Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is an American specialty coffee and tea chain, founded in California in 1963, that operates roughly 30-plus cafes in India today, concentrated mainly in Delhi and Mumbai with a smaller presence in Bengaluru. It is best known for its signature Ice Blended drinks, its lattes, and its loose-leaf teas. This guide explains what the brand is, where you can actually find it in India, and how to get the same cafe-quality cup at home or in your office.
We are The Tea & Coffee Co., an India-based supplier that installs and services coffee and tea machines across the country. We do not run Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf or any other chain. This is a straight, factual explainer, with a friendly note at the end on recreating that experience yourself.
What is Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf?
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is one of the oldest privately held specialty coffee chains in the United States. Herbert Hyman founded it in 1963, first as an office coffee service, before opening his first retail store in Brentwood, Los Angeles, in 1968 selling whole beans and loose teas, well before drip-and-espresso cafe culture went mainstream. The name says exactly what it sold: coffee beans and tea leaves, under one roof.
Two things shaped the brand. First, in 1987 a barista at the Westwood, California store invented the Ice Blended, a frozen coffee-and-milk drink that predates and rivals the better-known frozen coffee drinks from larger chains. Second, in the late 1990s the Singapore-based Sassoon brothers bought the Asian franchise rights and then the parent company, turning a Los Angeles fixture into a global network. In 2019 the Philippine food giant Jollibee Group acquired the company for about USD 350 million. Today the brand spans well over 1,000 stores across more than 20 countries.
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf vs. the names that sound similar
Because "coffee" and "tea leaf" are everyday words, several unrelated cafes and shops use similar names. You may see local outlets styled as "coffee and tea leaf," "coffee bean and leaf," or simply "coffee tea leaf." These are usually independent businesses, not the American chain. The genuine brand is always written The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, often shortened to CBTL, and carries its red, blue, and cream branding. If you are checking whether an outlet is the real one, look for the official CBTL signage and the trademarked Ice Blended menu.
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in India: where to find it
The chain entered India in 2008. After a slower decade, it has settled into a focused footprint of roughly 30-plus cafes, with the densest clusters in the National Capital Region and Mumbai. You will typically find outlets inside premium malls, airports, and high-street locations rather than spread evenly across every neighbourhood.
| City | Typical presence | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi & NCR | Largest cluster | Select Citywalk (Saket), Greater Kailash (GK1), Connaught Place, IGI Airport Terminal 3, Gurugram malls |
| Mumbai | Second-largest | SoBo Central, Kurla, premium malls and corporate hubs |
| Bengaluru | Small, growing | Select malls and high-street spots |
The most reliable way to find a current outlet is the brand's own India store locator, because mall tenancies change. If you are simply looking for a good cafe near you rather than this specific chain, our guides on finding the best coffee shop near you in India and how to find good coffee near you walk through how to judge any cafe on quality. For city-by-city ideas you can also browse what is around in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
Is Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf expanding in India?
Yes. In late 2024 the company signed a master-franchise agreement with its India partner, Ekaagra, and set a target of around 250 cafes across the country by 2029, starting with about 25 new stores in the FY25 window. So the footprint is set to grow well beyond the current 30-odd outlets over the next few years, with more cities likely to be added.
What to order at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
The menu blends American coffeehouse staples with the brand's own signatures. Pricing in India sits in the premium-cafe band, broadly comparable to other international chains, so expect to pay a few hundred rupees for a large blended drink plus food.
- Ice Blended: the house signature, a thick frozen coffee-and-milk drink. The Mocha and Caramel versions are the classics.
- Espresso drinks: cappuccino, flat white, caramel latte, and cold brew, made on commercial espresso equipment.
- Teas: the "Tea Leaf" half of the brand, including loose-leaf blacks, greens, and tea lattes such as a vanilla or chai latte.
- Food: sandwiches, pastas, cakes, and the kind of grab-and-go bakes you expect at a mall cafe.
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf vs. Indian cafe options
CBTL is one of several international and home-grown chains competing for the same premium customer. Here is how the landscape looks if you are deciding where to spend.
- CBTL: strongest on its Ice Blended drinks and its tea range; premium pricing; limited locations.
- Home-grown specialty roasters (such as Blue Tokai and Third Wave): focus on single-origin Indian beans and pour-over craft.
- Large chains (such as Cafe Coffee Day and Starbucks India): far wider reach across cities.
For an even-handed look at the bigger players, see our explainer on famous Indian cafe chains and coffee brands, and for the broader culture these cafes sit inside, Indian cafe culture explained.
Recreate Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf quality at home or the office
The honest truth is that most of what you love about a CBTL cup is repeatable. A good espresso shot, properly steamed milk, fresh beans, and a blender for the frozen drinks will get you most of the way. The chain's edge is consistency and convenience, not secret magic.
- Start with the shot. A real espresso base is what separates a cafe latte from instant coffee. Our guide to the best espresso machine in India covers home and small-office options, and how to make espresso at home covers technique.
- Grind fresh. Pre-ground coffee fades fast. A burr grinder, covered in our coffee grinder buying guide, is the single biggest upgrade after the machine.
- Copy the Ice Blended. Brew a strong shot, cool it, then blend with milk, ice, and a little sugar or chocolate. A jug blender is all you need.
- Do the tea side too. CBTL is half a tea brand. Loose-leaf blacks and a proper masala chai are easy at home; see how to make masala chai at home.
For offices: the always-on option
If the goal is cafe-style coffee and tea for a team without a barista, a bean-to-cup or vending machine is the practical answer. These pull fresh shots and serve tea at the push of a button, which is how many Indian offices match cafe quality without the cafe queue. Our guide to the best tea and coffee vending machine for an office and the vending machines category are the place to start, alongside the full machines catalog.
The bottom line
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is a genuine, decades-old specialty chain with a real, if compact, India footprint that is set to grow. It is worth a visit for the Ice Blended and the teas. But if you want that quality daily, the better long-term move is the right machine at home or work. If you would like help choosing and installing one, with refills and servicing across India, tell us your setup and city for a quick quote.