Franchisor Stories
Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is a premium specialty coffee and tea café brand known for handcrafted, made-to-order beverages and global reach.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is a premium global roaster and retailer of specialty coffee and tea beverages. Founded in Southern California, the brand is known for handcrafted, made-to-order beverages that are customized to each guest’s preferences and supported by a deep commitment to quality sourcing and customer experience.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf was founded in 1963 by Herb and Mona Hyman after the couple traveled through Europe and experienced high-quality specialty coffee. Inspired to bring the specialty coffeehouse concept to the United States, they opened the first café in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, which continues to operate today. Over the following decades, the brand expanded throughout Southern California and beyond, building its reputation around unique flavors, handcrafted beverages, and personalized service.
Today, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is part of the Jollibee Group. Its Americas operations are supported from downtown Los Angeles, while its global headquarters are based in Asia.
Mission: “Find Your Flavor” serves as a commitment to customers and reflects the brand’s focus on premium, handcrafted beverages made to order and customized to guest preferences.
Vision: The brand aims to connect loyal customers around the world with carefully handcrafted coffee and tea while maintaining premium quality standards from seed to cup.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf currently operates in more than 1,050 locations across 24 countries. Franchise opportunities are available in the Americas and Canada. Specific territories are discussed and negotiated during the franchise application process.
Initial Costs: The estimated initial investment required to begin operation of a single traditional The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf store ranges from $540,665 to $1,430,177, and $619,500
$1,000,000 for a special distribution store. The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), which refers to 2024 data, breaks these costs down as follows:
| Type of Expenditure | Traditional Store | Special Distribution Store | ||
Min | Max | Min | Max | |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $12,500 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Lease for Store | $2,500 | $13,000 | $2,500 | $12,000 |
| Design & Plans | $42,000 | $55,000 | $35,000 | $40,000 |
| Leasehold Improvements | $317,165 | $588,694 | $200,000 | $418,000 |
| Signage | $25,000 | $94,780 | $20,000 | $28,000 |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment | $350,000 | $353,703 | $235,000 | $305,000 |
| POS System | $30,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 |
| Initial Inventory | $8,000 | $32,000 | $8,000 | $32,000 |
| Grand Opening Promotion | $10,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| Permits & Security Deposits | $4,500 | $25,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Insurance | $2,000 | $10,000 | $2,000 | $10,000 |
| Professional Fees | $5,000 | $78,000 | $0 | $0 |
| Training Expenses | $12,000 | $40,000 | $12,000 | $25,000 |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $60,000 | $75,000 | $45,000 | $60,000 |
Initial Franchise Fee: The standard initial franchise fee is $25,000 per store for traditional and special distribution stores. Franchisees operating under an area development agreement pay an initial development Fee equal to $12,500 per location required to be opened under their minimum development obligation, and an initial franchise fee of $12,500 when each store is opened. Stores developed beyond that obligation are subject to a $25,000 fee, or $15,000 for kiosk locations.
Qualified U.S. military veterans and active-duty service members are eligible for a $20,000 discount per store on the initial franchise fee, provided they own at least 50% of the franchise entity and submit verification prior to signing the franchise agreement. Eligible veterans may also receive reduced royalty fees during the first three years of operation: 3.5% in year one, 4.5% in year two, and 5.5% in year three.
Ongoing Fees: According to the 2025 FDD, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf franchisees are responsible for the following ongoing payments and fees:
| Type of Fee | Amount |
| Royalty Fee | 5.5% of gross revenues/month |
| Central Marketing Fee | 2% of gross revenue/month |
| Advertising and Promotional Materials Fee | 0.5% of gross revenue/month |
| Cafe Technology System Fee | $700 - $1,500/month |
| Customer Facing Technology Fee | $200 - $750/month |
ROI Potential: The 2025 FDD includes the 2024 annual gross revenues for 177 The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf locations (108 company-owned and 69 franchised) that operated for the entirety of FY 2024:
| Store Type (# of Stores) | Average | Median | High | Low | Stores Exceeding Ave. |
| Company-Owned - Drive Thru (36) | $1,721,261 | $1,689,944 | $2,736,107 | $582,148 | 17 |
| Company-Owned - No Drive Thru (72) | $1,268,360 | $1,219,654 | $2,625,451 | $478,726 | 33 |
| Franchised - Drive Thru (10) | $1,208,767 | $1,210,781 | $1,859,767 | $772,051 | 5 |
| Franchised - No Drive Thru (13) | $790,902 | $767,067 | $1,272,060 | $472,742 | 6 |
| Franchised - Special Distribution (46) | $1,213,382 | $1,040,495 | $5,029,244 | $117,682 | 16 |
*Some outlets have earned these amounts. Your individual results may differ. There is no assurance that you’ll earn as much.
Franchisees receive support throughout café development, including market mapping, design and construction assistance from the brand’s Real Estate and Development team.
Training is delivered through franchise trainers and Learning & Development centers located in Los Angeles, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
Franchisees are supported by a dedicated franchise business consultant who provides day-to-day operational guidance, along with ongoing support across operations, marketing and supply chain management.
The brand provides franchisees access to its integrated supply chain and proprietary systems that manage sourcing, product development and quality control from seed to cup.
Franchisees should have a proven track record of successful multi-unit food or beverage operations. Experience in retail real estate development, construction, and site selection is considered valuable.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf operates under a multi-unit, area development model. Traditional single-unit franchises are not offered, though non-traditional single-unit opportunities may be available for qualified franchisees. Franchise agreements typically include a multiple-unit development commitment over a defined time period based on geography and opportunity size.
Information regarding financing partnerships or funding assistance is not publicly provided.
The global café market was valued at $298.72 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $430.02 billion by 2030, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 5.4% from 2024 to 2030. Market growth is being driven in part by rapid urbanization, particularly in developing countries, which continues to expand demand for accessible, premium food and beverage concepts in both established and emerging markets.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf competes in the premium specialty coffee and tea segment alongside established brands such as Dunkin’, Peet’s Coffee, Scooters and regional specialty café operators, as well as premium tea-focused concepts. The brand differentiates itself through its extensive tea offerings, top-tier coffee sourcing standards and customizable handcrafted beverages, supported by a long operating history and a global café footprint across multiple formats and markets.
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