Dive Brief:

• Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf opened a drive-thru-only location in Rialto, California, the company said in a press release Monday.
• The drive-thru-only store — the first in its system — will offer drive-thru, pickup and delivery from the company’s app.
• The chain plans to open more of these types of stores in markets with high traffic and high mobile app usage, a spokesperson wrote in an email to Restaurant Dive.

Dive Insight:

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, which has over 1,000 locations globally, expects to sign more than 225 store commitments with multi-unit and single-unit operations this year, according to QSR Magazine. These units will likely be a mix of traditional and non-traditional locations like airports, universities, casinos, travel plazas and other locations. The company is looking at existing and new markets like Illinois, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Canada and Mexico. 

The drive-thru-only location in Rialto is 1,200 square feet, but this design be as small as 850 square feet, the spokesperson wrote. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will likely pursue a smaller footprint. The company also offers a variety of sizes to operators, including 200-square-foot kiosks up to 1,800-square-foot traditional locations. 

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf began to refocus on franchising last year, shifting away from corporate store development, according to Franchise Times. In the U.S., the chain has 200 locations in California, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona — presenting significant growth opportunities. 

The company also completed a brand refresh last year, and has been investing in digital technology, including a redesigned loyalty program and a refreshed app. Roughly 40% of digital sales occur within its app, and order-ahead for pickup demand continues to rise, according to Franchise Times.