The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

If there's anything the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf makes better than Coffee and Tea, it's controversies. This incredibly successful Coffee and Tea chain delights and annoys its customers almost equally. This is the story of one of Starbucks' once upon a time fiercest competition. When Herbert B. Hyman and his Mona Hyman opened the first The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Shop, it didn't bear any semblance to the giant corporation we now have today. Herbert built his oak counters and the store had a few stools. However, soon the stools began to host esteemed guests, Tonight'show host Johnny Carson was a regular visitor of the store, and undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau and actor Lee Marvin couldn't resist what the Hymans provided. Lee was perhaps the store's most enthusiastic celebrity customer at that time. The man occasionally joined the Hymans in working behind the counter and even got to their shop early to get them to open up earlier than usual so he could have his coffee. So what is it with this coffee shop that made celebrities lose their cool? It all began with a marriage. Herbert B. Hyman has always had an eye for business. Born in Los Angeles in December 6, 1931, Herbert pursued business and studies at UCLA. As an undergraduate, Hyman saw an opportunity and he took it. He began to supply fraternity houses with vending machines, selling cigarettes, soft drinks and snacks. This business was a hit, and some months before graduating with an English degree, Hyman dropped out to focus on his business full time. In 1963, Herbert felt he had peaked with his vending machine business and decided to pursue a new line of business entirely. This time, Herbert wanted to make coffee for offices. He began the business and during one of his office runs, he fell in love. He met Mona, an accountant, and the two got married in 1966. Then they decided to honeymoon in Mona's native Sweden. He got a revelation. The gourmet coffee he had in Sweden was supreme. The coffee's richness, complexity and flavor gave him an idea. Hyman decided to import, roast and sell gourmet coffee in his native Los Angeles. Hyman knew his coffee would be high-end and needed customers who could afford his services. He had a location where the customers wouldn't mind spending a few dollars on coffee. Brentwood. Brentwood wasn't far from his home in Santa Monica and it gave him access to the kind of customers he wanted. In 1968, he opened his first coffee shop and added some attractions that made him stand out. He sold whole beans with indications of the country he got them from. Also, he allowed his clientele to see how he roasted the coffee and let them try different samples before deciding. And if you'd like to learn about the history of your favorite eateries, be sure to But despite all of this, business was slow. The chain expanded to 10 stores in Southern California and also grew its menu to include teas. However, it didn't have the pedigree yet and this remained until a miracle happened. An employee decided to be creative in the 80s and accidentally created the business's most iconic beverage. The beautiful accident happened at the Westwood shop. It was s To cool down from the heat, an employee had an idea. The employee brought a blender to the store, mixed ice, coffee extract and chocolate powder and blended them. The result was sensational, becoming the company'signature ice blended drink. This relatively new way of making coffee became popular among other coffee shops and even Starbucks built on it to create its Frappuccino. The founder targeted Los Angeles for his new wave of expansions, but his business was also a target. Starbucks wanted it. Hyman resisted. He said no. Starbucks yielded, backed off and also joined the coffee bean and tea leaf to compete in Los Angeles and it was determined to become the n But as Starbucks tried to muscle out its competition with marketing, Hyman's business too grew. Starbucks marketing drove customers curious about gourmet coffee to end patronizing coffee bean. When it rains, it pours. And for coffee beans expansion, it poured. Hyman had a vision, including his business having a branch in Asia. In 1996, Singapore brothers Victor Sassoon and Sonny Sassoon approached the founder for the right to begin an Asian franchise. The brothers got it and they set to work. They got rights to some franchise locations in the US and opened stores in the US as they did in Singapore. After opening the first Singaporean store in 1996, the Sassoon brothers soon moved to Malaysia in 1997 and within two years, they opened 29 stores in both Malaysia and Singapore. The brothers franchise rivaled the parent companies as they had achieved what it took Hyman 35 years to do. Then the Sassoons went for the kill, partnering with their longtime friend Severin Wonderman. The brothers approached Hyman with a deal he couldn't resist. They wanted to take the business globally and Hyman sold it to them. So it began. The Sassoon brothers worked out their strategy. Victor remained in Singapore managing their Asian interests while Sonny Sassoon cared for their American stores. Also Sonny became the company's president from 1998 to 2009 and handed over to Mel Elias in 2009. As the business thrilled people with its coffee and with its 2012 Nokia deal that offered wireless charging to customers, it also managed to annoy its clientele that same 2012. One of its chains had become the home of Heaping Tom's. A customer, Roderick Smith, found a hidden camera in the bathroom of the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf store in Encino, California. Roderick, along with other customers, complained. But the store looked complacent about the complaint, telling Roderick that the camera looked Roderick and the others sued the company before the company could cooperate and assist in catching the suspect. We believe that our cooperation helped lead to the arrest of the suspect. In light of the pending litigation surrounding this matter, we are unable to comment further at this time. The company said in a statement, effectively trying to avoid more damage to its reputation. In 2013, the company sold a large part of its equity to US-based Advent International in partnership with South Korea-based Maria Asset Private Equity and Taiwan-based CDIB Capital. The Sassoons held the largest shares. But in 2019, they decided to sell the business to the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf for $350 million. They sold it to the Philippine-based fried chicken chain Jolabee. That same year, 2019, the company made a major goof and caused another round of controversy in Singapore. The company made an error when it wanted to create promotional artwork for Singapore Armed Forces Day in Singapore. The soldier it used in its artwork wasn't from Singapore Armed Forces, and it caused outrage. The company made amends and apologized, but not everyone bought into its apology. Maybe because in 2018, people accused the company of killing cats. You could say the company had a catastrophe on its hands in 2018 for harming cats. However, the interesting part was, the company had no hand in actually harming cats. The Philippines chain had a PR nightmare when a pet control company called the Pest Busters removed cats from an area. A hotel hired pest busters to remove these cats, but people blamed the company because the chain was part of the table group, which also owned the pest busters. In 2022, the company also faced another fresh round of animal cruelty accusations. The coffee chain patronizes farmers that use battery cages for their eggs. So due to the terrible animal conditions in such farms and the health risks associated with eggs produced in battery cages, the company faced a terrible backlash. The business is a force, with over 1,000 stores in about 31 countries. The company has over 200 stores in the US, with around 128 of those being company owned and the remaining franchised. The business was doing fine, but it stagnated under the Sassoon Brothers leadership. The New York branch of the chain, which was doing so well, began to struggle, and all eight locations closed in 2016. The business, which people predicted would give Starbucks a run for its money, was on the run to ruin. The new owner knew it had to inject life into the franchise, and it did. The coffee chain began to recommit to its ideal, and through its marketing director, it revealed it doesn't want to compete with Starbucks. The business claimed it didn't want to be on every single corner, and that it's trying to fill the niche between conglomerate and mom and pop coffee shops. The business also said it is different from Starbucks, because it offers a genuine guest experience, doesn't have an intimidating environment, and delivers consistently fresh coffee. Salty much? The chain began its resurgence in New York, in Brooklyn, and opened a store that offered people a sense of community. The company has also expanded its menu to include breakfast sandwiches, salads, and a variety of baked goods. Of course, there are the brand'signature ice blended drinks, p According to the business, New York is central to its rebuild. It's great for brand presence, has a large population, and there's plenty of space for coffee players. The coffee bean and tea leaf shop began as a h After an initial lag in business when Hyman created it, the business shot to the top, before suffering another period of slow business. But with Jolabee buying the company, things are picking up, with the new owner trying to use New York as the launch base of the business's revival. Is the new owner right in its decision to use New York, or should the business begin its revival in its native Los Angeles? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to leave a