In 1977, with co-founder Arthur Karp, Coles opened the first Great American Cookie Company location at
Perimeter Mall with an investment of $8,000. From there, the company expanded and became a chain in the United States. In 1988, Coles sold the Great American Cookie company for $100 million. The two opponents spent a total of $8.9 million dollars on their campaigns, with Gingrich emerging as the winner. In 1998, Coles ran for
US Senate as a
Democratic candidate. He defeated his opponent in the primary, but lost the general election. In 1999, after being appointed by Governor
Roy Barnes, Coles became the chair of the
Georgia Film, Video and Music Advisory Board. He served as chairman for four years. Coles joined
Caribou Coffee as its CEO in 2003. During his tenure he oversaw an
initial public offering of the company's stock. He stepped down from the position in 2007 following the decline of the company's share price. ==Philanthropy==