Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. Wins "2001 HotTech Award" From San Francisco Business Times

2001 Bay Area "Hottie" Awards Honor Peet's Outstanding Internet Practice

EMERYVILLE, CA - October 19, 2001 - Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEET), a specialty coffee roaster and marketer, today announced that it has won a "2001 HotTech Award," or "Hottie" for its outstanding Internet practice. The award was presented to the company last night by the San Francisco Business Times at a ceremony and reception in San Francisco. This achievement adds to a number of other editorial and people's choice awards that Peet's has won in recent months.

The San Francisco Business Times editors and a panel of judges presented 25 Bay Area companies with awards for their excellence in technology. Judges selected companies who had solid business plans, and who were likely to achieve profitability during the year. Peet's received its award within the "Hot User" category, which recognizes established brick and mortar companies who have successfully incorporated Internet technology into their business.

"We are very proud to be honored by the San Francisco Business Times within this category," said Chris Mottern, president and chief executive officer for Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. "Our simple and convenient online ordering process makes our products ideal for Internet sales, enabling us to grow our direct business more efficiently, while still maintaining our stringent quality and freshness standards and commitment to customer satisfaction."The San Francisco Business Times Hottie award comes on the heels of several other editorial and people's choice awards for Peet's, which have applauded the company's high-quality, fresh-roasted coffees and hand-selected teas. Awards won in recent months include "Best Coffee" in the Bay Area from Citysearch.com; "Best Cup of Coffee and Tea" from Diablo magazine and "The Supreme Bean" in Outside Magazine's annual O-List issue.

About Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc.

Founded in Berkeley, Calif. in 1966, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. is a specialty coffee roaster and marketer of fresh, deep-roasted whole bean coffee for home and office enjoyment. Peet's fresh-roasted coffee, hand-selected tea and related items are sold in several distribution channels including specialty grocery and gourmet food stores, online and mail order, office and restaurant accounts and 60 company-owned stores in four states. Peet's is committed to strategically growing its business and to maintaining a unique culture and focus on customer satisfaction. For information about Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. visit www.peets.com or call 1-800-999-2132.