Founded in Los Angeles, California in 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, America's oldest specialty coffee chain, will open its first store in Japan on May 26th in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Ahead of the opening, a tasting event was held for the media on May 22nd.

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf offers coffee made with carefully selected beans, roasted to bring out their distinct characteristics, black and green teas hand-picked from the top two leaves of directly contracted farms, and approximately 30 food items, including muffins and quiches. Operating 982 stores in 25 countries (as of March 2015), the chain is beloved by coffee enthusiasts and Hollywood celebrities alike, thanks to its LA roots.

The store was packed from the morning of the day, with a large number of media members flocking to the store. All of the menu items were available for tasting, but the most recommended items served were the "Today's Coffee (Single Origin)" made with carefully selected Costa Rican beans (changes daily from a selection of 10 different beans / 350 yen including tax), the "Today's Iced Tea" made with Swedish berries, which have a refreshing acidity (changes daily from a selection of 4 types / from 380 yen including tax), and the "Matcha Cappuccino," an original drink exclusive to Japan that highlights the rich bitterness of domestically produced matcha.

Food items included the "Sunshine Orange Cranberry Muffin" (290 yen, tax included), made with plenty of orange puree; the "Double Chocolate Muffin" (290 yen, tax included), which offers a delightful contrast in texture between chocolate chunks and cocoa cookies; the "Double Berry Muffin" (290 yen, tax included), made with plenty of raspberries and blueberries; and the "Vegetable Quiche," "Chicken and Mushroom Quiche," and "Crab Quiche" (430 yen each, tax included), each packed with luxurious ingredients in a crispy crust.

The Japanese coffee shop industry is heating up with the arrival of Blue Bottle Coffee, known as the "Apple of the coffee world." While other locations such as Kiyosumi Shirakawa, Aoyama, Omotesando, and Roppongi are heating up, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf chose Nihonbashi for its first store. A PR representative explained their intentions in these words: "In the nearly 200-year history of America since its founding, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has been in business for about 50 years—making it the oldest shop in America. We wanted to create an image that reflected that history. In that sense, we thought the image of Nihonbashi was a perfect fit. Meanwhile, the area is also experiencing redevelopment, such as COREDO Nihonbashi, meaning innovation is happening. We're considering expanding nationwide, so we chose to launch in Nihonbashi, in Nihonbashi 1-chome, a key location for development during the Edo period." Furthermore, in this "warring states of coffee shops," where every shop expanding into Japan offers high-quality coffee brewing, bean selection, and roasting techniques, differentiation is crucial. As its name suggests, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf seems to distinguish itself from other stores by offering not only coffee, but also a wide selection of teas and even food.

Regarding this, a different PR person from the one mentioned above commented, "Not only as a cafe, but I think that recently there has been an increasing trend in 'lunch demand' as well. Furthermore, I think that being able to 'choose' from a wide range of coffee and tea on the menu when having a girls' get-together is one of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's distinctive features."

The coffee shop industry is truly one in which many strong competitors are competing. It seems that attention will also be focused on the future developments of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

[Shop information]
"Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Japan 1st Store"
Address: 1F Tokyo Tatemono Nihonbashi Building, 1-3-13 Nihonbashi 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 7:00-22:00 (8:00-21:00 on Sundays and holidays)
*Open from 8:00 on May 26th only
Seating capacity: 50