Second Cup facts for kids
|
Trade name
|
Second Cup Cafe |
|---|---|
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Coffee |
| Founded | 1975 in Toronto, Canada |
| Headquarters |
Mississauga, Ontario
,
Canada
|
|
Key people
|
Peter Mammas |
| Products |
|
| Parent | Foodtastic Inc. |
Second Cup Cafe. is a Canadian restaurant chain, coffee retailer, and roaster. Its headquarters are in Mississauga, Ontario. Its stores sell hot and cold beverages, pastries, snacks, pre-packaged food items, hot and cold sandwiches, and drinkware, including mugs and tumblers.
History
Second Cup was founded in 1975 by Tom Culligan and Frank O'Dea, in Toronto, Canada. Culligan eventually purchased O'Dea's shares, expanding it to a 150-store chain. He sold it in 1988 to mmmuffins founder, Michael Bregman.
As chairman and CEO, Khalil Al Gawad took Second Cup public in 1993. Between 1993 and 2002, it was owned by a number of American companies, including Coffee Plantation (AZ), Coffee People (OR), and Caribou Coffee (MN). Al Gawad sold Second Cup to Cara Operations Limited in 2002.
In November 2006, Cara sold Second Cup to Dinecorp Hospitality, which was controlled by former Cara CEO Gabe Tsampalieros, who became chairman of Second Cup. Tsampalieros died on March 11, 2009. The trademark rights were subsequently split between Canada (the Second Cup Ltd.) and international (the Second Cup Coffee Company Inc.). Stacey Mowbray was head of the Canadian company and Jim Ragas the international side.
Second Cup was featured in an episode of Undercover Boss that aired in March 2012 on the W Network. Under Mowbray's direction, Second Cup was presented as a company that cares.
In September 2012, the company launched Tassimo beverages. In April 2015, they started their rewards program, which allow users to earn points using a mobile app.
Alix Box was the CEO and president at of the Second Cup Ltd. from 2014 until suddenly leaving in May 2017; she was temporarily replaced by Garry MacDonald.
Aegis Brands
On November 8, 2019, Second Cup announced plans to change its name to Aegis Brands Inc., (TSX: AEG) pending stockholder approval the following year.
On December 5, 2019, Aegis Brands announced its acquisition of Ottawa-based coffeehouse chain Bridgehead Coffee for $11 million.
In February 2021, Aegis Brands agreed to sell Second Cup to Quebec-based Foodtastic Inc., for an undisclosed sale price that included $14 million in cash. Foodtastic chief executive Peter Mammas said that the company intended to expand the brand to 300 locations by 2025, from the existing store count of 190.
Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization that works to conserve biodiversity and promote the fair treatment of workers. Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee farms must meet standards that include the protection of farms, soils, waterways, and wildlife; the workers are in safe working conditions; and the workers enjoy good housing, medical care, and access to schools for their children. 80% of Second Cup coffees are Rainforest Alliance Certified.
As of the end of 2011, Second Cup offered ten whole-leaf tea blends and herbal tisanes that were fair trade certified.
Firebombing incident
In 2001, Rhéal Mathieu, a member of Front de libération du Québec (FLQ), who in 1967 had been sentenced to nine years in prison for terrorist activities including murder, was convicted of firebombing three Second Cup locations in Montreal. The responsibility for the bombings was claimed by the Brigade d'autodéfense du français (BAF) (translated as Self Defence Brigade of French). BAF claimed it had targeted the stores because of the company's use of its incorporated English name, "Second Cup", demanding inclusion of French in the name of the business. After the media coverage of the fire bombings, many Second Cup locations in Quebec changed their signs to Les cafés Second Cup.
See also
- List of coffeehouse chains
