street cred with baristas and small shops is a real thing. They have to put some extra focus on quality, since after one little slip in a batch folks will jump to thinking corporatization --> cost cutting --> lower quality. I doubt their quality is going to change, but I just think that everyone is watching Intelly and Stumptown very skeptically now.

#18: Post by **yakster** » November 26th, 2015, 9:53 pm

I think your right about the perception. I recently bought some Sculpin and even though it doesn't seem plausible it just didn't taste quite as craft since the acquisition.

November 27th, 2015, 5:46 pm

Funny you should say that I thought the last bit I got wasn't much better than just standard laganitus ipa and I didn't even know they were bought.

#20: Post by **farmroast** » December 7th, 2015, 12:28 pm

Saw this morning that JABHolding just acquired Keurig/Green mtn ???