The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, the leading global specialty coffee and tea house, announced it will be launching its first permanent food truck location at the Los Angeles Zoo. Local entrepreneur Benjamin Dreicer and operating partner Genadi Orlov signed the franchise agreement and are excited to bring the experience of premium coffee and tea beverages to visitors of the zoo.
Boasting The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s signature purple hue and famed beverages like The Original Ice Blended, the truck made its first debut in late June. Situated in the parking lot outside of the zoo, visitors can enjoy a full menu of hand-crafted coffee, tea and espresso beverages and select pastries daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Sunday.
“Working with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf began as a passion project fueled by my love for their coffee and my interest in the entrepreneurial opportunities they provide,” said Dreicer. “Opening the first franchisee-owned truck at the Los Angeles Zoo is truly a dream and I am excited to serve our loyal coffee and tea enthusiasts in Southern California, as well as visitors from all over the world, who can now enjoy their favorite beverages while spending the day at the zoo.”
With more than two decades of experience in the retail real estate sector, Dreicer has developed a comprehensive understanding of the restaurant space and honed his skills in strategic site selection. His career started at Southern California-based real estate company Epsteen & Associates, where he facilitated deals for major retail and restaurant chains. As he grows with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Dreicer is interested in looking into other California attractions to introduce more trucks while also finding opportunities to give back to the Los Angeles community. Orlov will work closely with Dreicer to support the day-to-day operations and management of the truck.
“Between Ben’s passion for the brand and his background in development, we are proud to announce him as The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s newest franchisee here in the United States,” said Michelle Reap, Senior Manager of Franchise Development for the brand. “As we expand across North America, we’re excited to introduce new avenues for franchisees to grow with us. We hope guests can fuel up for a fun day at the zoo with our specialty coffees and teas and that the truck will become a go-to spot for frequent visitors!”
Currently, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf serves its carefully handcrafted coffee, tea, and espresso beverages at over 1,100 locations worldwide. The brand takes pride in delivering high-quality products, and sources from the top one percent of Arabica. 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.
As part of this growth initiative, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf plans to unveil trucks and focus on introducing its scalable franchise opportunity to qualified franchise investors across North America. The brand intends to increase its franchise development through new deals with successful, multi-unit investors. With significant global interest in franchising with the brand, multiple new locations are in various stages of development throughout the United States, South America, the Middle East, and Asia.
Ideal franchisee candidates who are looking to diversify their portfolio with a globally recognized leader in the specialty coffee and tea beverage segment should have strong liquidity and enough access to capital to expand quickly. Previous restaurant ownership experience and a minimum 10 store count development agreement count for a pre-determined market are required, but single-store franchise agreements are available for non-traditional venues.
