The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
An American-origin international café chain specializing in coffee, tea, Ice Blended beverages, and café food.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is an American coffee and tea café chain founded by Herbert Hyman in California in 1963. The business began as an office coffee-service company and evolved into a retail specialty-coffee operator after Hyman and his wife, Mona, encountered higher-quality coffee during a trip to Sweden. The first Coffee Bean store opened in 1968 in Brentwood, Los Angeles. From the beginning, the company emphasized whole-bean coffee, origin information, in-store roasting visibility, and the opportunity for customers to taste different coffees before buying them. During the 1970s, the chain expanded across Southern California and broadened its offering to include specialty teas. Its most consequential product innovation came in 1987, when an employee at the Westwood location blended ice, coffee extract, and chocolate powder. The resulting Ice Blended beverage became the brand's signature cold drink and helped define its identity in the growing specialty-coffee market. The concept predates Starbucks' Frappuccino and remains one of the chain's best-known offerings. The company's ownership and geographic profile changed substantially during the 1990s. In 1996, the Hyman family sold Asian franchise rights to Singaporean entrepreneurs Victor Sassoon and Sunny Sassoon. The first Singapore location opened that year, followed by Malaysia in 1997. The Asian operation expanded rapidly, and in 1998 the Sassoons, together with investor Severin Wunderman, acquired the parent company, International Coffee & Tea, LLC. This ownership group accelerated international franchising while retaining the Los Angeles base and the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf name. Sunny Sassoon led the company as president and chief executive from 1998 to 2009 and then became executive chairman. Mel Elias, who had previously served as chief operating officer, became president and CEO in 2009. In 2013, Advent International, Mirae Asset Private Equity, and CDIB Capital acquired a significant equity position, while the Sassoon family remained a substantial shareholder. John Fuller served as president and CEO from 2015 until 2020. Jollibee Foods Corporation acquired the chain in 2019 through subsidiaries and related investment vehicles. The reported purchase price was $350 million, making the transaction Jollibee's largest investment at that point. The acquisition placed Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf within a Philippine-based multinational restaurant group while preserving its international café identity. Store numbers initially declined after the acquisition, from 1,189 at the time of purchase to 1,048 in 2021, before recovering to 1,232 stores across 24 countries by 2024. The brand's menu spans hot and iced coffee, whole-bean coffee, espresso beverages, hot and iced teas, tea lattes, blended drinks, flavored powders, pastries, and other café foods. Coffee is organized into roast and flavor groupings including light, medium, dark, decaffeinated, flavored, and reserve selections. Tea categories include green, black, oolong, herbal, decaffeinated, flavored, and Tea Master's selections. Products are supported by roasting and tea-blending operations in Camarillo, California. The chain also operates through franchise and area-development arrangements, with especially significant markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. In addition to cafés, it has pursued packaged and at-home formats through the CBTL single-serve system and partnerships involving Keurig K-Cup products, hotel supply, wireless charging, and restaurant distribution.
History
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf traces its origins to Herbert Hyman's 1963 coffee-service business in California. Hyman and his wife, Mona, developed a stronger interest in high-quality coffee after traveling to Sweden. The company subsequently shifted toward specialty retail, opening its first store in Brentwood, Los Angeles, in 1968. Its early retail model highlighted whole beans, country of origin, visible roasting, and customer sampling, practices that distinguished it from conventional American coffee counters. The business expanded to ten Southern California stores during the 1970s and added specialty teas. In 1987, an employee at the Westwood store created a blended drink by combining ice, coffee extract, and chocolate powder. The drink became the Original Ice Blended and developed into the brand's signature product. Its popularity gave the company a distinctive position in the emerging cold specialty-coffee segment. When Starbucks began preparing a Los Angeles expansion in 1991, it reportedly attempted to acquire Coffee Bean, but Herbert Hyman rejected the offer. Starbucks' subsequent presence in Los Angeles nevertheless increased public attention to the local café category and benefited Coffee Bean's visibility. International development accelerated after the Hyman family sold Asian franchise rights to Victor Sassoon and Sunny Sassoon in 1996. The first Singapore store opened that year, and Malaysia followed in 1997. The Sassoons expanded the regional network rapidly, reaching 29 stores in Singapore and Malaysia within two years. In 1998, Victor Sassoon, Sunny Sassoon, and Severin Wunderman acquired International Coffee & Tea, LLC, the parent company. Victor worked primarily from Singapore, Sunny from Los Angeles, and Wunderman remained a non-operating investor. The company thereafter pursued a global franchise and area-development strategy. Sunny Sassoon was president and CEO from 1998 to 2009 and then executive chairman. Mel Elias, previously the company's chief operating officer, became CEO in 2009. In 2013, Advent International joined with Mirae Asset Private Equity and CDIB Capital to acquire a significant equity interest. The Sassoon family continued to hold a large shareholding. John Fuller led the company as president and CEO from 2015 to 2020. Jollibee Foods Corporation acquired the brand in 2019 through a structure involving Java Ventures LLC and affiliated Jollibee entities. The reported $350 million transaction was Jollibee's largest investment at that time. The chain initially contracted under its new ownership, with stores declining from 1,189 at acquisition to 1,048 in 2021. By 2024, the reported network had grown to 1,232 stores in 24 countries. Product development has remained central to the brand. Coffee is hand-roasted at the Camarillo, California facility and organized into light, medium, dark, decaffeinated, flavored, and reserve groupings. Tea is hand-blended there across green, black, oolong, herbal, decaffeinated, flavored, and Tea Master's categories. The Chai Tea Latte was introduced in 1998. The company has also tested retail and partnership channels, including the CBTL home single-serve system, Keurig-compatible K-Cup products, hotel-room supply, and restaurant collaborations. Regional operating practices vary: Singapore and Malaysia locations are described as halal, while the company changed its storewide kosher-certification approach in Southern California and Las Vegas during 2020.
- 2024
Network reported at 1,232 stores
[1]The chain was reported to have 1,232 stores operating across 24 countries.
- 2019
Acquired by Jollibee Foods Corporation
[1]Jollibee Foods Corporation acquired the chain for a reported $350 million.
- 2013
Fiftieth-anniversary product introduced
[1]The company marked its fiftieth anniversary with a Birthday Cake Ice Blended beverage.
- 2013
Institutional investment completed
[1]Advent International, Mirae Asset Private Equity, and CDIB Capital acquired a significant equity position.
- 2010
CBTL single-serve system launched
[1]The company launched a home single-serve system in the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and the Philippines.
- 1998
Parent company acquired by the Sassoon group
[1]The Sassoons and Severin Wunderman acquired International Coffee & Tea, LLC and began a more aggressive international expansion.
- 1998
Chai Tea Latte introduced
[1]The chain began serving its Chai Tea Latte, which became one of its popular tea-based beverages.
- 1996
Asian franchise expansion begins
[1]Victor Sassoon and Sunny Sassoon obtained Asian franchise rights and opened the first Singapore location.
- 1987
Original Ice Blended beverage created
[1]An employee's experimental blended drink became the company's signature Ice Blended line.
- 1970
Specialty tea added to the range
[1]During the 1970s expansion in Southern California, the company added exotic and specialty teas to its coffee-focused menu.
Products and positioning
Premium specialty coffee and tea café experience combining hand-roasted coffee, hand-blended tea, signature cold beverages, and an international franchise network.
Blended coffee and tea beverages · 1987
Original Ice Blended
The Original Ice Blended line is the brand's signature cold-beverage platform. It originated in 1987 when an employee blended ice with coffee extract and chocolate powder. The format helped establish Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf as a recognizable participant in the cold specialty-coffee market and has since been extended with coffee, tea, chocolate, fruit, and seasonal flavor variations.
Coffee
Coffee
The coffee portfolio includes whole-bean and brewed offerings organized into Light & Subtle, Light & Distinctive, Medium & Smooth, Dark & Distinctive, Decaffeinated, Flavored, and Reserve categories. The company describes its beans as hand-roasted at its Camarillo, California facility and sourced from producing regions including Costa Rica, Colombia, Kenya, Indonesia, Jamaica, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.
Tea · 1970
Tea
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf offers loose-leaf and prepared teas across green, black, oolong, herbal infusion, decaffeinated, flavored, and Tea Master's categories. Teas are hand-blended at the Camarillo facility. The range supports hot and iced tea drinks, tea lattes, and blended beverages, allowing the brand to compete as a tea specialist as well as a coffee chain.
Tea beverage · 1998
Chai Tea Latte
Introduced in 1998, the Chai Tea Latte combines spiced tea with steamed milk and became one of the chain's best-known tea-based café drinks.
Home beverage system · 2010
CBTL single-serve system
The CBTL system was a home-use capsule platform launched in selected markets in 2010. It supported capsules for espresso, brewed coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, extending the brand beyond its cafés into domestic preparation.
Iced tea beverage · 2014
Tea Granita
Tea Granita was introduced in 2014 in Pear Berry and Passion Fruit flavors. The product used a granular frozen texture to present tea as a refreshing cold beverage.
Café food
Baked goods
The café food range includes pastries and other baked goods intended to accompany coffee and tea beverages. Specific items and availability vary by market and store format.
Controversies
2019
Singapore SAF Day artwork controversy
Coffee Bean's Singapore operation apologized for promotional artwork that appeared to misrepresent the Singapore Armed Forces. The incident was a localized brand and communications controversy.
2012
Concealed-camera lawsuit involving Encino café restroom
A customer filed a lawsuit after discovering a concealed camera in the U-bend of a sink in a unisex restroom at an Encino, California location. The company stated that it cooperated with authorities and did not discuss the matter in detail because litigation was pending.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019SAF Day promotional artwork
Singapore
The Singapore operation released promotional artwork for SAF Day that was criticized because it appeared to depict a Chinese soldier rather than a member of the Singapore Armed Forces. The company apologized after the error attracted public criticism.
Outcome. Public apology and withdrawal or correction of the criticized creative material.
Brand decisions
2020
Kosher-certification approach changed in selected U.S. marketsStrategyBackground
The company had historically maintained storewide kosher certification at company-owned Southern California locations and many California and Nevada stores.
Action taken
The company ended storewide kosher-only certification in Southern California in June 2020, following an earlier change in the Las Vegas area.
Aftermath
The company said the change was part of a phased plan to broaden offerings and that the COVID-19 crisis accelerated implementation. Coffee, tea, and beverage powders remained described as kosher certified.
2019
Jollibee acquisition completedM&ABackground
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf had developed into an international café chain with a large franchise presence, making it a strategic fit for Jollibee's restaurant portfolio.
Action taken
Jollibee Foods Corporation acquired the company through affiliated entities for a reported purchase price of $350 million.
Aftermath
The chain remained an operating brand within the Jollibee Group. Store numbers initially contracted before recovering to 1,232 locations across 24 countries in 2024.
Reported acquisition price. $350 million (2019 transaction)
2013
Institutional equity investment acceptedStrategyBackground
The Sassoon-controlled business pursued additional capital and institutional participation during its international expansion.
Action taken
Advent International partnered with Mirae Asset Private Equity and CDIB Capital to acquire a significant equity position.
Aftermath
The Sassoon family remained a large shareholder until the later sale to Jollibee Foods Corporation.
2010
CBTL home system launchedProduct launchBackground
The brand pursued an at-home format to complement its café business and make its beverages available through single-serve preparation.
Action taken
Coffee Bean launched the CBTL capsule system in the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and the Philippines.
Aftermath
The platform offered capsules for espresso, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, although the current status of the system is not established here.
1996
Asian franchise rights transferredStrategyBackground
The company sought to develop markets outside Southern California while retaining its existing operating base.
Action taken
Asian franchise rights were sold to Victor Sassoon and Sunny Sassoon, who opened the first Singapore store in 1996 and expanded into Malaysia in 1997.
Aftermath
Rapid regional growth contributed to the later acquisition of the parent company and the brand's broader international expansion.
1991
Declined reported Starbucks acquisition approachStrategyBackground
As Starbucks prepared to expand into Los Angeles, it reportedly sought to purchase Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
Action taken
Founder Herbert Hyman declined the reported acquisition approach.
Aftermath
Starbucks subsequently opened stores in Los Angeles, while the increased attention to specialty coffee helped drive curiosity toward Coffee Bean's locations.
Recent events
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf launches redesigned rewards app with in-app delivery[3]
Reported:
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf launched a redesigned rewards app with direct in-app delivery, a simplified user experience, and additional ordering and rewards features. The app enabled delivery from 139 locations across California and Arizona.
Jollibee completes Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf acquisition[4]
Reported:
Jollibee completed its $350-million acquisition of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf after satisfying the deal’s closing conditions, including government approvals.
Sources4 sources
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