Bruegger's Selects Green
Mountain Coffee Roasters as National Supplier
BURLINGTON, VT. & WATERBURY, VT.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 4, 2004
"Great Coffee Makes a World of Difference(TM)" - Bruegger's to
celebrate National Fair Trade Month with free coffee day Oct. 29th.
After extensive market testing in a "battle of the beans,"
Bruegger's has selected Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ:
GMCR) as its supplier of specialty coffee nationwide. Bruegger's will
introduce Green Mountain Coffee Roasters(R) branded coffee into its 242
bakeries by the end of October, 2004.
Three coffee roasters competed for Bruegger's business, but Green
Mountain Coffee Roasters won the account based on the strength of its
brand, consumer preference and its unique Fair Trade position.
"Consumer response to our Green Mountain coffee was overwhelming,"
said Bruegger's CEO James Greco. "It was clearly the customer favorite. We
are excited about partnering with Green Mountain and pleased to offer our
guests the choice of Fair Trade certified coffees that can help make a
difference for farmers and their families across the globe."
Fair Trade certification guarantees small-scale farmers a fair
price for high-quality coffee beans, so they can afford better
nutrition, education, and health care for their families. The new
partnership makes Bruegger's the largest, national retailer to promote and
educate consumers about Fair Trade coffee, and brew it by the cup all day,
every day.
"People like to have the power to make a difference with something as
simple as a good cup of coffee," said Green Mountain Coffee Roasters CEO
Bob Stiller. "This national partnership will make a tremendous difference
for coffee drinkers around the country, and for small-scale farmers around
the world. I am also looking forward to engaging the store communities to
understand how we can make a positive difference there."
"We're very pleased that Bruegger's is giving people a Fair Trade
coffee choice," said Paul Rice, President and CEO of TransFair USA. "It's
a significant step toward letting more people know they can have a
high-quality cup of coffee that also helps improve the lives of small
family farmers around the world."
All Bruegger's bakeries will carry at least one Fair Trade
Certified(TM) coffee each day, including the popular Rainforest Nut(R) and
French Roast blends. In addition to Fair Trade coffees, guests can choose
from Bruegger's House Blend, Bruegger's House Decaf, Hazelnut and French
Vanilla. A changing rotation of five "seasonal" Fair Trade Certified
coffees will be offered as a way to add variety and increase consumer
excitement. Selected locations will also feature a full line of Fair Trade
espresso and cappuccino drinks.
Greco added that the introduction of Green Mountain coffee caps
off a busy year of changes at Bruegger's. "Essentially, we've
relaunched Bruegger's over the past year. From our extensive new menu
items and new bakery design, our goal has been to change with evolving
trends and keep the product line fresh with new ideas. The addition of a
quality line of Fair Trade coffee is complimentary to our new line of
salads, stone hearth breads, carb-friendly wraps and sandwiches."
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is a socially responsible leader in the
specialty coffee industry and is committed to improving the quality of
life, both locally and globally. The Vermont company donates at least five
percent of all pre-tax profits to social and environmental projects that
"make a world of difference." This commitment was one of the factors in
winning Bruegger's business.
All of Bruegger's 242 bakeries will be offering Green Mountain
coffee by the end of October. In honor of National Fair Trade Month,
all Bruegger's bakeries will offer a day of FREE COFFEE on Friday,
October 29. Bruegger's will make a donation to Coffee Kids, an
international non-profit established to improve the lives of children and
families in coffee-growing communities around the world.
About Bruegger's Enterprises, Inc.
Founded in 1983 in Burlington, VT, Bruegger's is a leader in the
quick, casual restaurant segment with 242 neighborhood bakeries in 18
states. The company's menu hosts a wide variety of authentic boiled and
baked bagels, carb-friendly wraps, stone hearth breads, specialty and deli
sandwiches, desserts, unique coffee blends, and original cream cheese in
an assortment of flavors. Please visit www.brueggers.com for more
information.
About Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.:
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. is a leader in the specialty
coffee industry and offers over 100 coffee selections including estate,
certified organic, Fair Trade, signature blends, and flavored coffees that
it sells under the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters(R) and Newman's Own(R)
Organics brands. While the majority of Green Mountain Coffee's revenue is
derived from its wholesale operations, the Company also operates a direct
mail business and an e-commerce website (www.GreenMountainCoffee.com) from
its Waterbury, Vermont headquarters. Each year the Company contributes at
least five percent of its pre-tax profits to support socially responsible
initiatives. Based on its performance, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has
been recognized for the past four years as one of Forbes Magazine's "200
Best Small Companies in America," for the past two years in the top ten on
Business Ethics magazine's list of "100 Best Corporate Citizens," and in
2004 as one of the Society of Human Resource Management's "Best Medium
Companies to Work for in America."