Emeryville-based Peet's Coffee & Tea surprised loyal customers across the nation's Rust Belt this week with the closure of stores in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania. "This is not an easy decision, but it's important that we responsibly manage our costs and begin 2015 with a stronger focus on our top-performing markets, including Chicago, D.C., Boston and California," Peet's said in closing the stores Dec. 15. "Peet's began an aggressive U.S. expansion in summer 2013, and we're seeing incredible growth in new markets like Chicago and D.C.," Peet's said.