Caribou Coffee vs Starbucks:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Starbucks had more branded searches than Caribou Coffee among coffee chains in the United States. Starbucks had about 13.6 million branded searches, while Caribou Coffee had 550,000. Starbucks made up 48.1% of all coffee chain searches we track, and Caribou Coffee accounted for 1.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about coffee chains, Starbucks appeared in all three answers and Caribou Coffee in one. Starbucks was mentioned before Caribou Coffee in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Starbucks, about 25 searches for every 1 for Caribou Coffee
Who does AI mention more?
Starbucks, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Starbucks, named ahead of Caribou Coffee in every answer
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Top coffee chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, Starbucks appeared in all three answers. Caribou Coffee was mentioned in one out of three: in one of the three ChatGPT answers. Starbucks was listed before Caribou Coffee in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Starbucks1st
Dunkin'2nd
Peet's Coffee3rd
Dutch Bros4th
Caribou Coffee5th
Tim Hortons–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Starbucks3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Dunkin'3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Dutch Bros3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Peet's Coffee3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Caribou Coffee1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Tim Hortons0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
See every answer about coffee chains
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which coffee chain is best in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best coffee chains in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best US coffee chain for iced coffee?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“coffee shops”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“coffee shop”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Is Caribou Coffee or Starbucks more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Caribou Coffee and Starbucks by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six coffee chains we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Starbucks, Caribou Coffee. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Starbucks | Dunkin' | Dutch Bros | Tim Hortons | Caribou Coffee | Peet's Coffee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 64.4% | 26.4% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 62.9% | 25.8% | 6.9% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 63.7% | 26.2% | 5.7% | 2.1% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 57.7% | 28.9% | 7.8% | 2.8% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 49.1% | 36.9% | 8.1% | 3% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 45.6% | 38.8% | 9.2% | 3.4% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 42.6% | 41.5% | 8.6% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 39.7% | 44.7% | 8% | 3.6% | 2% | 2% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.9% | 44.9% | 8% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 39.9% | 44.9% | 8% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.6% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.3% | 42.1% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 48.1% | 38.3% | 6.5% | 3.5% | 1.9% | 1.6% |
How has the Caribou Coffee and Starbucks comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Starbucks was ahead of Caribou Coffee in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Caribou Coffee’s share of searches among coffee chains in the United States moved from 1.2% to 1.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 550K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Starbucks’ share of searches among coffee chains in the United States moved from 64.4% to 48.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 30.4M to 13.6M.
How did search popularity change for United States coffee chains in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Starbucks gained share of searches among coffee chains in the United States, from 43.3% to 48.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Caribou Coffee’s and Starbucks’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Caribou Coffee
1 branded search term
- caribou coffee
Starbucks
1 branded search term
- starbucks
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