Second Cup dumps Jewish General Hospital franchisee over video with ‘hateful remarks’

Second Cup Canada has severed its relationship with a franchisee operating at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital after the individual was allegedly filmed making hateful and antisemitic remarks during a protest in the city last week.

The coffee chain issued a statement on Saturday, announcing that it was ending its partnership with the franchisee for "making hateful remarks and gestures," actions that violate the company's franchise agreement as well as its values of inclusion and community.

Peter Mammas, CEO of Foodtastic, which owns Second Cup Canada, shared in an interview on Sunday that he was initially unaware of the situation until he was inundated with messages while at the movies. After reviewing the videos and consulting with staff members who recognized the woman, it was confirmed that she was indeed the franchisee.

Footage from a pro-Palestinian protest outside Concordia University’s Montreal campus on Thursday shows a woman wearing a mask while stating, “The final solution is coming your way,” a phrase historically linked to Nazi plans to exterminate Jews. Another video allegedly shows the same woman making a Nazi salute as she walks away.

“We support free speech and respectful conversations, but this was not that,” Mammas said. “This was hate speech, and we felt it could incite violence, which is something we strongly oppose. As a result, we decided to revoke the franchise agreement.”

Efforts to contact the franchisee on Sunday were unsuccessful.

Second Cup posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter) declaring, "Second Cup has zero tolerance for hate speech," and confirmed the closure of the café at the Jewish General Hospital. The chain also stated that it was terminating the franchise agreement in coordination with the hospital.

Mammas added that legal teams from both the franchisee and Second Cup were expected to meet on Monday.

The regional health agency serving West-Central Montreal, which includes the Jewish General Hospital, said it was aware of the video featuring “antisemitic and hateful messaging.” Carl Thériault, a spokesperson for the health agency, expressed support for Second Cup's decision to take immediate action by shutting down the franchisee’s locations and terminating their lease.

“The hospital is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and stands firmly against antisemitism and any other form of discrimination or hate speech,” Thériault said.

The franchisee operated two Second Cup locations at the hospital, both of which were closed on Saturday.

Mammas emphasized the company's commitment to diversity: “We have franchisees who are Muslim, Jewish, Greek, French, and employees from all different backgrounds,” he said. “We don't take any political sides, but we can't accept hate speech.”