Chicago Native Gloria Jean of Gloria Jean’s Coffee Dies at 82

Gloria Jean Kvetko, a Chicago native who founded Gloria Jean’s Coffee Bean over 40 years ago, has passed away. Born in 1941, Kvetko opened her first coffee shop in Long Grove in 1979. She initially focused on mall locations and expanded through franchising to over 200 stores by 1993. In 2021, she partnered with Australia-based Retail Food Group to relocate the US headquarters back to Chicago. Kvetko reflected on the decision to use flavored syrups in coffees, which changed the coffee world immediately. The brand is currently owned by Australia-based Retail Food Group and has around 900 locations worldwide. Kvetko’s son, Tom Jaworski, confirmed his mother’s death of pneumonia at Northwest Community Hospital.

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