CUPPY’s Founder Robert “Morg” Morgan Apologizes to Franchisees

52 thoughts on “CUPPY’s Founder Robert “Morg” Morgan Apologizes to Franchisees”

• Robert Morgan is an ordinary confidence criminal. Not a great one. He built an adoring audience in Florida, and now can afford to “work” at minimum wage. Wonderful.

  I prefer Sam Antar’s, a convicted confidence criminal, view on apologies from confidence criminals.

  “Apologies for my crimes are irrelevant. It is my view that “apologies do not bring back the dead or undo the losses suffered by the victims of my crimes.” As I told Wall Street Journal reporter Herb Greenberg for his March 3, 2007 Wall Street Journal column entitled, “My Lunch with 2 Fraudsters: Food for Thought for Investors”:

  “I don’t want to be held up on the pedestal of redemption. I would rather people learn from my vile, ugly and vicious crimes. It is most important that they understand the ugly nature of criminality. My life is a mistake of history.”

  Robert Morgan will never be forgiven for his crimes.

• I want to know what happened to Rawman Walkin, looked like another scam to me.

• Gee whiz. Thanks for that. I’ll print it and take it to my next hearing. Maybe then TD Bank will cancel all their efforts to take my house. Or maybe they won’t. What do ya’ll think?

• Robert Morgan is a lying, self-serving P.O.S. who cares nothing about the damage he wrought, lives he ruined or bank accounts he drained. From the beginning, he had no intention of ensuring franchisees’ success. His main concern was always being paid. Once he was paid, you were on your own.

  This apology is an insult to those of us who lost our financial security, homes, savings, home equity, etc. Nobody wants to hear anything from this fraudster, especially not some lame, meaningless and empty apology. Furthermore, no one believes for one second that he and his family are “penniless…with no savings, business or personal property…” Morgan is a scammer and con man and will be until the day he dies (side note to Mr. Morgan: it’s easy to “… take the money equation out of [your] life” after getting rich by stealing other people’s money).

  Mr. Morgan deserves every bit of misery, hardship, loss and suffering he endures in this lifetime and the next.

• Michael Webster writes: “Robert Morgan is an ordinary confidence criminal.”

  I used to believe that, Mike, but I’m not so sure anymore. We’ve seen plenty of franchise scams in the last 5 years where slick franchisors built a well-hyped house of cards then exited with the cash as it started to collapse. This seems different to me.

  I could be wrong, but it looks like the money lost here went to bloated overhead, a staff of 100 for a company that wasn’t yet selling coffee, a daycare center, sales & real estate commissions, etc. It doesn’t look like the work of a shrewd, calculated scammer. It looks more like an ill-advised, grandiose pipe-dream by people who did not have the experience, talent or judgement to pull it off. In that way, Morgan’s admissions in the apology ring true.

  I’m not defending his actions in any way. And whether it was intentional or not doesn’t matter in the least to fred, who’s trying to keep his house, or others who lost their savings and homes. But it does change the nature of the “lesson” others can take away from all of this.

  The lesson in the other franchise scams seems to be “Don’t get scammed by slick confidence men.” In this case, I believe there’s a lesson of “Don’t get sucked into the alluring dreams by people who may mean well, but can’t deliver.”

  Looking back, what indications were there that this group of people had the wherewithal to build a 300 unit chain of coffee shops overnight? Was there anyone at Cuppy’s, Medina or Elite that had serious development experience at Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts or any other chain? I mean, their main operational consultant was former telemarketer Dale Nabors. Yet people handed over their life savings and put it all on the line for people with no track record of doing what they were counting on them to do.

  Was this a case of a coldhearted scammer extracting money from innocent victims? Or was this a case of mass delusion? Was this a case of a company with a dream scenario and a crack sales staff but no ability to deliver… and franchisee investors so eager to believe that they turned off the critical thinking they applied in every other other area of their lives?

  Just asking.

• Admin, well before star Dale Nabors appeared on the scene, the experience of Cuppy’s staff was outlined, trumpeted even. Ben Doyle, Morg and others all supposedly had experience in the restaurant business and franchising. Enough experience to supposedly get someone open in 5-7 months from signing. They got the financing approved fast enough. At the point I signed on there were multiple drive-throughs open. Didn’t that show they knew what they were doing? They knew exactly what they were doing. But you never can ask too many questions, especially when you’re told you’re exactly what Cuppy’s needs. What exactly do you mean by that?

• “What exactly do you mean by that?”

  By what?

• What do you mean that I am exactly what Cuppy’s needs? That I have what it takes to run a business? That I have reasonable expectations of what it means to start a business? That I will look good in the Cuppy’s polo shirt? That my SBA loan will be easily approved, providing you with a source of funds to do whatever you want? That when I have had enough BS and don’t open, I will just go away? That if I actually open, I will be successful in recruiting or encouraging more depositors?

• Morg’s apology means absolutely nothing to me or my family. We ended up having to file bankruptcy, and at this point are a few months away from losing our home. Aside from the monetary losses we incurred, we lost our dreams, our retirement and our children’s future. But hey, thanks for thinking of us anyway. Your forgiveness will only come from He who makes the final judgement. I have faith that knows right where to send you.

• Morgan was an ordinary con criminal because he spent as quickly as he stole.

• Robert “Morg” Morgan is, was and always will be a con man. His appology is also a con. Who cares that he feels (supposedly) bad for what he did? All I want is my money back, you creep.

  My experience with his entire organization was that they were trained to lie, cheat and steal people’s money. When all hell broke loose, I sent Morg a letter, directly. Did he have enough business savy then to reply? NO! Where was my letter of response then that he was a bumbling jerk and that my money would not be returned? I received nothing from him. No letter, no returned money and certainly, NO appology.

  All I received was grief from his expert con staff telling me to go away I wasn’t getting my money back cause they spent it on “their” expenses. His contract was a ruse and not worth the paper it was written on. I spent the next year and a half and a lot of money pursuing legal ways to sue the bastard in getting my money back. Actually, I won in court. I have another worthless, expensive piece of paper saying I won from a Judge and Cuppy’s/Morgan was suppose to pay me back, MY MONEY.

  You guessed it. Never got a penny cause this A-hole skipped town, sold the company to another con man, whatever. No I was not totally stupid going into this. I did much research into the company. In the beginning Cuppy’s was clean per the BBB etc. Plus, I have business experience. So don’t anyone tell me it was ALL my fault for this and that. ALL of his staff were liars from the start. ALL!! Bar none.

  I spoke with many others that Cuppy’s screwed too. It was always the same story. They were lied to. Morgan’s applolgy means NOTHING to me or anyone else he stole money and lives from. Penniless? As he states. I very much doubt it. Why the Attorney General of Florida didn’t put this creep in a dark jail cell I will NEVER understand.

  Robert “Morg” Morgan, I hope and wish the worst for you. Even Hell is too good for you.

• Whether deposits or construction dispursements, Morg Morgan and Cuppy’s (Elite, etc.) took money for one purpose and spent it on something different. They were paid for goods and services that they never delivered. The results were devastating. They should be held accountable.

  2011 will mean another difficult year for many, all because they came in contact with Cuppy’s. I think franchisees should feel free to vent. I think they should feel free to share the real cost they paid for the trust they placed in Morg Morgan, Cuppy’s Coffee, Elite, Dale Nabors, etc.

  In the end, though, I think it’s misleading and counterproductive to pin this all on one “bad” guy. This didn’t happen in a vacuum. Morg hired lots of expensive franchise industry people to advise him, some of whom are highly respected in the industry, and some who are clowns and morons. They took his money (the depositers, money) and goaded him on without ever urging him (as far as I know) to make hard decisions needed to survive. Like putting deposits in escrow. Controlling ridiculously high overhead. To stop selling new stores until the sold stores got open.

  The franchise lead factories and franchise rags were happy to take thousands of dollars per month, probably $30 per lead, to deliver fresh meat. The funding company bragged about the millions in funding placements they earned fat commissions from. The AAFD was happy to take their money and gave Cuppy’s a freaking franchise award, for crying out loud.

  Maybe Morgan wouldn’t have listened to real reason at the time, but there are lots of companies that keep rolling along in the industry, the bulk of their fortunes coming from spurring on the big hopes of dreamers planning on becoming the next McDonald’s. By the time it crashes, these “professionals” are busy giftwrapping the next big sham. eBay drop-off shops? Meal prep stores, perhaps? How about a pooper scooper franchise?

  Recently, CNBC did somewhat of an expose on franchising with a lot of emphasis on Cold Stone Creamery problems. BlueMauMau.org is abuzz with the controversy (with excellent commentary by Michael Webster & Paul Steinberg). Cold Stone hired a high powered lawyer to bully CNBC into killing the story and taking it off air. This is the pattern in franchising. No one can tell the negative stories so no one can learn any of the lessons and keep preventing these disasters from happening.

  What’s disturbing is absolutely nothing in the industry has changed (except the easy availability of loans) to keep this from happening again and again.

  It’s January. The 2011 Entrepreneur 500 list of hot franchise opportunities is out! With or without Morg Morgan, the cycle begins again.

• In order to begin to consider any apology from Morg with sane and sober consideration, several things must occur:

  1. Morg, or a legal representative of his, must cooperate with all civil proceedings, filings, judgments etc. in a timely and truthful manner. Neglecting to do so would cost involved franchisees additional money and is contrary to the apology posted above.
  2. Morg must fulfill current and future civil judgments to the best of his ability. Morg has a job. Not doing so is contrary to the apology posted above.
  3. Morg, or a legal representative of his, must cooperate with state and federal agents investigating the alleged misappropriation of funds, mail/wire fraud, etc. If Morg does not have the contact information for these state and federal investigators, he can contact the admin who will be provided with the contact information. Refusal to do so is contrary to the apology posted above.
  4. Morg states that he has no intention of returning to the business world but he and Ben Doyle made it known via twitter of the investment opportunity in the “sanctuary retreat” (see http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/index.php?s=rawman ). It is not enough for Morg to state has left the business world. Morg must make an explicit statement that he will never be involved, directly or indirectly, in the solicitation of any funds for investment purposes. Otherwise, the apology above is just another well crafted story of Morg’s.

• Dear Guset: You are, hilarious! Thanks for lightening things up. You must have been busting up as you wrote these rules of sane and sober consideration. Funny! Keep ’em coming.

• Dear …yet another “guest”…:

  Please learn to spell, but most of all please don’t encourage “Guset!” Once is enough!

• Admin asks: “Were the franchisee investors so eager to believe that they turned off the critical thinking they applied in every other other area of their lives?”

  That is the nature of a con criminal. Someone breaks into your mind and makes off with your common sense and wallet.

• It takes one to call one, Webster. You go on and on. You call yourself a professional, but professionals acknowledge both sides of every conflict… Admin is an example of professionalism. Watch and learn. He asks questions. He seeks truth, but you jump in to answer his questions like some kind of robotic know it all.
  Stop trying to make all these franchisees who lost their investments seem like weak minded bozo’s. People make mistakes in life, Webster, including Morg, Cuppy’s investors and even you, Webster … in millions of various ways.
  Act like a prodessional, Webster, or put a sock in it.

• If Morg’s staff at his current job could speak freely, they would say that he is disorganized, procrastinates, over promises, under delivers and rarely keeps his word. He is perpetually delayed in all his tasks and he blames everyone else for his mistakes and creates an incredible amount of unneeded drama. It’s tragic because he is very enthusiastic in his this current position. Unfortunately, he is incapable of managing his own time and keeping his work relationships integral. He has no conscience and will lie to cover his own butt making everyone else look bad. His behavior is irratic- he can flash from nice and sweet to crazy-angry in a moment.

• Also, in his current position, he sees himself as a health minister, healing messiah, guru type. Morg- heal yourself first. MENTALLY. You are the weakest link in your current location. Take a long vacation and get mentally well first. Please. For the sake of everyone you come in contact with.

• Someone please do tell where he is currently scamming people at. He mail me privately if it can’t be posted here.

• here you are again, “fred.” you are that old mag crew gal that got kicked off the crew for stealing drom everyone, then dropped off at the bus station with a ticket to where you came from —– a long time ago. it’s sad that you’re still looking for a place to “belong” —– well, it’s not here.

• “Prince” writes:

  “He asks questions. He seeks truth, but you jump in to answer his questions like some kind of robotic know it all.

  Stop trying to make all these franchisees who lost their investments seem like weak minded bozo’s. People make mistakes in life, Webster, including Morg, Cuppy’s investors and even you, Webster … in millions of various ways.”

  Glad to see you on the thread, Bobby. Love to hear you answer your critics directly — now that would be an apology I might be interested in.

• Is Prince actually Bobby?

• What credentials did Morg hold to run companies? A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration? And MBA? A high school diploma? What is his education and experience? He seems like the kind of man to write nonsense on his resume.

• I have been an intern & a guest many times where Bobby works, and that is not my experience. He puts all his intentions on helping people, he lives to do that. I’ve never seen him hurt anyone, he only helps. On the other hand Bobbylies, I saw a few interns like yourself try and take over Bobby’s job, such jealousy is not what Bobby has ever been about. Bobby is an great man who’s only intentions is to help others. He cares about people, which is never what you did there, yes I do know who you are from your own words.. and I never saw you care about anyone but yourself… Bobby always puts the other person first, 24/7. I’ve actually never seen anyone work that hard to help other people, as I saw Bobby do, until I went there and saw this for myself.

• Webster: You’re doing it again – being a know-it-all who doesn’t. I’m not Morg. Feel free to guess again. It’s odd that you didn’t take into consideration that this thread started with Morg’s APOLOGY. I can’t imagine that he would work against himself by confronting other posters here or pointing out inadequacies. It’s interesting though, that you think people are motivated by the possibility that they might peak your interest.
  I’ve never noticed these things about your posts before, Michael Webster.
  I feel disappointed that you seem so uninformed and one-sided. I really hope you were just having a bad day and your good work will show up once again.

• Morgan’s apology stated: “I don’t know if my apology will help some of you or not, but it’s all I have to give.”
  Wrong Morgan. A tall bridge and a small leap by you would by rewarding and a gift to us. Close your eyes and step off……………………………..please. Your landing will be just like how you left us. Oh, and please hold hands with all your staff while taking the big step…………….OFF!

• Dear Morg
  You are a liar. You are disgraceful and your words outrage me. The financial pain you have caused me and my family is something that an apology cannot take away. I am disgusted by you and the fact that you could even write an apology and try to sound so sincere. You are a criminal. You are a liar and you owe me $40,000.

• Is Morg going to apologize to all the Slender Lady franchisees as well?

• Some very interesting comments from people in the franchise industry are here: http://www.bluemaumau.org/cuppyrsquos_founder_morgan_apologizes . Prince will be disappointed in those as well.

• “Bobby is an great man who’s only intentions is to help others. He cares about people, which is never what you did there, yes I do know who you are from your own words.. and I never saw you care about anyone but yourself… Bobby always puts the other person first, 24/7. I’ve actually never seen anyone work that hard to help other people, as I saw Bobby do, ”

  Whoever wrote this should either try stand up comedy or have themselves placed in a white padded cell.

• YOU must be JokingRight?

  June says she knows Morg and she admires him and she includes reasons, based upon her own personal experiences. June has a right to like anyone she wants to, just as you and others like you have a right to hate anyone you want to, but really you are not within your rights to defame people in a public forum unless they are a public figure and Morg is not.

  People don’t get sued for writing or saying nice things about someone. On the other hand… oh never mind… talk about throwing pearls before SWINE…. according to scripture.

• I’m not joking writes: “You are not within your rights to defame people in a public forum unless they are a public figure and Morg is not.”

  Pretty sure that Bobby is a public figure. But, nobody is defaming the Morg. Only laying the cards on the table about his duplicity.

  Bobby, we all know you are listening. If you had any real guts, you would face the music – real redemption awaits, but you have to man up.

• History shows that Morg is a charismatic conman. His raw food disciples are falling for his BS and it is heartbreaking. They can’t claim they haven’t been warned.

  I’m going to register unhappyrawfoodie.com . I predict the value of that domain name is going to skyrocket. It will be small consolation for what Morg and his codefendants took from me.

• Sorry to disagree with the lynchmob here, but he did attempt to apologize even though it set him up for another public beating. Fine its not going to repay what you lost, but its better than NOT apologizing isn’t it?

  Don’t we have a legal system to handle business disputes? Why don’t you take it up there, and let a jufge decide? I’m sure he’ll cooperate with what they decide (wont have a choice right?) Last time I checked lynchings are illegal.

• DUH. Didn’t you read this thread? There are plenty of filings and judgments against Morg. He doesn’t answer to them. We end up paying even more when he could just face up to it right away. So how serious can we take this apology when he continues to cost us more money? Be a man, Morg.

• In response to the post by Guest on January 7th, 2011 2:03 pm

  Many of us do have judgments against this man to get our money back, but he is a very talented con artist . He moves money from 1 LLC to another and files bankruptcy before anyone gets their money back. You do not know the whole story and I feel that if you did, and if you had had your money stolen as we did, you would probably join this “lynch mob.”

• “There are plenty of filings and judgments against Morg”
  “Many of us do have judgments against this man to get our money back”

  What specific judgements are there, from what cases and for how much?

  It’s suspicious how it’s always “lots of judgements” but there’s not a single specific ruling ever named or a link given to a court ruling that proves a judgement against him. It’s easy to make anonymous vague accusations, isn’t it? DUH.

• Bobby writes: “It’s suspicious how it’s always “lots of judgements” but there’s not a single specific ruling ever named or a link given to a court ruling that proves a judgement against him. It’s easy to make anonymous vague accusations, isn’t it? DUH.”

  Coming from an anonymous poster, this is a rich remark!

• Does Morg deny all of this? Ask him if he was served a multi-million dollar suit with multiple plantiffs that was prepared by Dady out of MN. Is that specific enough for you? If you’re really interested look it up. These should all be public documents n Florida.

• Now it has changed from “plenty of judgements” to “he was served.”?

  Several of you said there are lots of judgements. Can you name the specific judgements you are referring to?

• From what I read, it was ” filings and judgments “.

  Insurance fraud judgment in texas for starters.

  Can’t get a judgment without being served. Bobby thought he was well hidden. Sorry to have spoiled your day.

• Michael Webster. As I read somewhere, you are a quasi attorney, here is docket # info for looking up. You may look this up. Just keep my name off for privacy to me. Authors, Guest, Bobby, want to say nothing was filed or given a judgement against his company(s). They are wrong. Filed Docket # 08-02074, Court of Common Plea’s, Chester County, West Chester, PA, filed April 2008, trial 2009, Honorable Judge Howard Riely Jr. presided and ruled verdict. This complaint and trial was ME against, Cuppy’s Coffee and More, Inc. w/ address (which is Morg Morgan’s co.) and Elite Manufacturing, LLC, w/address. Judge Riely gave a judgment in my favor. Cuppy’s and Elite did NOT send anyone in defense. (surprised) The Judge, from his bench called the secretary to see if a “Notice to Defend” was sent to Cuppy’s and Elite. Both were sent Notice, twice by the Court. The Judge ruled therefore to go through with the hearing and judgement. We did. And Cuppy’s and Elite lost. Judgement was in my favor by Judge Riely Jr.
  When an attempt to serve this on the two companies. There was no company and no address to serve them on. They were gone in Florida. Morgan knows that. So yes, he probably never did not get served with any Judgements as he and Cuppy’s/Elite, disappeared. So, I do have a Judgement to be repaid but can’t serve it on Morgan, Cuppy’s or Elite as there is NO info on them to serve it on them. Note: In the beginning my attorney WAS in contact with Cuppy’s attorney. Then all of a sudden my attorney got a letter that the Legal Defense for Cuppy’s had been dismissed and NO further contact would be made to my attorney from them. All further info for my complaint/suite was sent to the last known address of Cuppy’s and Elite. As they close their doors and ran, it all came back undeliverable. (surprised) So now I have a Judgement against Cuppy’s, Elite, Morgan’s companies, that is worthless. Worthless, just like “Morg”.

• Webster is not a quasi attorney. He’s a canadian attorney and he’s my hero. I was going to buy Webby a sweater vest for a christmas gift, one like Bobby wears, so he can keep warm in his igloo. But a fur one better suits his climate and I can’t swing one of those.

• Michael Webster is a real life bona fide franchisee attorney.
  http://bizop.ca/blog2/aboutus.html
  As opposed to a “quasi attorney.” he practices in Canada.
  What’s the dollar amount of your judgement?

• No harm intented MW about the quasi attorney remark. From previous Cuppy’s website I thought I recalled you stating that to someone. It’s been a long time since then. My mistake. Corrections to my previous post. I spelled Judge’s name wrong. It is Judge Howard F. Riley, Jr. Initial date 2/27/2008. Status: VERDICT – NON- JURY. Statue Date 4/09/2009. Case #2008-02074-CA. Case Type: Breach of Contract. Amount of VERDICT/AWARD – $46,990. So Awarded by Judgement of His Honorable Judge Howard F. Riley, Jr., April 9th, 2009.
  NOTE: For those interested. Cuppy’s and Elite’s original defense was that the contract was only good in Florida Court for litagation as that is where the contract originated. Judge Riley also overruled that because it was a business contract signed with a customer in PA and subject to the Law’s of PA, regardless of what their claim is/was. Cuppy’s and Elite may have fooled many on that one. Hence, it is/was legal to file suite in your state’s court, at least it was in PA.

• Okay. Thank you ADMIN. I looked up the site you gave for MW.
  NOTE: To MW, attorney. If you can collect Judgement on Morgan on my behalf, I would gladly give you 50% of my Judgement of $46,990. And Morgan can keep his appology, for nothing.

• I bet Dale Nabors is in the bathroom right now getting off on these comments like a 16 year old boy does a Playboy Magazine. When do we get the public apology from the real “Con Artist, Creep, Criminal, Liar, Thief, and the self serving POS that Mike Wallace so elegantly refers to??????? When is this real POS going to come out of his hole and have an apology??? Maybe he will even tell us where he buried the coffee can with the deposits he stole are buried. On second thought, he’s porbably enjoying his time in the bathroom too much to come out and take his beating like Robert Morgan did.

• Pissed off Slender Lady franchisees are still giving it to Morg’s old partner Bruce Sharpe and he’s not even alive.
  http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/slender-lady-founder-bruce-sharpe-has-died/
  What goes around just keeps coming around doesn’t it? Internet karma payback is a b*tch allright

• Don’t know how many of you have heard of this yet, but the FBI is investigating Cuppy’s Coffee & More/Java Jo’z. I just received a letter from the FBI stating that my name was referred to their Victim Assistance Program. The case became active in March 2011 and is under investigation. Currently, there is no additional information available, but I received and was asked to complete and return a questionnaire regarding my experience/interaction with Cuppy’s Coffee & More/Java Jo’z. If we’re lucky, somebody will land in prison for this massive scam.

  Regards,
  Mike Wallace