Caribou permanently closing coffee shop in St. Paul skyway

Caribou is permanently closing its skyway-level coffee shop in downtown St. Paul's Alliance Bank Center, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The closure of the Caribou, which filled a prominent storefront right outside the building's food court, isn't a great sign for downtown's rebound as more workers return to the office.

• A number of other skyway food vendors, including Mekong Express and Peachy Cup, remained shuttered on Monday.

Flashback: Caribou isn't the first coffee chain to scale back its downtown presence during the pandemic. The Dunn Brothers on Wabasha Street closed back in August of 2020.

Of note: A Caribou spokesperson said the chain's two other downtown St. Paul spots — at 401 Robert St. N and 444 Cedar St. — will remain open.