The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® Donates

THE COFFEE BEAN & TEA LEAF® DONATES MORE THAN $115,000
FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Los Angeles Non-Profit The Help Group Benefits from Retailer’s Fundraising Initiatives, which Include Sponsorship of National Autism Awareness Campaign

LOS ANGELES – May 10, 2005 – As part of the company’s ongoing commitment to support organizations benefiting children and education, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, Los Angeles-based specialty coffee and tea retailer, has increased its support of The Help Group for a total donation of $115,958 since early 2004. The Help Group is one of the largest non-profits of its kind serving young people with special needs related to autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, learning disabilities, emotional development, mental retardation, abuse and neglect.

Through its holiday retail merchandising, Deck the Walls campaign, in-kind donations and sponsorship of The Help Group events and campaigns, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® has made an ongoing commitment to support this organization and its important work. “Contributing back to our community is an important part of our Guiding Principles at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf,” said Tami Clark, vice president of marketing & strategic alliances. “We are thrilled to be able to support The Help Group through the combination of our employees’ hard work and our customers’ support.” Continued Barbara Firestone, president and CEO of The Help Group, “We are able to reach and support so many more children and their families with The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s help. Their generosity is outstanding and their commitment is truly valued.”

For the past three years, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® has commissioned the children from The Help Group to design and illustrate exclusive holiday themed artwork for their holiday retail merchandise campaign. The coffee retailer’s in-store Deck the Walls program features drawings by children from The Help Group, which are available to customers for a $1 donation. Customers sign the cards, then “Deck the Walls” of the stores with them.

Further, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is a major sponsor of The Help Group’s 2005 National Autism Awareness Campaign. This month-long, nationwide campaign promotes early identification and intervention in autism, a condition that currently affects one in every 166 children. The campaign launched with a series of televised public service announcements, featuring Ed Asner, Gary Cole, Joe Mantegna and John Schneider – all parents of children with autism spectrum disorders -- and Edward James Olmos and Dr. Bruce Hensel. Information cards outlining early warning signs of autism in children 0 to 24 months of age, and important facts about autism, are available in 135 The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® stores throughout California and Arizona.

About The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®

Founded in 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is the oldest and largest privately held chain of specialty coffee and tea stores in the United States. With a reputation for excellence, the company is a leader in product innovations, having developed the original Ice Blended®. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® serves more than 100 million coffee and tea beverages annually worldwide. Providing the highest quality coffees and teas for forty years, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leafâ currently has more than 315 stores in California, Arizona, Nevada, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Brunei, Indonesia, UAE, Kuwait, Israel, Australia, China and the Philippines and continues to expand both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit www.coffeebean.com.

About The Help Group

Founded in 1975, The Help Group is the largest, most innovative and comprehensive nonprofit organization of its kind serving children with special needs related to autism, Asperger’s disorder, learning disabilities, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mental retardation, abuse and emotional problems. Its six specialized day schools offer pre-K through high school programs for more than 1,100 students on a daily basis. Its wide range of mental health and therapy services, child abuse, foster family and residential programs extend the organization’s reach to more than 5,000 children and their families each year. The Help Group’s state-of-the-art schools and programs with more 700 staff members on four major campuses in the Los Angeles area. The Help Group is inspired by its belief that dignity, hope, opportunity and love are the birthrights of all children. For more information about the work of The Help Group, please call 818-779-5212 or visit www.thehelpgroup.org