A busy corner in the Mile Square City will soon be getting an extra shot of caffeine courtesy of a specialty coffeehouse that has become a staple of Southern California.
A ground floor storefront at 89 Hudson Street has sat vacant since a Nest Seekers realty location closed several months ago. The recently renovated commercial property will soon be home to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a coffee chain that was founded in 1963 by Herb and Mona Hyman.
After a trip to Europe, the pair decided to open a concept in America that replicated the great coffee experiences they had while overseas. Their first location, in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood, drew celebrity-types upon it’s opening as it offered only the top 1% of Arabica beans from the world’s best growing regions.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has over 300 stores across America and has since grown into the oldest and largest privately held specialty coffee and tea retailer in the United States. Jollibee Foods purchased the brand in 2017 and announced their intention to open 100 stores in the New York City area over the next ten years. The upcoming Hoboken outpost will be operated by the company’s NYC franchisee and is slated to be their first in New Jersey.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf lives up to its name with premium coffees (sold by the cup or via beans), teas like a Hibiscus Mint Cold Brew, and ice blended drinks. Their signature Tiramisu Ice Blended drink is based off the classic Italian dessert and features a creamy blend of chocolate and coffee. Drinks are customizable and alternative milks like oat, almond, or coconut are available.
The storefront set to host the coffeehouse will undergo a renovation that was designed by Rutherford-based Gary Kliesch & Associates. An application for the project is set to go before Hoboken’s Historical Preservation Committee during their July 6 meeting.
The business will have some competition when they arrive, as they are opening diagonally across the street from a Starbucks outpost. A spokesperson for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf says that the Hoboken location is aiming to be open during the Holiday season of 2020.
