By DCist contributor Ashley Wetzel

The Peet’s Coffee & Tea revolution has begun. Based out of Emeryville, Calif., the coffee chain’s expansion into the D.C. area started with the opening of a flagship Pennsylvania Avenue NW location this week. Over the coming months, Peet’s plans to open a total of 23 locations throughout the area, many of which will be converted from old Caribou Coffee chain locations.

So why are we replacing a coffee chain with a different coffee chain? Excellent question. Peruse the websites and you can see that both are committed to “sustainability” and “social responsibility.” Each say they believe in their respective roasting processes and in providing the highest quality coffee. Caribou boasts nearly 500 locations across 16 states while Peet’s comes in at just over 230 stores across 10 states. Still struggling to differentiate?

At a private event this week, the company tried to convince a select few that they reign supreme. Peet’s brought in the company’s 2013 “Barista of the Year,” Roslyn, to explain some of the machinery and methods behind their cappuccino and espresso. They had experiential marketing representatives and SnapFiesta on-hand to promote some social media presence. They even did a small demonstration-presentation to educate us on various brewing methods and coffee lingo.

It’s hard not to appreciate the effort they’re putting in. The event was intimate, the staff was extremely friendly, and the iced caramel macchiato (yes, I had one of those) was tasty. They chose a great location for their flagship store, embraced a storefront design that lets in tons of natural light, and have decked out the walls with photographs and art installations from around D.C. Still, I am left wondering if anything that I heard will make me go out of my way to drink Peet’s coffee over any other. If it’s the weekend and I can leisurely enjoy a cup of joe, I’d prefer to try a local gem (might I recommend re-reading DCist’s list of the best in the area?). If it’s a weekday and I am in zombie-mode until I have my caffeine, I am going to frequent whichever chain is on my direct route to the office. I hope Peet’s has chosen the remaining 22 locations wisely, as that will be one of the biggest contributors to their success here.

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