He fell in love with the European styles of coffee, which were far better quality than what was sold in the U.S. at the time. Herb Hyman was once dubbed as "the grandfather of specialty coffee in the US.
The first store in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles was opened in 1963, where founder Herb Hyman began importing and roasting coffee. The store sold bags of gourmet beans by the pound that were roasted daily in the store.
Growing into a chain, in 1987, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf founded the frozen coffee craze by introducing The Original Ice Blended® drink, using a hot chocolate powder and a special way of brewing a cold coffee extract that Hyman invented.
Then in 1998, the brand debuted its uniquely delicious Chai Tea Latte—an exclusive, handcrafted beverage made with premium tea and proprietary ingredients.
In 1970s Herb Hyman moved roasting facility to Camarillo and began to establish direct relationships with coffee growers. In 1996, the Hymans sold the Asian franchise rights to Singaporean brothers Victor Sassoon and Sunny Sassoon.
In 1998, the Sassoons, along with longtime friend Severin Wunderman, purchased the parent company, International Coffee & Tea LLC, from the Hymans, and took it global. On July 24, 2019, Jollibee Foods Corporation purchased The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf for $650 million.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
