The Lineup
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is expanding its seasonal revenue play with an 11-drink holiday menu rolling out across its more than 1,200 locations in over 24 markets, led by a three-item Tiramisu series that sold out in a prior season. Coffee Bean Rewards members received exclusive early access to the Tiramisu drinks beginning Oct. 28; the full menu goes on sale Nov. 4 for all guests at participating cafés, online, and through the brand's mobile app.
The Tiramisu lineup — a Dry Iced Americano, an Ice Blended®, and a Latte with Cream Cap — anchors the seasonal push and is positioned as the hero offering. Alongside those, three returning holiday staples arrive Nov. 4: a Peppermint Mocha Cream Latte, a new Peppermint Matcha Cream Latte, and the Winter Dream Tea Latte combining black tea, rooibos, sweet spices, and vanilla. A fifth category, the "Barista Edit Menu," introduces five additional craft drinks — including a Snickerdoodle Dry Iced Americano, a Hazelnut Chocolate Ice Blended®, a Peaches N' Cream Cold Brew Tea, a double-matcha Matcha Matcha, and a Classic Iced Vanilla Cream Latte — designed to drive trial and showcase barista creativity.
Merch & Margin Play
The chain is pairing the beverage launch with a limited-edition merchandise collection developed in partnership with lifestyle brand Paul Frank, debuting Nov. 4. The assortment — featuring Paul Frank's iconic Julius character — comprises five SKUs priced from $9.95 to $29.95: a Festive Tumbler with Hang Strap ($26.95), a Pattern Tumbler ($29.95), a Tall Plastic Tumbler with Sleeve ($19.95), a 3D Keychain ($14.95), and a Phone/Laptop Buddy ($9.95). The collection will be available at coffeebean.com and at participating cafés for a limited time. Branded merchandise has become an increasingly important higher-margin revenue stream for specialty café operators, with limited-edition collaborations generating outsized social engagement relative to cost.
Strategic Context
The holiday menu offensive arrives as competition in the specialty coffee segment intensifies ahead of the critical fourth-quarter gifting and gathering season. Rivals including Starbucks and Dutch Bros have leaned heavily into seasonal LTOs — limited-time offerings — to drive traffic and average ticket. For The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, owned by the Jollibee Group of Companies and headquartered in Asia, the U.S. holiday window represents a meaningful opportunity to deepen loyalty program engagement and boost café-level volumes during the typically strong November-December period.
"The holidays are all about comfort, cherished traditions, and a little magic, so this year's menu brings all three to your cup," said Dana Castaneda, Head of Marketing for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Americas. "From our Tiramisu beverages to the seasonal favorites you wait for all year, every flavor is made to bring people together and turn holiday moments into memories."
The early-access window for Rewards members — running Oct. 28 through Nov. 3 — functions as a loyalty activation ahead of the public launch, a mechanic that specialty operators have used to boost app downloads and enrollment ahead of peak promotional periods. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has not disclosed projected sales volumes or revenue targets for the holiday program. For trade coverage of how seasonal menus are reshaping café beverage strategy and specialty coffee retail trends, see related F&B Industry News reporting.
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.
