As Gloria Jean’s shifts its US headquarters to its birthplace, Chicago, current owners Retail Food Group called on the coffee chain’s founder Gloria Jean Kvetko to unveil the new site.
The Gloria Jean’s headquarters have been moved by RFG from Los Angeles to Chicago to better support the strength of the brand in the US Mid-West as well as drive expansion of Gloria Jean’s in the US market.
Right now there are 52 US outlets across 20 states with four new openings targeted by October 2021.
Executive chairman of RFG, Peter George, said Gloria Jean’s Coffees said the brand’s upsurge in popularity in the US stemmed from before Covid-19.
“Gloria Jean Kvetko envisioned a retail experience where the coffee and food offerings were of the highest quality and the service was personal and welcoming,” he said. “We have adhered to that ethos and American consumers are voting with their feet.
“It’s an honour to have Gloria Jean Kvetko open our flagship office in Chicago. She set the bar high and knew what American consumers wanted.”
Kvetko opened her first Gloria Jean’s coffee and gift shop in 1979 in Chicago’s outer suburbs. She was responsible for introducing flavoured coffees such as hazelnut into the menu.
The launch of the Chicago headquarters coincides with the global launch of Gloria Jean’s premium coffee blend, Glorious. The new medium roast blend sourced from South America, Central America and Africa features a floral and chocolate aroma with caramel, honeycomb and fruit tones.
Back in April, Peter George revealed his focus on improving RFG’s multi-brand franchise portfolio is on returning the organisation to its core business as well as continuing to cut costs and waste as processes and structures are refined.
