One has to wonder how Canada can presume to dictate individual labor policies for states in other countries, but that is precisely what our neighbor to the north is looking to do! At meetings earlier this month to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canadian negotiators demanded the United States enact federal legislation…
Read More »In case you were thinking government overreach was limited to the US, rest assured that is not the case. To the contrary, within the past month, both the United Kingdom and Canada have announced plans to apply an additional tax on sugary drinks. In England, the U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne introduced a…
Read More »A 13-year old court case has finally been put to bed once and for all as the Supreme Court of Canada rejected a final appeal by Dunkin Brands Canada, Ltd. The case was brought in 2003 by Dunkin’ franchisees in Quebec province who alleged that Dunkin’ didn’t live up to its obligation to promote the…
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Juan Valdez Coffee shops are slated to open in some 60 locations across the state of Florida over the course of the next five years. Procafecol, the Columbian company that owns the Juan Valdez brand opened its first shop in Miami this past week and is targeting markets with largely Hispanic populations in the Sunshine…
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The various iterations of fair franchising legislation pending in several legislatures in the United States could be considered quite mild when compared to legislation on the books just north of the border in Canada and how the courts have ruled in some cases. Here is an article that lays out some of the extreme steps…
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One of the components of McDonalds growth strategy for 2014 through 2016 is increasing “coffee-driven” visits. Coming on the heels of some disappointing sales numbers for 2013, a memo sent this week urged franchisees to deliver “a gold-standard cup of coffee with every visit.” In a webcast sent earlier in the month, the company vowed to…
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Tim Horton’s reported sales and profits this week missing both revenue and EPS targets. In the US, Tim’s is up to 800 points of distribution with total sales up 10.7%, year over year. US same store sales were up 3.0%, due to transaction growth. Their US plan continues to be to look for large franchisee…
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Tim Horton’s has announced they are now offering a new dark roast blend as a trial item in two markets – London, Ontario in Canada and Columbus, Ohio here in the States. Starbucks has announced an effort to expand its digital gifting and engagement offering with “tweet-a-coffee”, an ongoing platform that will allow customers on…
Read More »Speaking of legal actions and by way of update, Dunkin’ Brands Canada LTD’s appeal of a $16.4 Million damage award in the Canadian province of Quebec is still pending. The case involved a suit brought by 21 Dunkin franchisees in Quebec who successfully argued that Dunkin’ was liable for the franchisees’ losses and had breached…
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The still-weak global economy is having an impact on Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. as the company announced last week that it will close its Toronto coffee plant next March and merge the facility’s operation into the company’s Montreal plant. Read the story here.
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