The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is overhauling its loyalty program and extending its seasonal beverage portfolio this fall, pairing a redesigned rewards architecture with the chain's first hojicha tea lineup across its more than 1,000 locations in over 24 markets globally.
The Rewards Rebuild
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® will roll out the enhanced Coffee Bean Rewards program on August 19, roughly two weeks after an early-access pumpkin launch for existing loyalty members on August 5. The revamped program shifts to a five-points-per-dollar earning rate and expands the redemption catalog from four options to more than eight, adding dollar-off discounts, size upgrades, free beverages, and free food items. A new personalized-challenges feature will deliver tailored bonus-point opportunities based on individual purchase behavior — a mechanic increasingly common among national quick-service and specialty-coffee operators seeking to lift visit frequency and average ticket. New members receive a complimentary beverage upon sign-up.
The move reflects a broader competitive dynamic in specialty coffee, where loyalty differentiation has become a primary battleground. Dana Castaneda, Vice President and Head of Marketing Americas at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, framed the strategy around discovery: "From indulging in Pumpkin classics to exploring Hojicha, we are offering more ways for our guests to enjoy their coffee and tea experience."
Hojicha and Seasonal Menu
The hojicha lineup — three SKUs launching August 19 — marks the Jollibee Group-owned chain's entry into a tea-forward segment that has gained traction in U.S. specialty beverage retail. Hojicha, a low-roast Japanese green tea, carries a naturally lower caffeine profile than espresso-based drinks and has attracted operators targeting wellness-oriented consumers. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is positioning the beverages as a gateway for guests unfamiliar with the category, combining hojicha with white chocolate powder and, in one SKU, pumpkin syrup to ease the flavor transition.
The three hojicha offerings — an Iced Pumpkin Hojicha Latte, an Iced Hojicha Latte, and a Hojicha Ice Blended® Drink — will run through November 3, matching the close-out date for the returning pumpkin lineup. Pumpkin offerings this cycle include a Pumpkin Iced Latte with Cream Cap, a Pumpkin Dry Iced Americano, and a Pumpkin Extreme Ice Blended® Drink, all built on the chain's signature L.A. espresso. A Ghost and Goblin Iced Latte promotion, available in espresso and matcha variants, will run separately from September 16 through October 31.
Competitive Context
Founded in Los Angeles in 1963 and now headquartered in Asia under the Jollibee Group, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® was ranked No. 2 Best Coffee Chain in America by Newsweek's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards. The fall program signals continued investment in loyalty infrastructure and menu innovation as the chain competes against both national coffee giants and the fast-growing premium tea segment. For specialty-coffee operators, fall limited-time offers tied to pumpkin remain among the highest-traffic promotional windows of the calendar year — and layering a loyalty overhaul on top of a seasonal launch is a strategy designed to convert seasonal visitors into enrolled, trackable loyalty members.
The dual August rollout — early access for existing members on August 5, full program and hojicha launch on August 19 — also reflects a phased-access model that rewards existing members while creating urgency for new sign-ups, a tactic that aligns with broader consumer-trends shifts in foodservice loyalty programs. Operators across the specialty-coffee and tea category have increasingly leaned on tiered and personalized rewards to compete with app-native disruptors.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
