Cuppy’s Coffee & More acquired by FranSynergy
For Immediate Release
FORT WALTON BEACH, Florida – April 22, 2008  Cuppy’s Coffee & More, a specialty coffee and smoothie franchise,  located in Fort Walton Beach, FL, announced that FranSynergy, Inc., an Alabama-based franchise support and consulting firm, lead by Dale Nabors, CEO, has acquired all of the corporate stock of the company.
Robert Morgan, Cuppy’s acting Chief Operating Officer, announced his resignation on Friday to the staff of the Florida-based franchise company.  Another longtime Cuppy’s employee, Ben Doyle, also resigned.
Doug Hibbing, will remain as interim president until a replacement is appointed.  Dale Nabors, CEO of FranSynergy is now leading the company.
Dale Nabors has over 20 years of experience working with small business owners, focusing primarily in the franchising industry. Prior to launching FranSynergy, Dale had been employed by the Dwyer Group, a multi-brand franchisor headquartered in Waco, Texas, from March 1995 to August 2000.
Dale began his relationship with Cuppy’s as a consultant in September 2007. Since that time, he has been instrumental in the leadership, development and implementation of many successful Cuppy’s programs including:
§          The creation of a new distribution method for our products, which has will produce an average cost savings of 20% to 30% to our franchisees. This will commence in May 2008.
§          The negotiation changes for our cups, which will result in an overall savings to our franchisees by eliminating sleeves and minimizing the amount of inventory.
§          The implementation of a Menu Price Generator, which will assist our franchisees to determine the appropriate pricing structure based on expenses and overhead for each specific location.
§          The creation of a Budget Project Sheet, which will assist our franchisees to manage their sales and expenses in order to become more profitable.
Dale’s primary objective is to guide the Cuppy’s organization to the next level.  Dale’s vision for the future of Cuppy’s includes:
§          Refocusing internal support efforts to increase franchisee satisfaction and profitability.
§          Assisting franchisee stores not yet opened to open their units.
§          Increasing national brand awareness thereby increasing brand equity for our franchisees.

I’ve been a part of the Cuppy’s family for three years now and it has been a great experience being a part of such a fast growing company. The addition of Dale Nabors, I think, is a great one. I have worked Dale on a number of projects and have found him to be knowledgeable and outstanding in his field. I look forward to working with him in the future.

Scott Smith

Cuppy’s Coffee Smoothies & More

Hanover, MA

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Dale, congratulations!

I hope you can keep your circle divided properly and wish us both the very best in the future. I look forward to building a stronger Cuppy’s.

Jason Winters

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Figueroa Brothers is excited to hear the great news of Dale Nabors, becoming

the CEO of Cuppy’s Coffee . I have been working with Dale closely to

establish the new Cuppy’s distribution system and his vision to get the

company streamlined to the benefit of the current franchisees and future

store openings, is exactly what is needed to move the Cuppy’s Brand to the

next level of success. Figueroa Brothers is looking forward to working with

Dale and Cuppy’s franchisees to continually improve the bottom line profits

and customer satisfaction.

Gregory P. Figueroa, CEO

Figueroa Brothers, Inc.

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Hi Dale!

Congratulations on Fransynergy acquiring Cuppy’s. You have been very helpful with the problems I have had and it’s nice to know we will have someone like you to come to. We still need to completely resolve our issue but I am sure we will be able to get it worked out.

Sincerely,

Brian D. Burgett

Cuppy’s of Des Moines

Read the official memo sent out to franchisees here.

]]> http://blog.cuppys.com/2008/04/22/franchisees-response-to-new-mgmt-at-cuppys-coffee/feed/ http://blog.cuppys.com/2008/04/17/cuppys-coffee-will-mccafe-help-or-hurt-your-sales/ http://blog.cuppys.com/2008/04/17/cuppys-coffee-will-mccafe-help-or-hurt-your-sales/#comments Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:28:11 +0000 Cuppy's Coffee Cuppy's Coffee Franchise News Starbucks http://blog.cuppys.com/2008/04/17/cuppys-coffee-will-mccafe-help-or-hurt-your-sales/ Fear among coffee stores owners permeates whenever the news of a Starbucks move into the neighborhood arise. But for years, many independent coffee owners have flourished with the addition of the green neighbor. Customers will in fact visit each location a few times a week. If your product is superior, expect to see those customers more often.

But what of the McCafe? This burger powerhouse move into the specialty coffee arena and it’s price structure, well below that of most coffee houses, will it affect the cash register and a independent coffee shop’s ability to stay in business? This question and answer was raised in a recent web article on QSR Magazine. Read the entire story.

One group of retailers that probably won’t be hurt is higher-end independent coffee shops. Contrary to popular belief, these types of retailers often experience a boom in business-sometimes as much as 20 percent-when a Starbucks sets up shop nearby, Hetzel says. The same phenomenon could presumably result from a neighboring McDonald’s selling similar beverages.

“I believe it’s only helpful,” Hetzel says. “It educates consumers on a better quality of coffee that exists. There’s so much more that the independents can do that it expands their market. When coffee tastes better…people drink more.”

Learn more about the specialty coffee business at www.cuppys.com

]]> http://blog.cuppys.com/2008/04/17/cuppys-coffee-will-mccafe-help-or-hurt-your-sales/feed/ http://blog.cuppys.com/2008/04/10/cuppys-coffee-coming-to-westchester-county/ http://blog.cuppys.com/2008/04/10/cuppys-coffee-coming-to-westchester-county/#comments Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:49:05 +0000 Cuppy's Coffee Cuppy's Coffee Franchise News http://blog.cuppys.com/2008/04/10/cuppys-coffee-coming-to-westchester-county/ Jefferson Valley Mall in Yorktown Heights, NY will be home to a new Cuppy’s Coffee, Smoothies & More kiosk. Franchisees there recently signed a lease to bring the growing franchise into the Westchester County area.

Cuppy’s Coffee serves true Italian specialty coffee drinks, smoothies and a host of other products and pastries. Planning and construction will be the next phase in this location getting open to the public.

To learn more about Cuppy’s Coffee, visit our website at www.cuppys.com

Fortunately, at Cuppy’s Coffee our baristas have already been trained to hand-pull the perfect shot of espresso so we were able to benefit from Starbucks’ closed door training last night.

A lot of coffee shops in the industry today are distracted by profits and the bottom dollar, and have completely overlooked the details that equate to a great customer experience. From the start, Cuppy’s Coffee has been about an experience for the customers. Cuppy’s offers hand-roasted, hand-blended, freshly ground, premium espresso beans. Much of the competition has streamlined the coffee roasting process, resulting in burnt or overdone coffee beans.

Your local coffee shop should be a place to meet and mingle, to caffeinate while you work, to relax in a comfortable environment. While other coffee companies make a big stink about getting back to basics, and offering things like  limited “free” Wi-Fi, Cuppy’s will keep on doing what our customers love: offering the best product, a genuine barista experience and UNLIMITED FREE Wi-Fi.

Read more on this topic.

Starbucks has truly created the coffee industry and made it possible for smaller chains like Cuppy’s Coffee to even exist. It is interesting, however to see how Starbucks has become more like McDonalds in that they have streamlined their processes. Because Starbucks is a public company its decisions are driven by profits. Smaller, locally owned chains like Cuppy’s Coffee can still focus on what the customers want. This means hand-pulling each espresso shot and staying true to the Italian barista-customer experience. I would not call McDonalds move into the coffee market as the saving grace for smaller shops, but I do not think they will not be able to provide what the smaller coffee shops can.

While the smaller shops gain customer loyalty through authenticity and by offering a sense of community, to some customers a cup of coffee is still just that, a cup of coffee. If McDonalds is offering gourmet coffee too, it is just one more option for consumers and it all boils down to location and convenience.

The coffee industry is quite competitive, that is why it is so important to focus on the quality of the product produced and keeping that customer interaction authentic. Cuppy’s Coffee offers a competitive edge to lure customers by hand-pulling each espresso shot. Coffee connoisseurs really appreciate the hand-pulled shots of espresso along with the hand roasted, hand blended product. When you are a smaller coffee company in a marketplace dominated by a juggernaut like Starbucks your product has to be better–apparently the consumer is taking notice.

Associated Press
Ahead of the Bell: Starbucks Down
Associated Press 12.17.07, 8:53 AM ET 

NEW YORK -

Shares of Starbucks Corp. declined in premarket trading after an RBC Capital Markets analyst downgraded the stock, saying Starbucks could have difficulty attracting customers due to growing competition and the struggling economy.

Click here for the full article:http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/12/17/ap4447137.html 

FORT WALTON BEACH, Florida – December 18, 2007 – Cuppy’s Coffee, Smoothies & More, Inc., a rapidly growing specialty coffee and smoothie franchise business, today announced a record year of growth in 2007 marked by the opening of 33 stores and  signed franchise agreements for over 200 locations to be opened in 2008. This year’s expansion positions Cuppy’s Coffee to meet its goal of opening 1,500 stores across the U.S. within the next five years as the year-old company strives to aggressively expand its footprint in the specialty coffee and smoothie industries.
In 2007 alone, Cuppy’s Coffee opened 17 cafes, 24 dual drive-thru units, four kiosks and 13 mobile units, giving the franchise a total of over 60 stores nationwide and a presence within 24 states. The company announced today that it is pursuing growth opportunities in the following areas: Atlanta, South and Central Florida, California, Texas, Pittsburgh, Chicago and the Midwest, respectively. “Our goal is to be a household name in each of these development areas,” said Amy Hiller, VP of Operations for Cuppy’s Coffee.
Franchisees find a support structure that is unparalleled in the specialty coffee industry, with more than 100 members working to support them in business operations, financing, real estate, staffing, construction and accounting. “This past year has been a banner year for Cuppy’s Coffee in terms of franchise growth and the progression of our concept,” said Doug Hibbing, president of Cuppy’s Coffee. “Not only have we stayed true to our goals, but we’ve surpassed them while continuing to provide our franchisees with the attention and support they’ve come to expect. We look forward to another record year in 2008 as we continue our expansion in the U.S. and overseas.”
Building upon growth momentum in the U.S., Cuppy’s Coffee has begun international expansion in Canada. Additionally, Cuppy’s Coffee has a master franchisee in South Africa which launched the franchise in early October and plans to have at least 50 stores in the region by quarter four of 2008.  With a franchise in Puerto Rico as well, the company is positioning itself as a force to be reckoned with on a global scale.
Cuppy’s Coffee’s menu will also undergo its own expansion in the coming months. In addition to its barista-made mochas, lattes and cappuccinos, 100-percent crushed fruit smoothies, Chai tea, Italian sodas, muffins, pastries, sandwiches, soups and salads, Cuppy’s Coffee is planning to add a line of Italian ice to its extensive offerings, introducing the coffee and smoothie franchise to a new segment of the quick-service restaurant industry.
As dairy prices continue to rise heading into 2008, forcing coffee chains like Starbucks to raise their prices for a cup of joe, Cuppy’s Coffee has found a way to outdo the competition. Cuppy’s Coffee is happy to accommodate those looking for top quality coffee drinks at a lower price with the 12oz. cup selling for an average of $2.60. With 51% of the U.S. population drinking coffee on a daily basis, according to the National Coffee Association, Cuppy’s Coffee continues to take growing share of this market.
About Cuppy’s Coffee, Smoothies & More
Cuppy’s Coffee, Smoothies & More is a specialty coffee and smoothie franchise based in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Cuppy’s Coffee has welcomed more than 225 franchisees to the family since June 2006 and is currently opening an average of seven to 10 stores each month all across the United States. The franchise has nearly 70 locations in the U.S. and Canada, with more than 80 signed leases and over 50 projects currently under construction.
Cuppy’s Coffee is expanding at an incredible speed and it’s no wonder as to why—Cuppy’s Coffee has been awarded with the highest score ever achieved for the Fair Franchising Standards by the American Association of Franchisees and Dealers. For more information on Cuppy’s Coffee and to learn about our franchise offerings including the café, dual drive-thru, mobile unit, kiosk, or cart visit the website at www.cuppys.com or call Toll Free at (888)241-4324.