The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® Appoints Tara Hinkle as President and Head of Americas

"We are thrilled to welcome Tara Hinkle as The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's new President and Head of Americas," said CEO for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Jose Pepot Miñana Jr.

Hinkle assumed the position of President and Head of Americas in January 2025, bringing nearly 20 years of expertise in franchising and strategic operational planning to the role. Before joining The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Hinkle held the position of Senior Director of Franchise Finance and Strategy at Taco Bell, where she led the brand's franchise finance and recruitment initiatives. Hinkle also served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Starbucks, where she was responsible for developing, integrating, and managing the brand’s key collaborations.

At The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Hinkle will drive the overall growth strategy. With her deep expertise in franchise finance and operations, she will ensure the brand’s strategic vision aligns with scalable, sustainable growth. By strengthening market positioning and optimizing business operations, Hinkle will play a key role in elevating The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

"I am honored to step into the role of President and Head of Americas at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and lead this incredible team," said Tara Hinkle. "My goal is to drive growth and expand our market reach by empowering our talented brew crew to exceed guest expectations.”

Currently, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf serves its carefully handcrafted coffee, tea, and espresso beverages. The brand takes pride in delivering high-quality products, and sources from the top one percent of Arabica beans. The coffee beans are custom-roasted in small batches at a roasting facility in Camarillo, California, and each bag is rigorously tested to meet the brand's high standards.