Second Cup facts for kids
|
Trade name
|
Second Cup Café |
|---|---|
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Coffee shop |
| Headquarters |
Mississauga, Ontario
,
Canada
|
| Products |
|
| Parent | Foodtastic Inc. |
Second Cup is a Canadian coffee shop chain. It sells many kinds of coffee and tea. You can also find pastries, snacks, sandwiches, and mugs there. The company's main office is in Mississauga, Ontario.
History of Second Cup
Second Cup started in 1975 in Toronto, Ontario. It was founded by Tom Culligan and Frank O'Dea. Tom Culligan later bought Frank O'Dea's share of the company. He helped Second Cup grow to 150 stores. In 1988, he sold the company to Michael Bregman.
In 1993, Khalil Al Gawad helped Second Cup become a public company. This means its shares could be bought and sold by the public. Between 1993 and 2002, different American companies owned Second Cup. These included Coffee Plantation and Caribou Coffee. In 2002, Al Gawad sold Second Cup to Cara Operations Limited.
In 2006, Cara sold Second Cup to Dinecorp Hospitality. Gabe Tsampalieros, who used to be the CEO of Cara, took control. He became the chairman of Second Cup.
Later, the rights to the Second Cup name were split. One part was for Canada, called The Second Cup Ltd. The other part was for international use, called The Second Cup Coffee Company Inc. Stacey Mowbray led the Canadian company. Jim Ragas led the international side. Second Cup was even shown on a TV show called Undercover Boss in 2012.
In September 2012, Second Cup started offering Tassimo brand drinks. In April 2015, they launched a rewards program. This program lets customers earn points using a mobile app. Alix Box was the CEO and president of Second Cup Ltd. from 2014 to 2017.
On November 8, 2019, Second Cup announced a plan to change its name. The new name would be Aegis Brands Inc. This change needed approval from its stockholders. On December 5, 2019, Aegis Brands bought another coffee chain. They acquired Bridgehead Coffee, which is based in Ottawa.
In February 2021, Aegis Brands agreed to sell Second Cup. The buyer was Foodtastic Inc., a company from Quebec. Foodtastic's chief executive, Peter Mammas, said they plan to grow the brand. They hope to have 300 Second Cup locations by 2025. At that time, there were about 190 stores.
Supporting Fair Trade and the Environment
Second Cup works with the Rainforest Alliance. This is a group that helps protect nature and treat workers fairly. Coffee farms that are certified by Rainforest Alliance must follow certain rules. These rules help protect farms, soil, water, and wildlife. They also make sure workers have safe conditions. Workers should have good housing, medical care, and schools for their children. About 80% of Second Cup's coffees are Rainforest Alliance Certified.
By the end of 2011, Second Cup also offered ten types of whole-leaf teas. These teas were certified as fair trade. This means the farmers who grew the tea were paid fairly for their work.
See also
- List of coffeehouse chains
