UNHAPPY FRANCHISEE 25 – December 2011

9 thoughts on “UNHAPPY FRANCHISEE 25 – December 2011”

• Cuppy’s Coffee Final Farewell

  Dear Dale Nabors, Morg Morgan, Theresa St. Clair, Amy Hiller, Robin Dolan, Jennifer Snowden Zapletal, Steve Wesolowski and Brian Hayes:

  So my journey with Cuppy’s has come to a close. The foreclosure sale of my home for over 30 years took place on February 10th. I just wanted to give you my final thanks for all the help you gave me in destroying my life, life savings and all the heart ache you gave starting 5 years ago.

  When I first starting researching owning a café I spoke with the late Alex Fisenko in Portland, OR. On his web site at the time was a link to Cuppy’s. Talking with Mr. Fisenko he said I could do it on my own with his help as a consultant or use a new franchise who he was working with. How wrong was I to think going with a franchise would be so much better. I spoke with Mr. Fisenko when he last helped in opening a café in Texas and just a few weeks later he passed away. But when I spoke with him he warned me then to watch out for the snakes associated with Cuppy’s. He couldn’t explain at that time and I was foolish not to follow up with him before his death.

  There was some good to Dale screwing me and the others franchisees who were in the middle of their buildout at the end of Cuppy’s operation. My friend who also was screwed had research other options and introduced me to Stockton Graham in Raleigh, NC. There I was introduced to better equipment and most of all better product to sell. My espresso was by far better and fresher than the crap being sold to us through a warehouse in the middle of Texas. Monin Syrup was also far superior over the crap the Texas warehouse was supplying the franchisees with. Stockton Graham’s knowledge of other products to make and sell like frappes, ice tea, chai and just plain good coffee was far better than the crap I would have had to sell if you had stayed in business. So there was a positive in you closing and screwing all of us. The only good product you had was Dr. Smoothie and that really is the best smoothie mix out there.

  I finally opened in January of 2009. Not only did I have to borrow more money to finalize my buildout and re-buy all my equipment and furnishings but I had to start using my retirement money I had saved. At first it was a struggle as not only was the economy in shambles but we had extreme cold weather in January and February. I also had some issues with my landlord with the entrance and exits to the café. Things did start to pick up and I did have a good morning business. But unfortunately it wasn’t good enough for me to keep my doors open. On July 3, 2010 I had to close my business as I had finally ran out of money using all my savings to stay afloat.

  Over the past year I had to file for bankruptcy to get rid of all the debt I incurred with mortgage loan and personal and business card debt. Seeing I had used my home to secure my loan I have lost my home as well. Thanks, you guys!

  Some good has come out of this. I don’t have any regrets in what I did only that I choose the wrong franchise/company to go with. I provided over the year and a half the best coffee, specialty coffee drinks, frappes, iced coffee and smoothies this area will ever have. Over the last year since I’ve closed I’ve seen many of my customers and they all say how much they miss me. Last past spring while I was out walking with my sister a lady pulled up and said “MR Cuppy I really miss you and the hot chocolate. You had the best and I can’t find anyone close to what you had, I miss you!” My sister remarked that I really did make an impression on a lot of people in town with the café.

  I will say I thought there were some good people for a while at Cuppy’s, Trinity in real estate was very helpful in helping me secure a very good location. Robin was very helpful but knowing what she knew even if she did give me all the equipment contact numbers in the end. Robin you should have had some honesty in your heart. Steve in finance I thought was good but a real snake if I ever met one. Miss Theresa you are the scum of the earth! You lied from day one and you are one who I hope fries in hell. Dale, Morg, Amy, Jennifer and Brian, words along can never express how I feel about you…

  I do need to mention Wachovia, United States Small Business Association and Wells Fargo. Had Wachovia and the SBA done their due diligence like I had maybe this all would be just a bad dream. The good folks at Wachovia and the SBA were all to willing to go ahead and lend me more money knowing I had problems with the franchise and with its closing. But Wachovia had a loan they wanted closed. Their associates wanted there little bonus money by getting me closed. The SBA is a joke but then they’re part of the government and I should have know the government protects themselves and the banks involved with them. Screw the little guy who wants to do something right by opening a small business and employing 2 full time and 5 part time employees. Wells Fargo only comes in the end as they are the ones foreclosing on my home. Their attorney is nothing but a leach working to help destroy yet just one more person who wanted to do some good. Banks and the Government…

  I was raised to never give up. Try something and if it didn’t work out try something else. I have moved on with my life and now have my CDL license and driving around the east coast and Canada. When I see café that is an independent I try to stop and get something to support them. It’s a had nut to crack and hopefully all those still in business and the other independents make it.

  I won’t hide who I am. s far as I’m concerned if you reply to this and can’t use your name I don’t give a rats ass about your opinion.

  In closing I would like to say to Dale, Morg and the others mentioned you know you’ll have to meet your maker someday. I can only hope he has mercy on your heartless soles and give you all some forgiveness. God only knows I will never forgive you for what you have done to me and all the other franchisees!

  Bill Lewis
  Mansfield, Ohio

• I would like to see a discussion on the Mathnasium franchise.

• Kumon should be the Unhappy Franchisee #1 for 2012. Its scare tactics have reached all time high in 2012. This Japanese franchise should not be allowed to operate in this country since its business ethics is against everything we believe in this great country.

  The Kumon management tries to silence all opposing viewpoints from franchisees to employees alike. It recently demoted and laid off many long time employees (majority of them are Caucasian) who dared to voice concerns about Kumon’s self-conflicting company direction under Savio Rebelo, as well as forcing centers to close their doors if the owners are too vocal to its comfort.

  One particular case is Mrs. Kennedy’s center in Florida. Due to medical reason, Mrs. Kennedy requested a medical leaves from the center’s daily operation and the other center owners volunteered to step in. However, the management insists to close down the center citing “no instructors could perform all the duties of her center and manage their own.”

  KNA seems to forget that it has never questioned “yes man” type center owners’ ability to operate 2 or 3 centers. Mrs. Kennedy was one of the most vocal members among all franchisee. Most of us are very disappointed how Kumon is treating her. What happens to Mrs. Kennedy could happen to any franchisee, new and old. If you are thinking about starting a Kumon Center, my advice to you is “wait until Savio Rebelo is gone.

• Agreed. Apparently your business is worth nothing if Kumon dislikes you. I find it intriguing these pages have been scrubbed of all the comments from unhappy Kumon franchisees. Meaning pretty soon this comment will be gone as well.

• Entrepreneur magazine should really check out the business ethics of Kumon. Yearly Entrepreneur Magazine places Kumon in its top franchises list. Kumon is oversaturating the markets thus making existing centers less profitable and virtually precluding new instructors from achieving a sufficient enrollment (100 in three years) to allow their FA to be renewed. Also, if you think that you might someday get sick for longer than one or two weeks, run screaming from this crazy (in my opinion) franchisor. They won’t allow you to have one of your employees or your spouse to be trained to be an instructor, so if you have an illness of any length of time of a month or two or more, Kumon will just close you down and you will still be on the hook for the commercial lease of thousands of dollars a month. Kumon has it the past couple of years become extremely bipolar. They are very nice to you when they are trying to get you to become a franchisee, but once you sign the agreement you are trapped, trapped, trapped. The ruthless way several good instructors have been treated is shocking to us.

  NOTE: The Kumon discussion has moved. Please post Kumon comments here:

  Kumon Franchise Complaints

  Thanks,
  ADMIN

• I bet Liberty Tax will be the number one this year! They certainly have made every effort to cheat and deceive their franchisees so they could get this honor.

• I ave been a Kumon franchisee for 4 years and the relationship with the company has been very good and I have been well supported. However, in the past few years the IAKF (International Association of Kumon Franchisees) and their leader Nicole Smith have intentionally spread mis-information to the Kumon Franchise community. The information mostly has been false and misleading and has created huge animosity between us instructors and the company. The only genuine body representing instructors is the IAC (Instructor Advisory Council). Recently my field representative informed me that Nicole Smith was terminated from her role in the Canada IAC. Three cheers for the Kumon management for finally dealing with this individual.

  NOTE: The Kumon discussion has moved. Please post Kumon comments here:

  Kumon Franchise Complaints

  Thanks,
  ADMIN

• Dear M Lin, Thanks for the update about NICOLE SMITH being terminated from the IAC. I hope Kumon terminates the franchise of other IAKF activist members who have centers in Edina, Steeplechase, Howell and South Elgin. They have brought nothing but shame on our Kumon Instructor community.

  NOTE: The Kumon discussion has moved. Please post Kumon comments here:

  Kumon Franchise Complaints

  Thanks,
  ADMIN

• Savio Rebelo was a despicable employee. His time at Kumon marked the darkest days in the company’s 30 year history in the US. Thank goodness he’s gone, and be forewarned to any employer who is considering hiring him.