Lorton's Caribou Coffee Set to Close Monday

A Lorton staple will soon be no more. Customers and employees of Lorton's Caribou Coffee at 9425 Lorton Market St. are lamenting the loss of their local coffee shop. The store will close Monday at noon and never reopen. 

"I think it blows. It's the worst," said Lortoner Ricky Raboteu, a 25-year-old graphic designer. "This place is great. The baristas are always happy somehow and they make good coffee. What more can you ask for?" 

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Caribou's owner, the Germany-based Joh A Benckiser Group GmbH, took Caribou private last year, and soon decided to close a number of stores in Virginia, Maryland and the District. It is estimated that 80 stores will be converted to Peet's Coffee & Tea, which is owned by the same company, by the end of the year.

Among the Virginia stores to close this month are the locations in Fredericksburg, Skyline, Dulles and Crystal City, according to Angelica Sandiego, manager of the Lorton Caribou Coffee.  

Deven Martin, 18, a South County High School senior has been getting a smoothie and monkey bread at Caribou for three years.

"It actually sucks that this is happening," said Martin. "This is a place where you can do homework and meet with friends before you go out, and the workers are really cool and always have a smile on their faces." 

The Lorton location employs 13 people. 

Shift manager Sandiego started work at Caribou in Lorton when it opened in July 2006. 

"I've had so many ups and downs with this job and I tried to quit so many times, but it never happened - mostly because of the people I work with and the customers," said Sandiego, who has been transferred to the Caribou in Kings Park. "This was the first store that opened at the shopping center along with Shoppers Food Warehouse. It's going to be crazy without it. It's going to be different." 

Do you frequent Lorton's Caribou Coffee? Tell us what it means to you in the comments.