The Seasonal Lineup
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is launching its 2026 holiday beverage menu across more than 1,200 locations in 24 markets, anchoring the rollout on a three-drink Tiramisu platform that sold out during a prior limited run. Loyalty members enrolled in Coffee Bean Rewards® get early access to the Tiramisu drinks through November 3, with a nationwide release for all guests on November 4 — a standard gated-access tactic the chain has used to drive app downloads and loyalty enrollment.
The Tiramisu trio covers three format tiers: a Tiramisu Dry Iced Americano built on smooth espresso with cocoa notes, a Tiramisu Ice Blended® frozen drink leaning into the dessert-inspired indulgence trend, and a Tiramisu Latte with Cream Cap — the cream-cap finish being one of the more broadly adopted specialty-coffee texture plays across the category right now. Returning seasonal staples include the Peppermint Mocha Cream Latte, a new Peppermint Matcha Cream Latte, and the Winter Dream Tea Latte combining black tea, rooibos, and vanilla.
Barista Edit and Merch Play
Also debuting November 4 is the Barista Edit Menu, a curated set of five beverages positioned as trend-forward showcases for in-store craft. Offerings include a Snickerdoodle Dry Iced Americano, Hazelnut Chocolate Ice Blended®, Peaches N' Cream Cold Brew Tea, a double-matcha Matcha Matcha, and a Classic Iced Vanilla Cream Latte with cream cap. The Barista Edit framing mirrors what specialty QSR operators and c-store foodservice programs have been deploying to spotlight barista skill while creating limited-time urgency — a format that tends to support average ticket growth without requiring permanent menu infrastructure.
On the merchandise side, the chain is partnering with lifestyle brand Paul Frank on a limited-edition holiday collection featuring the Julius character. The assortment — available at coffeebean.com and participating cafés — includes a Festive Tumbler with Hang Strap ($26.95), Pattern Tumbler ($29.95), Tall Plastic Tumbler with Sleeve ($19.95), 3D Keychain ($14.95), and Phone/Laptop Buddy ($9.95). Branded drinkware has become a reliable margin contributor for specialty coffee operators, and the Paul Frank co-brand adds collectible appeal that can drive incremental traffic from consumers who wouldn't otherwise visit for a beverage.
Channel Context
The holiday beverage window — roughly Halloween through New Year's — remains the highest-stakes limited-time-offer period for specialty coffee brands competing against c-store dispensed beverage programs that have significantly upgraded their seasonal execution. Chains like Casey's and Wawa have expanded proprietary coffee programs with cream-top and specialty espresso builds that once belonged exclusively to QSR and café operators. For Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, the Paul Frank merchandise tie-in and loyalty early-access window are designed to reinforce destination behavior at a moment when the dispensed-beverage competitive set is broadest.
Dana Castaneda, Head of Marketing for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Americas, framed the menu as centering on comfort and connection, noting that "every flavor is made to bring people together and turn holiday moments into memories." The menu is available in-café, online, and through the brand's mobile app at participating locations.
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.
