Minnesota’s Coffee Secrets: Did You Know These 3 Popular Chains Started Here?

When I moved to Minnesota, one of my favorite finds was a little Caribou Coffee shop down the street from my apartment in the Twin Cities.  Turtle Mocha Latte was my go-to order and gave me enough energy to help run several retail stores.  This adorable coffee shop chain got its start in Edina, Minnesota.  But did you know that another pretty big coffee chain also started pouring its first cups of deliciousness in Minnesota?

If you are stumped on what coffee shop this might be, I'll fill you in on this bit of Minnesota trivia below.

READ MORE: At Home Announces 26 Store Closures, Including Locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Minnesota's Best-Kept Secret: Three Well-Known Coffee Companies That Got Their Start In Minnesota

A few weekends ago, I went on a caffeine crawl in Minnesota and learned that Dunn Brothers Coffee Co. and Caribou Coffee weren't the only companies to start pouring cups of coffee in Minnesota.

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Dunn Brothers Coffee Company got its start in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1987 by Ed and Dan Dunn.  Today, this franchise company has about 48 locations and is sprinkled throughout 7 states, including Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Caribou Coffee got its start in Edina, Minnesota back in 1992.  According to the Caribou Coffee website, John and Kim Puckett had a vision "to be known for the best personalized service in the coffeehouse industry".  There are currently over 490 locations in the United States.

And the third coffee gem of the state was started in 2001 in Rochester, Minnesota,  Moka, with its headquarters in La Crosse, Wisconsin, opened up its first two locations in the Med City.  Since that opening back in 2001, they have expanded their footprint and fan base quite a bit.

How Many Locations Does Moka Have In The Midwest?

The first two locations of Moka that opened in Rochester, Minnesota, are still in operation today.  But since that first day of turning on the "Open" sign in the Med City, Moka has added several new locations in multiple states, bringing the total to 19 stores.  See all of the locations where you can buy the Moka brand below.

Minnesota

• 1023 N Broadway, Rochester, MN 55906
• 306 12th Street SE, Rochester MN, 55904
• 2483 Commerce Drive NW, Rochester, MN 55901
• Peace Plaza, 18 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55902

Madison, Wisconsin Area

• 1803 Northport Drive Madison WI 52704
• 4292 E Towne Blvd., Madison, WI 53704
• 2910 East Washington Ave., Madison, WI 53704
• 5227 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53705
• 711 State Street, Madison, WI 53703
• 7402 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53717
• 900 Windsor St., Sun Prairie, WI 53590
• 3517 Tribeca Dr., Middleton, WI 53562

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La Crosse, Wisconsin Area

• 123 West Avenue, La Crosse, WI 54601
• 330 Adams Street, La Crosse, WI 54601
• 9348 State Highway 16, Onalaska, WI 54650
• Gundersen, Legacy Building Level 1, 1900 South Ave., La Crosse, WI 54601
• Gundersen Onalaska Clinic, Lobby, 3111 Gundersen Dr., Onalaska, WI 54650

Illinois

• 24 S. Lincolnway, North Aurora, IL 60542
• 132 Independence Drive, Batavia, IL 60510