CAMARILLO, Calif. – On April 28, Herbert Hyman, who founded The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in the 1960s and saw the premium coffee chain grow to hundreds of stores around the world, passed away at the age of 82, surrounded by loved ones in his home in Camarillo.
According to The Associated Press, his daughter Anne-Marie Hyman said her father died of natural causes after suffering from a decline in his health.
Hyman left the University of California, Los Angeles, before graduating because he had founded a successful vending machine business.
He and his wife, Mona, founded The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in 1963 after making several trips to her native Sweden.
The Hymans opened their first store in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, with Hyman himself building the oak woodwork.
The store sold bags of gourmet beans by the pound that were roasted daily in the store.
Growing into a chain, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf pioneered the ice-blended coffee drink, using a hot chocolate powder and a special way of brewing a cold coffee extract that Hyman invented, his daughter said.
By the 1990s, cold coffee drinks and espresso had replaced regular drip coffee in popularity at the stores.
In a statement, the company offered condolences to his family.
“We continue to uphold his vision and passion for sourcing the highest quality coffee and tea from around the world, and are forever indebted to the Hyman family for starting this incredible brand and business,” the company said.
Source: [via]
