The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, the leading global specialty coffee and tea house, recently announced the appointment of seasoned industry executive Cory Davenport as its new franchise sales manager. In his role, Davenport will be responsible for driving brand awareness and spearheading the company’s franchise expansion efforts across North America.
Working alongside Michelle Reap, senior manager of franchise development, Davenport will focus on strategically communicating the brand’s value proposition to potential franchisees, highlighting its attractive and scalable business model. He will also manage franchise candidate recruitment and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure a seamless franchisee onboarding process. Together, they aim to amplify The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s presence, solidifying its reputation as a premier and highly sought-after franchise opportunity across the continent.
“This is an exhilarating time for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and I’m thrilled to play a role in its expansion,” said Davenport. “With so much territory available and a strong, supportive corporate team that embodies the brand’s culture and values, I’m confident we can bring The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to more communities across North America. My goal is to develop the brand nationally, sharing who we are, what we stand for and our commitment to our customers and high-quality products.”
Davenport brings more than 21 years of experience in franchise sales and communications to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. At Panera, he played a key role in the brand’s expansion from fewer than 200 locations to more than 2,000 locations, fostering strong relationships with franchisees and ensuring streamlined collaboration across legal, development, human resources and operations teams. His expertise in navigating dynamic environments and his detail-oriented approach make him a valuable asset in driving The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s franchise expansion in North America.
“Cory will be a tremendous advantage for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf as we expand across the continent where our brand has a rich history, having opened our first café in Southern California in 1963,” said Reap. “His expertise will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and introduce new franchise opportunities. As we grow into untapped markets and build on our legacy, we’re excited to partner with entrepreneurs who share our passion for delivering the finest quality coffee and tea.”
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 beans. 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.
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 for a pre-determined market are required, but single-store franchise agreements are available for non-traditional venues. 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.
