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The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® Expands Non-Traditional Footprint at Salt Lake City International Airport

By: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® |  0 Shares     142 Reads

Leading Global Specialty Coffee and Tea House Expands Presence in High-Traffic Venues While Actively Growing Its Network of Qualified Multi-Unit Operators

May 14, 2025 // Franchising.com // SALT LAKE CITY – The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, the leading global specialty coffee and tea house, is continuing to build momentum in non-traditional franchise development with its location at Salt Lake City International Airport. As the brand’s 23rd airport café across seven major U.S. airports, this opening reinforces its position as a preferred beverage concept in some of the nation’s busiest airport hubs.

Operated by Bambuza Hospitality Group (Bambuza), a minority and woman-owned multigenerational business with deep hospitality roots, the café adds to the brand’s growing presence in airports and other high-traffic venues across North and South America. The location also marks The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s entrance into the Utah market. With a diverse portfolio of restaurant and retail brands, Bambuza also operates three The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf locations at John Wayne International Airport in Orange County, California.

“As we continue to expand our non-traditional footprint, airports represent a key growth channel for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf,” said Peter Vavra, Director of Franchise Development for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. “With our rich heritage and globally recognized offerings, we’re seeing tremendous opportunity to introduce travelers to the premium coffee and tea experience that has set us apart for more than 60 years. Operator groups like Bambuza, who bring operational excellence and a deep understanding of airport environments, exemplify the caliber of franchisees we’re looking to grow with.”

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is actively building its non-traditional footprint with experienced operators like Bambuza, who are leading the way in bringing innovative, nourishing, and fully realized brands to some of the nation’s largest airports and metropolitan regions. Under the leadership of President and CEO Katherine Lam, Bambuza operates renowned brands, including The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and develops award-winning concepts like Bambuza Vietnamese Kitchen & Bar and Embarque Whiskey Grill. The group is known for cultivating meaningful relationships with brand partners and for its commitment to authenticity, innovation and community impact. This past year has been especially momentous, with the group earning prestigious recognition, including an induction into the Asian Hall of Fame and recent recognition at the 2025 AXC Awards Gala, honoring excellence in airport concessions.

“We are proud to partner with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a brand with an established legacy of delivering exceptional coffee and tea experiences,” said Lam. “As experienced airport operators, we seek to align with brands that value exceptional service and a commitment to people, and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf embodies that. Bringing the brand to Salt Lake City International Airport has been an exciting step for our team, and we’re thrilled to introduce travelers to a concept that has cultivated a devoted following around the world.”

Currently, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf serves its carefully handcrafted coffee, tea, and espresso beverages at over 1,200 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 individually roasted in small batches at a roasting facility in Camarillo, California, and each bag is rigorously tested to meet the brand's high standards.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has built a strong business infrastructure with extensive franchisee support in real estate, store design, construction, operations, marketing, technology, and product and supply chain logistics. The brand owns the process from seed to cup and maintains training centers in Los Angeles, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore.

In addition to non-traditional franchise growth, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is also focused on expanding its traditional franchise model across North and South America. This dual approach introduces a scalable franchise opportunity, attracting qualified multi-unit investors to help grow the brand’s presence. With significant global interest in franchising, 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 for a pre-determined market are required, but single-store franchise agreements are available for non-traditional venues.

For more information about The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf franchising opportunities, visit www.coffeebean.com/franchise.

About The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®

Founded in Southern California in 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is a global specialty coffee and tea house that inspires new experiences through our flavors from around the world. We source the finest coffees and teas from local communities and then handcraft every beverage to bring out the freshest flavors. As the creator of The Original Ice Blended®, we continue to innovate to enable people everywhere to enjoy the classics as well as new flavors both in our cafés and at home. Headquartered in Asia and a business of the Jollibee Group of Companies, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf passionately operates in more than 1,200 locations, across over 20 countries. For more information, visit www.coffeebean.com.

About Bambuza Hospitality Group

Restaurant and retail management company Bambuza Hospitality Group won Best ACDBE Operator at the 2024 Airport Experience Awards, was honored as Restaurateur of the Year in 2024 by Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, and named one of Portland Business Journal’s and Inc.com's Fastest Growing Companies in 2024. To learn more about Bambuza Hospitality Group, visit bambuzagroup.com.

SOURCE The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® 

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Media Contact:

Peyton Harvey
(260) 388-4479
pharvey@allpointspr.com