The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Franchise Costs, Fees & ROI

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.

NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 1,050+

REPORTED COST TO GET IN: $540,665 - $1,430,177

REPORTED ROI (Item 19): See below

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.

• Selects from the top 1% of Arabica coffee beans sourced from the world’s best growing regions.

• Works directly with private, family-owned tea estates to cultivate high-quality tea leaves.

• Offers one of the most extensive selections of sustainably sourced coffee and tea globally.

• Focuses on handcrafted, made-to-order beverages customized to each guest.

• Operates under a “seed to cup” philosophy through its Caring Cup program.

• Backed by more than 60 years of experience in the specialty coffee industry.

• Supported by an integrated supply chain with worldwide distribution capabilities.

• Access to exclusive and proprietary beverage, pastry, and café meal recipes.

• Dedicated Real Estate and Development Team for site selection, design and construction.

• Ongoing operational guidance from a franchise business consultant.

• Marketing support with brand-approved collateral, resources and guidance.

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:

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:

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:

*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.

• Liquid Assets: $250,000 per café

• Net Worth: Minimum $ 5 million

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.

1. Pre-Application: Prospective franchisees submit an initial inquiry, connect with the franchise sales team, and receive the FDD to begin exploring the opportunity.

2. Application: Candidates complete a formal application that is reviewed by the brand, including background checks and preliminary screening.

3. Interview & Evaluation: The CBTL team conducts an in-depth interview while reviewing financial qualifications such as proof of assets and credit history.

4. Develop Business Plan: CBTL and the candidate define the scope of development while the franchisee conducts due diligence and builds a detailed business plan.

5. Review of Business Plan: The business plan is presented to the franchise team, followed by Discovery Day in California and final capitalization and legal reviews.

6. Execute Agreement: Once approved, the franchisee signs the franchise agreement or area development agreement and is officially awarded the franchise.

7. Grand Opening: CBTL supports site selection, construction, training and launch activities leading up to the opening of the café.

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