LOS ANGELES, U.S. – The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf announces the appointment of Eric Foo Kok Cheng as Chief Operating Officer of Asia Pacific. In this role, Eric will be the primary driver of the brand’s increasing presence and growth opportunities in Asia, including expanding operations in China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, as well as focusing on operations in the Middle East.
Based in Singapore, Eric will report to John Fuller, President and CEO of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®.
Eric brings to the company nearly 20 years of banking experience and 10 years in the quick service restaurant industry.
He previously served as Executive Vice President for International Dairy Queen LLC, Vice President and GM of Burger King in Greater China and Singapore, as well as McDonald’s China CEO. In addition to his home country, Singapore, Eric has worked in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
“We are very excited to have someone with Eric’s tenure in the restaurant industry as part of our executive team,” said John Fuller. “His experience will help us in our endeavors as we continue our growth in Asia Pacific.”
Founded in Southern California in 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® has become one of the world’s largest independent and privately owned coffee and tea retailers.
As a global brand and business, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® has grown to over 1,000 stores with a strong presence throughout Asia and the Middle East with the most recent announcements of new stores opening in Japan and their expansion plans in China with the opening of 700 stores over the next 10 years.
“The Coffee Bean commands a strong reputation in many of the countries in Asia where we have established a foothold. The opportunity to expand the brand in Asia is tremendous. I am excited to be given the opportunity to expand the brand’s footprint in Asia,” adds Foo.
