Published May 21, 2026 by Sara Oliver.

Brew-tiful news for cows, their calves, and kind coffee drinkers: After hearing from PETA, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will end its vegan milk upcharge starting June 3, 2026. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s compassionate decision is grounds for celebration, and PETA commends the company for making ethical, animal-friendly vegan milk accessible to everyone.

The move follows emails from more than 20,000 PETA supporters, a personal plea from PETA President Tracy Reiman to the company’s decision-makers, and a meeting between PETA friend and Activists for Animals Founder and Coffee Bean’s vice president of marketing. In thanks, PETA is sending the Los Angeles-based coffee chain delicious cow-shaped vegan chocolates.

Why Fee-Free Vegan Milk Matters at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Cows love one another deeply and mourn when they’re separated from their friends or family. Some cows even shed tears following the loss of a loved one. Cows have deep maternal instincts and, like all mothers, produce milk only to feed their babies.

In the dairy industry, cows are repeatedly forcibly impregnated, and their calves are taken away from them within a day of birth so that the milk meant to nourish them can be stolen and sold to humans. Some mother cows mourn and wail for their stolen calves for days and have been known to break through fences and travel for miles looking for their babies.

The dairy industry is also a major producer of greenhouse gases, which fuel the climate catastrophe. No matter what kind of vegan milk you choose, you’ll have a positive impact on the environment. A 2018 study estimates the production of dairy milk to be around three times more greenhouse-gas emission–intensive than the production of animal-free milks, and cow’s milk generally requires nine times more land than any of the vegan options.

Choosing Vegan Milk in Your Daily Java Can Have a Huge Impact

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf joins a rapidly growing list of coffee chains—including Starbucks, Dunkin’, Peet’s Coffee, Scooter’s Coffee, Tim Hortons, Caribou Coffee, and Dutch Bros—that have dropped the unfair upcharge following pressure from PETA. BIGGBY is the last big chain in the US sticking to archaic vegan upcharges. So, coffee lovers everywhere, support businesses that make choosing vegan milk easy and affordable, and urge BIGGBY to join the rest of the industry and drop the vegan upcharge