The Second Cup
The Second Cup is a Canadian specialty coffee retailer and franchisor founded in 1975, operating participating cafés across Canada that sell coffee, specialty beverages, and seasonal menu items to Canadian consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersMississauga, Canada
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Second Cup does
The Second Cup is a Canadian specialty coffee retailer and franchisor founded in 1975 and headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario. The company operates a national network of participating cafés across Canada, selling coffee, specialty beverages, and food items directly to Canadian consumers. Originally TSX-listed under the ticker SCU before being delisted, The Second Cup has scaled through a franchise and participating-café model, with a stated headcount range of 1001-5000 employees. The company is co-founded by Frank O'Dea and Tom Culligan, and Serruya Private Equity is identified as an historical investor.
The company's product portfolio centers on coffee and specialty beverages, with a strategy of seasonal limited-time offerings to drive traffic. The November 2025 festive holiday menu introduced the Pacific Foods' Pistachio Non-Dairy Beverage — a plant-based, non-dairy option — making Second Cup the first national Canadian coffee house to carry it. The April 2026 Spring-Summer lineup extended the menu into eight new beverages spanning refreshers, cold brews, dirty sodas, and energy-based drinks, including Canadian dessert-inspired creations like the Nanaimo Bar Flash Brew.
The Second Cup generates revenue through one-time license fees and direct-to-consumer retail coffeehouse sales at participating cafés. Its go-to-market relies on seasonal menu launches and in-store fundraising campaigns, notably a long-standing charitable partnership with Breakfast Club of Canada that has generated $40,000 in donations through 2025 campaigns with a $25,000 goal set for the 2026 spring campaign. The company has pursued inorganic expansion, having acquired Bridgehead Coffeehouse in December 2019. No revenue figure, ownership structure, or AI/technology stack is disclosed in the available data.
The Second Cup firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Second Cup
- Website
- https://secondcup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- The Second Cup is a Canadian specialty coffee retailer and franchisor founded in 1975, operating participating cafés across Canada that sell coffee, specialty beverages, and seasonal menu items to Canadian consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Second Cup industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Retail
- NAICS
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Espresso Bars & Coffee Bars (THAFADAD), Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)
Keywords
Where The Second Cup is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mississauga
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Second Cup business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Retail Food and Beverage Sales: Revenue generated from selling coffee, beverages, and food items through company-owned and participating cafés across Canada. Seasonal limited-time offerings drive customer traffic.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
The Second Cup product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Second Cup operates a national Canadian coffeehouse chain selling specialty coffee, espresso-based beverages, cold brews, refreshers, energy drinks, and café food items through participating cafés across Canada. The company also drives traffic through seasonal limited-time menu launches (spring-summer and holiday lineups) and plant-based non-dairy innovations such as Pacific Foods' Pistachio Non-Dairy Beverage.
Product overview
The Second Cup is a Canadian coffee house chain operating under the Second Cup Café brand. The company offers a range of coffee and specialty beverages including refreshers, cold brews, dirty sodas, and energy-based drinks. Their product portfolio includes seasonal limited-time offerings and ongoing menu items. The company has expanded into plant-based options through partnerships with brands like Pacific Foods. Key seasonal product launches include spring-summer beverage lineups and holiday menus featuring festive drinks.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Coconut Grapefruit Refresher A tropical refresher beverage blending coconut and grapefruit flavors, part of the spring-summer seasonal lineup, sold to individual consumers at participating Second Cup cafés in Canada.
- Strawberry & Matcha A spring-summer limited-time beverage combining strawberry and matcha flavors, sold to individual consumers at participating Second Cup cafés.
- Dragon Peach Infuzer A dragon fruit and peach infused refresher beverage within the spring-summer seasonal offerings, sold to individual consumers at participating Second Cup cafés.
- Nanaimo Bar Flash Brew A Canadian dessert-inspired cold brew featuring Nanaimo Bar flavors, offered as a limited-time spring-summer menu item to Canadian consumers at participating Second Cup cafés.
- Pacific Foods Pistachio Non-Dairy Beverage A plant-based non-dairy milk beverage made from pistachios, offered at participating Second Cup cafés in Canada as part of the festive holiday menu, targeting consumers seeking plant-based alternatives.
- Festive Holiday Menu A limited-time seasonal holiday beverage and food menu offered at participating Second Cup cafés across Canada, featuring festive drinks and plant-based options for individual consumers.
Quantifiable outcome
- $40,000 raised for Breakfast Club of Canada through 2025 campaigns
Companies that use The Second Cup
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Second Cup technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Second Cup partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Pacific FoodsflagshipSecond Cup became the first national coffee house in Canada to launch Pacific Foods' Pistachio Non-Dairy Beverage, offering plant-based options to customers as part of the festive holiday menu.
- Breakfast Club of CanadacoreCharitable partnership supporting child nutrition through annual fundraising campaigns. Second Cup conducts national fundraising initiatives at participating cafés, with customers contributing $1 or $2 donations. Every $2 provides one breakfast to a child. Partnership began March 2023, with $40,000 raised in 2025 campaigns and $25,000 goal for 2026 spring campaign.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Second Cup competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tim Hortons: Canada's dominant coffee and donut QSR chain with thousands of franchised locations nationwide. Direct competitor to Second Cup for daily coffee occasions among Canadian consumers, with overlapping beverages, food, and franchise-driven distribution.
- Bridgehead Coffeehouse: Ottawa-based specialty coffee roaster and café chain acquired by Second Cup in 2019. Direct peer in Canadian specialty coffee retailing, sharing the same parent and operating in adjacent markets.
- Country Style: Canadian coffee and baked goods QSR chain primarily in Ontario, with franchised and corporate locations. Directly comparable as a domestic mid-market coffee chain competing for similar breakfast and coffee occasions.
Emerging players
- Pilot Coffee Roasters: Toronto-based specialty roaster with cafés across the Greater Toronto Area. Comparable as a Canadian specialty coffee chain focused on quality, single-origin sourcing, and urban café experience.
- JJ Bean Coffee Roasters: Vancouver-based specialty coffee roaster and café operator in Western Canada. Comparable as a Canadian single-origin/third-wave coffee chain competing for premium urban customers.
- Equator Coffee Roasters: Canadian specialty coffee roaster with retail cafés. Comparable as a domestic specialty competitor in the Canadian café market, particularly in Ontario and Western Canada.
Regional players
- Aroma Espresso Bar: Israeli-origin espresso bar chain with Canadian locations, primarily in Toronto and Ottawa. Comparable as a café concept competing for grab-and-go espresso occasions in urban Canadian markets.
Broad incumbents
- McDonald's (McCafé): Global QSR incumbent operating McCafé coffee programs across Canada. Competes for value-oriented daily coffee occasions through broad distribution and lower price points.
- Starbucks: Global premium coffee chain with significant Canadian retail presence. Competes with Second Cup for the specialty/premium coffee occasion and on seasonal beverage innovation (e.g., non-dairy, cold brew), though at a different price point and scale.
Others
- Indigo Books & Music (Café Indigo): Canadian book retailer operating in-store cafés serving specialty coffee. Comparable as a non-traditional specialty coffee retail channel in Canada targeting similar middle-market consumers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
The Second Cup social profiles
Digital presenceThe Second Cup financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Second Cup leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Second Cup funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Second Cup M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Second Cup
What does The Second Cup do?
The Second Cup operates a national Canadian coffeehouse chain selling specialty coffee, espresso-based beverages, cold brews, refreshers, energy drinks, and café food items through participating cafés across Canada. The company also drives traffic through seasonal limited-time menu launches (spring-summer and holiday lineups) and plant-based non-dairy innovations such as Pacific Foods' Pistachio Non-Dairy Beverage.
Is The Second Cup a public or private company?
The Second Cup is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was The Second Cup founded?
The Second Cup was founded in 1975. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is The Second Cup based?
The Second Cup is headquartered in Mississauga, Canada, in the North America region.
How does The Second Cup make money?
One revenue line is on record: retail Food and Beverage Sales.
Who are The Second Cup's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tim Hortons, Bridgehead Coffeehouse and Country Style. Emerging players are Pilot Coffee Roasters, JJ Bean Coffee Roasters and Equator Coffee Roasters. Aroma Espresso Bar is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are McDonald's (McCafé) and Starbucks. Indigo Books & Music (Café Indigo) is listed as an others.
Does The Second Cup have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Second Cup.
What industry is The Second Cup in?
The Second Cup's product category is Specialty Coffee Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAB, Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes, with a secondary code of THAFADAD, Espresso Bars & Coffee Bars. Its NAICS code is 722515 and its SIC code is 5810.