Caribou Coffee Company Q4 2007 Earnings Call Transcript

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2008-02-18 16:50:07.0

Tags: Caribou Coffee Inc.

Question-and-Answer Session

Operator

(Operator Instructions). We will take our first question from Chris O'Cull with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Chris O'Cull - SunTrust Robinson Humphrey

Good morning everyone. How are you?

Roz Mallet

Hello.

Chris O'Cull - SunTrust Robinson Humphrey

Roz, my question relates just to the current strategy and the effect you think you will have on the business, how long do you think it is going to take the company under the strategy to get closer to profitability? And a follow-on to that would be as the Board evaluated alternative strategy such as re-franchising or licensing the brand to restaurant chain to determine whether they would offer better long-term profitability?

Roz Mallet

We are in the midst of completing our strategies for the next three years, creating a long range plan. We expect to have a much better idea where we will end up in profitability over the next few months. I won't predict that no matter what happens, but I will tell you that we are going to look at all alternatives to continue to broaden the brand distribution. We have four channels right now that we are utilizing and we will, in terms of strategy change, be projecting those very detailed in our existing markets and across United States and then globally.

Chris O'Cull - SunTrust Robinson Humphrey

And then let me ask you when you think about franchising and another company has plans to open new units via franchising, help me understand how does re-franchising or selling company markets play into that? I mean is there any opportunity maybe to improve profitability of the company by selling company stores to franchisees, maybe seeding markets, is that part of the consideration?

Roz Mallet

We are going to consider lots of alternatives to accelerate our points of distribution in all of our markets. So I am not going to say no to anything at this stage. We haven't made a definitive decision on any one strategy of growth. Again, we are going to use all four channels.

Chris O'Cull - SunTrust Robinson Humphrey

Okay. And then you talked a lot about the invention, I think you hired a consultant to help look at the operational opportunities and the company stores, (inaudible) economic, does that relate to top-line opportunities or is that mainly focused on just improving efficiencies in terms of cost control?

Roz Mallet

We have several initiatives, the one around operational efficiencies really is about our throughput, our capacity, and making sure that we can effectively build our sales as well as build our profits and so we will get perspective on both sides of the P&L.

 

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