Caro

Caro is a caffeine-free roasted-grain beverage brand associated with Nestlé and historically rooted in the German grain-coffee tradition. Its drink is made from roasted barley, malted barley, chicory and rye, producing a beverage that can be prepared in a similar way to instant coffee but contains no coffee beans and is caffeine-free. The product is commonly presented as a coffee substitute for consumers who want a warm roasted drink without caffeine. The brand was introduced in West Germany in 1954. Its name was created for a soluble coffee substitute after the company sought a new identity for a post-war product category. The name is linked to the German word “Karo,” meaning the diamonds suit in playing cards. This association was reflected in stylized diamond imagery used in Caro packaging and logos in Germany and the United States, and in Spain before a branding restyle in the early 2000s. Caro’s industrial background extends beyond the 1954 launch. The business tradition behind the product traces back to Johann Heinrich Franck, who developed a chicory-based coffee alternative in response to periods when coffee was heavily taxed. Production began in Vaihingen an der Enz in 1828 and moved to Ludwigsburg in 1868, where improved transport connections supported manufacturing and distribution. The same industrial lineage also included Linde’s grain coffee and Kathreiner malt coffee. These products formed part of the broader German market for roasted grain beverages, particularly important during wartime and post-war periods when coffee availability was constrained. The Caro range has been sold in several formats and under different local names. The standard product is available as an instant powder, while Caro Extra is a granulated version. In Spain, the product has been marketed as Eko, and in the United States it has been imported under the name Pero. The brand has been available across Europe and in additional markets including Australia and New Zealand. These naming differences reflect local brand portfolios and market conventions rather than a change in the underlying product category. Caro’s communication has historically emphasized the aroma and familiar ritual of coffee while presenting the drink as a caffeine-free alternative. Its advertising used a long-running signature melody based on a rewritten version of Volker Lechtenbrink’s song “I like”; Lechtenbrink also performed the advertising version. This helped give the brand a recognizable audio identity in German-language marketing. Manufacturing remained associated with Nestlé’s Ludwigsburg plant for decades. In 2012, the plant reportedly employed 114 people and produced approximately 8,000 tonnes of Caro, Kathreiner malt coffee and Linde’s grain coffee. In June 2018, Nestlé announced that it would close the Ludwigsburg facility at the end of that year and transfer production to Portugal. The closure changed the brand’s manufacturing footprint but did not represent an announced discontinuation of Caro. Caro therefore remains best understood as a longstanding Nestlé beverage brand whose identity combines German grain-coffee heritage, caffeine-free positioning, regional naming and instant preparation.

Caro belongs to the German tradition of grain-based coffee substitutes. Its industrial ancestry is associated with Johann Heinrich Franck, who developed a drink based on chicory blended with roasted grain. This type of product offered an alternative to coffee during periods when coffee beans were expensive or difficult to obtain, including eras affected by taxation, war and post-war shortages. Production began in Vaihingen an der Enz in 1828. In 1868, manufacturing moved to Ludwigsburg, where stronger transport connections supported the distribution of roasted-grain beverages. The business lineage also produced Linde’s grain coffee and Kathreiner malt coffee. These products occupied a distinct place in German beverage culture and were sometimes treated as everyday substitutes for coffee rather than as conventional coffee products. The Caro name was introduced in West Germany in 1954 for a soluble coffee substitute. The name was formed from elements associated with the German expression for coffee substitute extract, with the initial letter changed to create “Caro.” It also evokes “Karo,” the German term for the diamonds suit in playing cards. Diamond-shaped visual elements became part of the brand’s presentation in Germany and the United States, and appeared in the Spanish presentation before the identity was restyled in the early 2000s. The finished drink is made from roasted barley, malted barley, chicory and rye. It is caffeine-free and designed to be prepared as an instant hot beverage. The principal format is an instant powder, complemented by Caro Extra in granulated form. The brand has been distributed throughout Europe and in selected markets outside Europe. Local naming has included Eko in Spain and Pero in the United States, while the Caro name has been used in Germany and other markets. Advertising gave the brand an additional cultural identity. A long-running signature tune used a rewritten version of Volker Lechtenbrink’s song “I like,” with Lechtenbrink performing the advertising song. The campaign format connected Caro with the sensory language of coffee—warmth, aroma and a familiar drink ritual—while retaining its caffeine-free distinction. By 2012, the Ludwigsburg plant employed 114 people and produced around 8,000 tonnes annually across Caro, Kathreiner malt coffee and Linde’s grain coffee. Nestlé announced in June 2018 that the facility would close at the end of the year and that production would move to Portugal. The decision marked the end of Caro’s long association with Ludwigsburg as a manufacturing location. Available reference material does not establish a separate founding company for the modern brand, a current corporate headquarters, or a confirmed discontinuation date; the brand is identified as a Nestlé product and has continued to be described as available in multiple markets.

• 2018

  Production relocation announced

  [1]Caro (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Nestlé announces that the Ludwigsburg plant will close at the end of 2018 and that production will move to Portugal.

• 2012

  Ludwigsburg production figures reported

  [1]Caro (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  The Ludwigsburg plant is reported to employ 114 people and produce about 8,000 tonnes of Caro and related grain-coffee products.

• 2000

  Spanish branding is restyled

  [1]Caro (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  The diamond-related visual branding used for the Spanish product is restyled in the early 2000s.

• 1954

  Caro launches in West Germany

  [1]Caro (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  The Caro name is introduced for a soluble, caffeine-free roasted-grain coffee substitute.

• 1868

  Production moves to Ludwigsburg

  [1]Caro (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Manufacturing is relocated to Ludwigsburg because of the site’s more favorable transport connections.

• 1828

  Production begins in Vaihingen an der Enz

  [1]Caro (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  The industrial lineage behind the grain-coffee business begins production in Vaihingen an der Enz, initially centered on chicory and roasted-grain coffee substitutes.

A caffeine-free, roasted-grain alternative to coffee, combining the familiar preparation and aroma of an instant coffee drink with barley, malt, chicory and rye rather than coffee beans.

• Instant roasted-grain beverage · 1954

  Caro instant powder

  The core Caro product is a soluble powder made from roasted barley, malted barley, chicory and rye. It is mixed with hot water to create a caffeine-free drink intended as an alternative to instant coffee. Its positioning relies on a roasted flavor and familiar coffee-style preparation without using coffee beans.

• Granulated roasted-grain beverage

  Caro Extra

  Caro Extra is the granulated format of the brand’s roasted-grain drink. It offers the same general caffeine-free substitute-coffee proposition in a different physical form from the standard instant powder. The granules are intended for convenient preparation as a hot beverage.

• Spanish market variant

  Eko

  Eko is the name used for the Caro-related roasted-grain drink in Spain. It represents a localized market identity for the same broad caffeine-free coffee-substitute category rather than a separately documented beverage technology.

• United States market variant

  Pero

  Pero is the name under which the product is imported and sold in the United States. Like Caro, it is a caffeine-free roasted-grain coffee alternative based on ingredients including barley, malted barley, chicory and rye.

• Caro signature advertising music

  Germany

  Caro used a long-running advertising melody based on a rewritten version of Volker Lechtenbrink’s song “I like.” Lechtenbrink also interpreted the advertising version, giving the brand a distinctive audio signature.

  Outcome. The music became a durable part of Caro’s advertising identity; the available reference does not provide campaign reach or sales results.

  Source

• 2018

  Close the Ludwigsburg plant and transfer productionStrategy

  Background

  Caro and related roasted-grain beverages had been produced at Ludwigsburg for many years. In June 2018, Nestlé announced a change to that manufacturing arrangement.

  Action taken

  Nestlé announced the closure of the Ludwigsburg facility at the end of 2018 and the relocation of production to Portugal.

  Aftermath

  The decision ended the brand’s long-standing association with Ludwigsburg as a production site. The available material does not state the number of redundancies, investment amount or subsequent production volumes.

  Source

1. 1Caro (drink)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Es duftet – Caro lüftet den Kaffeedeckellkz.de