The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Used to be a fan of this brand. No more.

NOTE: as is typical for brand stores, the “owner“ who most assuredly is not, is using patronizing responses, trying to recast facts as “my experience“. It was not a subjective “feeling” – but an objective truth. This store chose selfishness- while all 3 local Starbucks gladly & generously donated to this same fire station only yards from this CBTL.

In fact, Starbucks continuously over the past week made java and pastries available for volunteers to donate. While (again) THIS STORE certifiably REFUSED to offer anything for donation.

Let’s face it. There’s only a few things that separate out the coffee chains:

Quality of the coffee, effectiveness / friendliness of the staff – or lack there of - and good management vs poor management.

This particular store has been here for quite a while, and are housed literally across the alley from a fire station.

During the devastation and heartbreak of the past two weeks of LA Fires, myself and a group of shelter volunteers, got it in our heads that, along with volunteering at the various shelters and donating what we could, one way we could support was to round up caffeine and treats for the local fire stations, and deliver them.

This is literally on the border of Studio City, in Sherman Oaks, one city over from where there was an evacuation red flag warning for the better part of the week. So this station along with several others in the area have been incredibly busy, deployed to the Palisades fires, and also handling the day to day emergencies in this part of the valley.

As the store is literally as I mentioned about 50 steps away from Station 78, it made perfect sense to call over and ask if I could do a coffee run – since I know the employees are not allowed to do so while on the clock.

What I got was an astonishing, selfish, and heartbreaking response from the store manager: “well, I have to run it by corporate- Or actually, you should run it by corporate, we’re kind of busy here- here’s an email address.”

??!! Apparently, the sense of urgency of a devastating national disaster has not made its way to the quaint staff in this franchise store.

I was flabbergasted. I explained that Starbucks has been donating to first responders since they started - And this not too bright manager responds, “well, if they wanted to come over and ask for a coffee, I’m sure we could give them one for free.”

In other words, the fireman who are getting zero sleep need to walk over and get one cup at a time, rather than allowing volunteers to do what they’re offering: take care, and support our first responders.

So I break out the crayons and say, “sir, do you understand the firemen are literally getting no sleep, to basically save and protect us, I’m just asking to take them over to them rather than them having to come over to you. I can leave my credit card number or even my credit card, and if I don’t come back with pictures and proof that I delivered to the fire station 50 paces away, you can charge my credit card.”

The manager who clearly has no sense of self, or courage, says, “I’ll call my district manager and ask”. At this point I know it’s a dead deal, and of course the district manager for CBLT refuses to part with a drop of precious coffee without corporate say so- stating if I wish to donate, I need to purchase the drinks to donate.

As mentioned, Starbucks managers were all too happy to gift carafes of coffee, pallets of pastries, even fancy merchandise to donate to a fire station nowhere near them. All three stores in the area were more than happy, and pictures were sent to all the store managers - -so everybody got to feel good and support the healing of LA.

Everyone but selfish, greedy CBTL in Studio City that apparently is so desperate for cash they’re making volunteers purchase coffee to donate to fireman.

Lost my business for good.

Shame on you CBLT. A failure of the training of management, staff, and culture of your brand. Coffee costs little, but the kindness would’ve been priceless. Particularly...

this store should not be running door dash orders. whoever works the morning shift is either on drugs or not pay attention to the order tickets. they manage to mess up my order constantly. & then wonder why starbucks beats them every time. i prefer coffee bean but at this point ill settle for starbucks bc at least i get what i ask for. they charge me for a bagel i didn’t get. 2 freaken sandwiches i didn’t order and one cream cheese after i asked for 2 and your allowed to have 2 per bagel on...

I don't get any food from Coffee Bean just latte & ice blend. I love this location it's so close too!

But I don't like that the blonde cashier rubs her nose while touching everything. & That they all take personal cups with their bare hands & touch all of their barista equipment, milk cartons & so on. It's big cross contamination & I don't think they are conscious of that. They should take outside personal cups from customer with a handle cup so they limit the risk of...