Week 3 Winning Stories (March 24-30)

Winning Story:
Why I love Peet’s.

1. The Taste: Yes- of course, the taste and experience are what make it all worthwhile. But, love is about so much more.

2. The Shared Connection: Those who love Peet’s bond about their love.

3. The Thrill of the Chase: I will go to any lengths to ensure that my day begins with Peet's. Living in Crete, Nebraska--the closest Peet's coffeehouse is located a mere 487 miles away-- Peet's Cherry Creek--in Denver, Colorado. No matter. When I travel, I stockpile--often 10 pounds or more of Peet's whole bean that never see the light of day until they make their way to the grinder from their airtight containers.

The last time that I was at the Cherry Creek store in Denver, I hurried in and asked for 10 pounds of whole bean House Blend. The woman across the counter looked at me with a curious, enthralled gaze and said: "Are you that guy from Nebraska?" "I am," I responded proudly. She looked at me further and said: "Oooh. I've heard about YOU."

Or, more recently:
The Scene: Peet's on Montana Boulevard in Santa Monica.
The Dramatis Personae: Obsessive Peet's Customer (that would be I) and Conscientious Peet's Employee
The Conversation:
Peet's Customer: "I'd like 10 pounds of whole bean House Blend and 1 pound of your Ethiopian Super Natural."
Peet's Employee: "I am sorry but we're expecting a shipment tomorrow and we are out of House Blend at the moment."
Peet's Customer: "But...but....I came all the way from Nebraska and you're the Peet's I built into my schedule and route today...where is the next nearest Peets? Could you call another Peet's....please please?"
Peet's Employee: "Sure thing."
Peet's Customer: "Thank you so much."
90 seconds later
Peet's Employee: "They have 10 pounds at the Main Street Peet's, which is about 1 mile from here. Would you like it packed in 1 or 2 pound bags?" They'll have it ready. Do you know how to get to the Main Street store?"

Needless to say, others on my flights back to Nebraska always wonder why our flights smell like a tasty cup of coffee. It is the Peet's in the overhead compartment right above them. Yes. I know that I could mail order the beans and enjoy them one day later. It is a GREAT service. BUT, it just wouldn't be the same for me. Peet's is about the chase. Peet's is about the excitement of planning my travels and our coffee supply so that I can fill my duffle bag with pounds upon pounds of Peet’s. Cherry Creek. Chicago, on North Avenue. Santa Monica (on Montana Blvd). Capitola (the new one on Bay Avenue.) I am as much a regular as I can be.

Peet's is simply a central part of my travel planning. I always try to find affordable hotels near a Peet's. What better way to start the day while traveling than to get that fresh cup of Peet's? (The Marriott-Boulder near the Peet’s relatively new 29th Street store; the Four Points by Sheraton near the Couch Street Peet's in Portland.) All within walking distance of a Peet's. If I can't find a Peet's, I just grind up some beans at home, pack the Peet’s with a one-cup drip (and filter), and bring it all with me on the trip. Now, that’s love.

4. Saying I Love You:
Holiday/Christmas gifts for the people with whom I work? Peet's.
Housewarming gifts? Peet's.
Reasons to have dinner parties? Peet's.
Ways to say I care? Peet’s.
Gifts for Teachers? Peet’s.
Favorite gift from my Chicago-based family? Peet’s.

5. Peet’s in the Workplace: At my inauguration (I serve as the president of Doane College, a small, liberal arts college in Crete, Nebraska), the students decided to have a week of events focused on items I love. So, one afternoon, they served Peet’s coffee to anyone on campus who was interested. And, people sure were interested!

Whenever we have faculty or students over to the house, my wife (a Cal graduate, which explains our original love of Peet’s) and I always feel that Peet’s provides the perfect exclamation point. Pizza and game night with students at our house—we better have a couple pots of Peet’s ready to go.

Perhaps the pinnacle of my Peet’s experience occurred last year when Jane Goodall visited our college. She and I were sitting next to each other during lunch. I asked her if there was anything more that she needed before her speech. She responded that she needed a good cup of coffee. I promptly ran home, ground the beans, and brewed an entire pot of Peet’s for her. I rushed it back to her—to the room where she was preparing to speak. I left her alone to prepare (and enjoy the coffee). 30 minutes later, she emerged and began her public address. She noted to all 2,500 guests that she has many feathers in her wings—to help her advance her humanitarian efforts. And, on this day, thanks to the remarkable coffee that she had just enjoyed, I was another feather in her wings. I cannot imagine a better endorsement for Peet’s! I cannot guarantee that she consumed the entire pot of coffee herself…but it was completely empty when I picked it up after she had left.

Isn’t that love?

Winner #2: Carol Lutz

Winning Story:
Peet’s - Light My Fire!
Carol Lutz

I love my Peet’s coffee and drink it every day of the week. With each sip, I become a better me; mom, teacher, wife, friend, sister, daughter.

When my 2 teenagers heard about this contest, in which I could win free coffee for a year, they both quipped, “Now, we can afford to go to college!” If only for the sake of having and living with a 19 and 17 year old, please have mercy! I need my Peet’s!

But the real reason I love Peet’s, is because it makes me a better teacher.

I’ve seen every kind of student in my classroom: ADHD, children of divorce, homeless, living in a battered women’s shelter, mother a hooker, dad in prison. Sometimes I’m the only one who makes sure their hands are clean, their self-esteem bolstered, that they know they are loved. On the Thursday that I stop off at Peet’s to get coffee on my way to work, I know that day is going to be a good teaching day. When I have the smooth white paper cup in my hand, my teaching becomes animated, serious business, yet total fun. I’m an actor on a stage, before the queen, and every word, every movement may have a lasting impact. My kids can’t help but giggle when they see their teacher prancing across the rug, signing, pantomiming, whatever it takes to shape these young minds. Some have described my teaching as lively, bold, even complex. Coincidence? I think not.

I even use my Peet’s coffee when I teach about solids, liquids and gasses in science. They watch mesmerized when I pour cream into the Peet’s I’ve brewed in my classroom as they see how it mixes itself. I can think of no better (or delicious) way to demonstrate how molecules are constantly in motion.

This next generation needs dedicated teachers; teachers who are not afraid to pour themselves into their work. W.B. Yeats said, “Education is not so much the filling of a pail, but lighting a fire.” Peet’s, light my fire! Help me to light the little fires of my students that may burn a lifetime.

Winner #3: Kristy

Winning Story:
You can tell a lot about a coffee or tea company by its paper cups...

Dunkin’ Donuts, pink and orange.
Paper cups and styrofoam.
Fun and filling, working class.
Add a dozen, drive through fast.

Starbucks cafes, done in brown.
Five in every tiny town.
Green on white cup, Christmas red,
Shi-shi image marketed.

Peet’s is brilliant, get a lift.
Coffee with a petroglyph.
Worldly, friendly, lots of choice
It's the one, we all rejoice.

Winner #4: Lynn and Jack McCarthy

Winning Story:
We grew up in Berkeley and learned to love coffee drinking Peets!
When we decided to sail our 44 ft. boat, SOUTHERN CROSS, around the world starting 1994, we panicked! How would we be able to continue our bean supply onboard all around the world?
During the planning of our departure and while provisioning our boat we went to Peets in Berkeley and they sold us your 5 lb. bags equalling 20 lbs. in all. We vacumn packed those in smaller portions, stowed them away and off we went, free at last.
During the nearly 10 years we sailed around the world we came home at least once a year from; Canada, Guatemala, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Turkey, Italy, Canary Islands, East Coast of USA., each time going back to Peets to resupply our coffee beans. You see, by then we were known throughout the cruising boat community as having the best coffee and had to maintain our reputation.
It is a good thing we are no longer flying back and forth with those beans because now security would not allow us to carry those unopened bags of beans.
We have enjoyed our Peets coffee while crossing the Pacific Ocean, the Coral Sea, the Panama Canal, South China Sea, Java Sea (no pun intended), the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, the Mediterranian Sea, Gibralter Straits, and the Atlantic Ocean.
Now home, we find a Peets store has opened in our hometown of Half Moon Bay, California and what a treat! No more long drives to get our beans. When we left in 1994 there were not as many Peets locations as there are now. Maybe, just maybe, our good will ambassadorship around the world helped your marketing success. We know it sure added to our popularity!
Thank you for your consistent quality and service.
Cordially,
Jack and Lynn McCarthy
Formerely of S/V "Southern Cross"

Winner #5: Jesse Dickinson Sachs

Winning Story:
It all started when I was a boy growing up in Berkeley, California. My parents have enjoyed a cup or two of Peet's coffee each morning since before I was born. The Peet's grounds on the counter at beakfast are as much a part of my childhood memories as the embossed, blue wall-paper in the living room.
I grew up on Vine street, four blocks from where the original Peet's store still stands. So, naturally, as a child, I was intrigued by the mysterious elixir that all the adults made such a ritual of. The earthy aroma as I waited in line to buy beans with my mother and the bustle and social hum about the store were enough to have me obsessed. But on top of that, no parents in their right minds would let a hyper little boy drink coffee, and what is more appealing to a young boy than the forbidden?
Well, one chilly winter afternoon, I was under the care of my visiting grandmother Libby who, probably exhausted from playing with me all day, made herself a fresh cup of Peet's. Accustomed to breaking convention (she was a lawyer in the 50's!), she agreed to give me a "just a sip!" of the fresh cup of Peet's that she had just made. I was hooked!
It took at least another year before I would justify my coffee obsession under the auspices of Academia: My first research project in 6th grade. I chose to research coffee, and managed to arrange for a private "research" tour of the Peet's roastery a few minutes from my house! I went with my mother to meet Jim at the plant, where I only remember wandering around in a daze, soaking in the rich and intoxicating haze of hot, churning coffee dancing in circles in huge, beautiful copper roasters. After that, my parents acquiesced to letting me drink coffee to my heart's content, and I still can't get enough.
But now, I live in New York City, what is supposed to be the "greatest city in the world." Sure, there are a few nice museums here, and a nice little park, but where's the Peet's? Nowhere to be found. I drink the dark roast from the supermarket near my house. In stead of starting my day with the bold, whole-bodied and complex nectar that is Peet's coffee, I leave for work each morning with the sting of acidic, stale, bitter coffee in my mouth and in my soul. I can't ask my parents to send me coffee every month can I? What's a Peet's lover to do?

Winner #6: Karen Arkin

Winning Story:
The day after graduating from college in 1992, I drove from Indiana to Berkeley. At the time I thought hazelnut flavored coffee was the cat's meow. Then one fateful day, I discovered Gourmet Ghetto, and, thankfully, the original Peet's. Thus began a beautiful friendship. I moved to San Francisco a few years later, and was delighted to find a Peet's on Polk St., just 3 blocks down the hill from my apt. I frequented that Peet's daily for over 6 years--even getting picked as "Customer of the Week". I often brought Peet's for my classmates and instructors at the CCA, despite the availability of coffee/espresso drinks at the school cafe. I hate the term “foodies”, but they definitely appreciated the difference.

Whenever I travel, I bring Peet's coffee, a French Press, and a wooden chopstick (for stirring!) with me. Three years ago I went to a lovely spa in Mexico. I packed my clothes, my press, a pound of Garuda, and off I went. At 5:45 the first morning, I brought my cup of Peet’s to the meeting place for mountain hikes. As the aroma of Garuda permeated the air, people approached me and inquired as to the elixir I was drinking. From then on, I made a pot of extra strength Garuda to share with a few lucky people, adding hot water to each cup to spread the Peet’s love as much as possible.

About a year ago, I spent several weeks in North Carolina. As usual, I brought a French Press and 2 pounds of Garuda. After sizing up the people I met, I invited a few of them to partake of my daily Peet's ritual. One morning I panicked to discover that I was almost out, so I ordered another 2 pounds. I chose ground shipping by mistake, but the karma gods smiled on me and the Garuda arrived 2 days later. Those people have since become loyal Peetniks.

On a recent visit to “Bed and Bagels of Tucson”, my mother’s B&B, I was impressed by the wide array of homemade pastries, fruit, quiche, and other breakfast treats she offered to her guests. Imagine my horror as I discovered a large can of coffee with a plastic lid next to the Mr. Coffee. Armed with my usual Peet’s stash, I got a batch of Garuda going in the kitchen. Once again, the aroma drew people in from the dining room, with longing in their eyes. Sharing my Peet’s with her guests, I watched as smiles widened, conversations became more animated, and positive energy emanated from all. My mother still doesn’t “get” my Peet’s obsession, which is why she is on the top of my 5 friends list. I figure even if she doesn’t “get” it, her guests certainly will. Here’s hoping she moves from the Dark Side into the Light.

Converting people to Peet’s can sometimes be a daunting task. Not the Peet’s part, but overcoming the reputation as a “coffee snob”. My two brothers and I met in Ashland for a weekend of Shakespeare and fly fishing. One brother came from Chicago, the other from Israel, and I drove up from the Bay Area. They ridiculed me for schlepping coffee with me; that is until they tried the hotel coffee. Once I convinced them to try Peet’s, they bugged me every half hour to make another press full.

My most recent positive Peet’s experience was in November of last year, during the Cosco Busan oil spill in the SF Bay, which had disastrous consequences for local wildlife. There was a huge outpouring of volunteer support--so much so that potential volunteers were being turned away. I wanted to help clean oiled birds at the Oiled Wildlife Care and Education Center in Cordelia, but they were not accepting more volunteers. After leaving multiple messages with no response, I came up with a plan. Wanting to do SOMETHING to help, I called to ask how many volunteers were working, so I could bring Peet's for them. I got a call back within a few hours, brought a couple of Peet’s Joes to Go, and began volunteering that day. Thanks to your exquisite coffee, I had the most memorable experience of my life. In addition, the wonderful folks at the Napa Peet's donated several Joes to Go for me to bring to the center. That coffee helped keep staff and volunteers working around the clock to rescue, rehabilitate, release birds.

Many thanks for years of perfect coffee, fantastic customer service, your generosity, and all around good mojo. I will continue to spread the gospel of Peet’s for years to come.

Cheers,

Karen

Winner #7: lauren Glazebrook

Winning Story:
Okay, this one is for my mom. The truth of the matter is my mom entered the contest and didn't win. She was so sure that her near life-long devotion to Peet's would jump off the page and grab you that she proudly told her friends not to buy coffee because soon there would be no need. My mom is a very persuasive person; they believed her. On Wednesday, she checked her emails several times and then solemnly confided in me that she didn't win. She didn't yet have the heart to tell her buddies they were out of coffee bean luck. That's when I decided it was my duty as a daughter to write to you.
Anyway, here are just a few of the many reasons
my mom deserves to win:

-She proudly tells the story of discovering Peets in the 1970's in Berkeley at least several times a year even though everyone already knows it.
-When she travels, her carryon always smells like Peets coffee.
-When I was young and had to be at a morning soccer game or school event, she always stopped at Peet's whether or not we had time. Sometimes it made me cry.
-She recently went to an introductory meeting for a diet program that required giving up caffiene. When asked how it went, she said, " Fine, but I told them the one thing I wouldn't give up was my morning Peet's triple cafe machiato."
-She goes to Peets EVERYDAY NO MATTER WHAT.
-When she is out to dinner, if something other than Peet's coffee is served, I guarantee she will politely take a sip and leave the rest to rot. The next time she has dinner with that person, she will bring along a pound of Peet's Aged Sumatra as a gift.
-Everyone at Peet's knows her name and her drink.
-She knows how to ring up a triple machiatto better than many of the employees and never hesitates to offer them training.
-She simply LOVES the coffee, and the Peet's environment
-When pulled over for speeding after stopping at Peet's when she really didn't have time, she offered the police officer a pound of Peet's coffee. He took it and I don't believe she got a ticket. I was only five at the time but have a vivid memory of the event.
-I am in college on the East Coast, so she needs more coffee beans than usual because she always brings at least a couple pounds when she comes to visit.
-She's a great customer and ambassador for Peet's!

Winner #8: Julie Stein

Winning Story:
A little over a year ago, I made a significant change to finally live a dream I had for a long time. I quit my corporate work of 20 years, took a 60% pay cut, and started teaching in a university. I had to make significant changes to make it work financially. I fired my expensive hairdresser and went to Cost Cutters. I grew out my fake nails and started to mow my own lawn. I stopped shopping for clothes, and replaced $25 bottles of wine with two-buck chuck at Trader Joes.

But... it wasn't enough. So... with a heavy heart, I replaced my beloved Peets Columbia blend (that had faithfully been with me for over 15 years) with a generic blend. I lasted two long days, and CUT MY T.V. CABLE INSTEAD! It was one of the best decisions I ever made.

So, as it turns out, I can have my dream career, and Peets too!

Winner #9: Ara Oghoorian

Winning Story:
Dear Friends,
You have been carefully screened and selected for I can only send this e-mail to a privileged few. If chosen, you will win a year’s supply of the best coffee in the world – Peet’s. You see, I have an obsession with Peet’s coffee. While the economy veers into a recession and my 401k looks more like a 301k, I rely on Peet’s coffee for solace. And as the presidential candidates duke it out on TV each day, I depend on Peet’s to help me vote for the right candidate. Peet’s coffee lets me face each day with perspective and optimism.

You may be asking yourself “why me? How was I selected to become a candidate for free Peet’s?” I chose YOU because I know that if we win, you will come to respect and cherish Peet’s as I do. You will savor each bean and care for it as if it were your own child. But most importantly, you will never again let any other coffee bean brew in your coffee maker or brought into your house (though you may feel compelled to take Peet’s with you to other people’s house who brew inferior coffee).

It’s important for you to know my story with Peet’s. I had my first cup of Peet’s coffee as a university student in San Francisco over 10 years ago and I have remained loyal ever since. I clearly remember the moment I recognized the power of a cup of Peet’s. It was a rainy day in San Francisco and I was standing in a line that stretched outside the Peet’s store on Market and Battery Street. As I stood in the rain with my fellow Peet’s fans, I couldn’t help but noticed that the TWO Starbucks coffee stores on opposite corners were near empty. That was not a one time occurrence. Though I no longer live in San Francisco, my obsession with Peet’s has traveled with me throughout the world. I became a Peetniks when I moved to the former Soviet Republic of Armenia because I didn’t have the privilege of walking to my local Peet’s store anymore. Each week, I anxiously waited for my Peet’s coffee which I could smell through the box. While in Armenia, I tried to convince everyone of the bold flavor of Peet’s. If I ever heard someone was a coffee coinsurer, it would lead to an immediate invitation to my office for a freshly brewed cup of Ethiopian Fancy in my French press. Though I missed my weekend routines in SF of walking to a Peet’s store, ordering a large cup of the day’s brew, and going out for a big breakfast, I tried to replicate that tradition in Armenia by taking my own ground Peet’s beans to the local breakfast place. When I arrived in Armenia, I was one of 15 people who would come to weekly meetings with my Peet’s mug; when I left Armenia, there were three of us with Peet’s mugs and four new Peetniks. That’s the power of Peet’s!

My family has labeled me a self-proclaimed Peet’s Ambassador and has insisted I pursue a career working for Peet’s. It’s true, no matter where I go or who I meet, I feel obligated to introduce everyone to the great taste of Peet’s coffee.

I now live in the Washington, DC area and whether I am wearing my Peet’s on Earth t-shirt, Peetniks hat, or drinking daily from my Peet’s coffee mug, I am frequently approached by people asking “oh my god, is there a Peet’s coffee here?” Though my response is a sad no, I always direct my new found friend to the nearest supermarket selling Peet’s coffee.

My friends, I ask for nothing in return for including you in this prospect. I’m not seeking political favors or campaign contributions, just your openness to try Peet’s, it will change your life.

Winner #10: Maureen Finegan

Winning Story:
My story begins in 1986 when I moved into an apartment at 1423 Walnut St. in Berkeley, CA. In the morning I noticed my neighbors walking down to the corner Peet's coffee shop with their mugs in hand. As I walked down I began to smell a delicious aroma of fresh brewed coffee... The rest is history. This was and is the best coffee I've ever had. I continue to order beans by mail: my favorite is Major Dickason's Blend: mmm... so smooth and full bodied... its the best.

I experienced my first earthquake while sipping a cup of Peet's on the steps of the Quaker Meeting House directly opposite the Vine Street location. Since I was new to the area, I assumed that this was one powerful cup of coffee when I felt a trembling beneath me. My neighbors casually informed me that this was a quake. They were cool, so I tried to be cool too. But wow, my first earthquake, at Peet's!

I had yet another memorable experience at my local Peet's Walnut & Vine location. I stopped by to grab a cup one morning, while rushing off with my 3 year-old son to a play date in Tilden Park. As I was savoring my first few sips, my son announced that I was "wasting his precious time". This produced some embarrassing laughter as well as a critical analysis on the nature of "having time" by a local philosopher. So Peet's is not just about the deliciously tasting coffee, its also about the people who drink it.

In my travels since then, I've managed to seek out any Peet's stores I could find: the Lincoln Park suburb of Chicago; Lexington, Mass; here in Washington, DC we have "Quartermaine Coffee", supposedly a "cousin company" but not as good. Thank you Alfred!