Starbucks rival targets comeback after dozens of store closures

For decades, 1 java concatenation built a loyal pursuing with specialty beverages, premium teas, and a beardown beingness crossed the U.S. and planetary markets. At its peak, the institution operated much than 1,100 cafés worldwide and was considered 1 of the largest coffee-focused brands extracurricular the manufacture giants, specified arsenic Starbucks and Dunkin'.

But down that planetary footprint, the concatenation has softly been shrinking its U.S. beingness for years. A operation of store closures, marketplace exits, shifting user habits, pandemic-related disruptions, and rising operating costs has reshaped its home business.

While the marque continues to grow successful parts of Asia, its strategy successful the U.S. has shifted importantly from the growth-focused exemplary that erstwhile fueled its rise.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf faces store closures arsenic U.S. footprint shrinks

Founded successful 1963 successful Southern California, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf grew into 1 of the world's largest java and beverage chains. The company's enlargement successful Asia began successful 1996, yet reaching much than 1,100 cafés globally by 2019, the aforesaid twelvemonth it was acquired by Jollibee Food Corporation.

Signs of shrinking U.S. footprint emerged earlier the pandemic. In 2016, the institution closed each of its Manhattan locations, marking 1 of its astir notable marketplace exits and signaling broader challenges successful maintaining its home presence.

Those challenges accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2020 and 2022, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf mislaid 84 U.S. locations, including 65 company-owned stores, according to FranchiseTimes.

The downsizing has continued since then. As of 2026, the concatenation operates 192 U.S. locations crossed 12 states, according to its store locator. Most remaining cafés are concentrated successful California, portion a increasing stock of locations run successful non-traditional settings specified arsenic airports, healthcare facilities, and assemblage campuses.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf closures

The company's reduced footprint has been disposable crossed respective cardinal markets, reflecting a broader effort to streamline its U.S. operations:

• New York: All 12 Manhattan locations closed successful 2016, according to The Business Journals.

• California: Multiple locations closed betwixt 2020 and 2025, based connected reports from The Desert Sun, Yelp, and Brentwood News LA.

• Nevada: Three Las Vegas locations closed successful 2026, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

• Texas: Several Austin-area locations closed from 2016 to 2026, according to Community Impact, MapQuest, and Yelp.

The closures person near the institution with a importantly smaller home footprint than it maintained during its highest enlargement years, portion shifting a larger stock of operations toward non-traditional formats.