Cuppy’s Coffee Overview
August 29, 2008
Have you had dealings with Java Jo’z, Cuppy’s Coffee or Elite Manufacturing?
Please share a comment below.
Cuppy’s Coffee & Java Jo’z Interviews:
CUPPY’S COFFEE: Interview with Franchisee Criston Menz
CUPPY’S COFFEE: Interview with Franchisee Mary Patrick
CUPPY’S COFFEE/JAVA JO’Z: Interview with Robyn & Corey Rivera
CUPPY’S COFFEE: Interview With Franchisee Rick Noem
CUPPY’S COFFEE: Interview with Franchisee Mike Herber
CUPPY’S COFFEE: Interview with Franchisee Daniel Suarez & Jaime Schneider
CUPPY’S COFFEE: Interview with Franchise Owner Joshua Miranda
CUPPY’S COFFEE: An Interview With Franchisee David Morgan
A Chronology of a Failed Franchise:
Mary Patrick shares the details of how it it took 22 months to open her Cuppy’s Coffee franchise, and only 8 months to close:
Mary Patrick: Finding a Site (Months 1-6)
Mary Patrick: Site Plan & Lease (7 Months)
Mary Patrick: Construction Nightmare 1 (MCSI 3 Months)
Mary Patrick: Construction Nightmare 2 (5 Months)
Mary Patrick: Grand Opening to Closing (8 Months)
Cuppy’s Coffee and its previous and related entities (Java Jo’z, Emerald Coast Manufacturing, Elite Manufacturing, Medina Enterprises, Medina Management, Specialty Coffee Coop, and now FranSynergy) have been prolific and controversial producers of unhappy franchisees throughout their few years of existence. This small company has created a nearly unprecedented crop of unhappy franchisees under the Java Jo’z,
Cuppy’s Coffee and Elite Manufacturing entities. Many franchisees were “preapproved” for financing from the company and gave Elite $30K - $52K “refundable” deposits. When they were unable to secure funding, Elite refused to return their money. Those who did get funding and a location have worse stories of construction delays, lack of support, and individual losses of approaching half a million dollars.
Criston Menz writes that she’s been trying since March, 2007 to get the $35,900 refundable deposit Cuppy’s Coffee owes her.
Robin & Corey Rivera have been trying to get the $30,000 deposit they gave for a Java Jo’z since 2006.
Other reading:
Unhappy Cuppy’s Coffee Franchisees:
Lina & Lee
Cuppy’s Coffee Franchise, Elite Manufacturing, Medina Complaints
CUPPY’S COFFEE, Java Jo’z, Elite Manufacturing, Medina Blogliography
[...] appreciate the irony of the happy happy video compared with the actual nightmarish experiences of Cuppy’s Coffee [...]
[...] read: Cuppy’s Coffee Overview, CUPPY’S COFFEE, Java Jo’z, Elite Manufacturing, Medina Blogliography, Cuppy’s [...]
[...] are hundreds of people who naively handed over tens of thousands of dollars to these guys for a Cuppy’s Coffee franchise. These deposits were to be refundable if the “depositers” couldn’t get [...]
Re: Dale Nabors invitation to this Friday’s conference call - HERE YOU GO………… THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT THAT ROBERT MORGAN & BRIAN HAYES ARE BACK & BETTER THAN EVER!!! HIDE YOUR PETS & CHILDREN; EMPTY YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS & HIDE WHAT’S LEFT OF YOUR MONEY; KISS YOUR INVESTMENTS TOTALLY GOODBYE. FOR THOSE FOOLS THAT WANT TO BELIEVE MORG, BRIAN OR DALE WILL FINALLY DO THE RIGHT THING, I WOULDN’T SEND IN ANY MONEY UNTIL YOUR PROJECT IS 100% COMPLETE & YOU HAVE SIGNED DOCUMENTATION THAT SHOWS EVERY VENDOR/GC HAS BEEN PAID SO SOMEONE CAN’T PUT A LIEN ON YOUR STORE LATER. AND BY ALL MEANS THIS TIME… PLAY IT SAFE! I DON’T CARE HOW MUCH EITHER OF THEM TRY TO CONVIENCE YOU THAT IT WAS ALL SOMEONE ELSES FAULT THAT YOU LOST YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY.
This nightmare began for us in June 2005. We’ve lost $33,900 which was our deposit.
Can someone, anyone, give concrete evidence that Morg and Brian are back in the game? Just curious.
has anyone seen the Go Big Network website??? Shows Morg as asking for funds for a startup company….Medina. Anyone familiar with it? Not sure how long it has been there? ANYONE?
That’s been up there for quite a while. Long before Dale took over. I posted a reference to it a long time ago. I’ll look for the date I ran across it.
Pretty interesting…
Here’s the listing on Go Big Network - a site for people seeking funding. I think when I first ran across it Morg was claiming that Cuppy’s and Elite were more separate than positioned here. Plus… is the website Specialty Coffee Co-op?
_________________________________
Robert “Morg” Morgan
Role: Startup; Service Provider; Advisor
Looking: for funding
Location: Fort Walton Beach, FL (USA)
Startup: Medina Enterprises - Cuppys Coffee
Industry: Manufacturing
Year Founded: 2004
Legal Status: INVALID
Location: Fort Walton Beach, FL (USA)
Company Description:
We Own and operate businesses that generate in excess of $30,000,000.00 plus in annual sales.
1. A NATIONAL FRANCHISE - Cuppys Coffee & More - 50+ stores open and additional 70 under construction.
2. A NATIONAL COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT COMPANY - Elite Manufacturing & Construction Management -
3. INTERNATIONAL ECOMMERCE SITE - Generates more than $1,000,000 in annual sales and is set to begin doubling every 120 days.
http://www.gobignetwork.com/profiles/RobertMorg-Morgan.aspx?SearchType=&CountryCode=USA&Keywords=morg+morgan&page=1&PageSize=10&SortBy=4&ReturnURL=%2Fsearch%2Fdefault.aspx%3FSearchType%3D%26CountryCode%3DUSA%26Keywords%3Dmorg%2Bmorgan
Martin:
About the Go Big Network post, it was referenced here in March, 2008, but I’d imagine it was up long before that:
Some Words from AAFD on Cuppy’s Coffee Raises More Questions
just got this email in….so i try and login into my account, said bad password, so i asked to reset my password, still doesnt work. i guess since i requested 30k back i dont get to login anymore, even tho i still am a franchisee with another unit…
From the Desk of Dale Nabors
From: Information (info@cuppys.com)
You may not know this sender.Mark as safe|Mark as unsafe
Sent: Mon 10/13/08 4:39 PM
To: Updates (Updates@office.medinamgt.com)
Dear Franchisee:
Good Morning, and based on where you live Happy ‘Columbus Day’, , ‘National Day’, ‘Discoverer’s Day’, ‘Friendship Day’, ‘Native American Day’, ‘Dia de la Raza’, ‘Dia de las Culturas’, ‘Dia de la Hispanidad’, or ‘Dia de la Resistencia Indigena’ and to our friends in Canada — Happy Thanksgiving.
This email will be the first of future communications to help the Cuppy’s family move forward in a more successful direction. Based upon the October 3 conference call, we have created a survey form and a blog to improve communication and information sharing. These tools have been added to the Franchisee Portal. Please log into your Cuppys.net account, where you should see Two New Tabs at the top of the page, one titled [SURVEYS] and the other titled [BLOG].
THE SURVEY TAB
By clicking on the SURVEY tab, you will be taken to a page of available surveys, where you should find a new survey titled ‘Franchisee Information Survey’. We’d like to ask that you complete this survey as soon as possible and before the end of the week. Please answer all questions as completely, accurately, and honestly as possible. Individual franchisee responses will be used by corporate staff to better serve individual franchisees, and the overall collective responses will be used collectively to help all stores.
The survey consists of approximately 120 questions, which we recognize is rather lengthy, therefore it has been designed so that you DO NOT have to finish the survey from one location or in one sitting. You may save your answers at any time by clicking SAVE ANSWERS. The next time you log in your previously answered questions will be saved, and you can resume with your next unanswered question.
Thank you in advance for your timely completion of this important survey.
BLOG
Click on the BLOG tab. This will take you to a new blog titled “A Coffee Break with Dale”. This is but one of many new tools which we will be introducing in the coming weeks and months to help improve overall communications with our franchisees.
You can expect Dale to make his first post later today. As a franchisee you will be able to post questions for Dale and respond to post made by Dale and others. The purpose of this blog is to improve communications, and facilitate the timely exchange of information and ideas which will help build and grow Cuppy’s as a brand and assist individual franchisees in building and growing their individual units.
The blog IS NOT intended to be a place to gripe. Personal attacks and profane language will not be tolerated or allowed to be posted on the blog; therefore, these types of postings will not be approved. It is okay to address a problem, negative or positive, in a professional manner. It IS NOT okay to attack an individual or group. To reiterate, the purpose of this blog is to improve the Cuppy’s Brand in its business and communications.
Thank you,
Cuppy’s Coffee Smoothies & More
I bet you never would have asked for your money back if you knew it would cost you the chance to have “A Coffee Break with Dale”
Actually, I think one of the commenters here gave them this idea with the daily email suggestion.
What’s next? “Fireside Chats with Dale” podcasts from the cabin in Kennebunkport?
i guess i wont be invited to the joint AIG bailout then go to a luxury spa exec’s and Alabama Dream Team roundtable discussion either
Hmm, Dale started this same thing of an ‘ask question’ forum on BMM last year, but then stopped posting/answering questions and left it up to others to answer.
Why it takes 6 months for this to be the answer is beyond me. What are the odds that he answers any tough questions on this thing? My guess: zero. The first question that should be asked is ‘How are you going to get the company out of this mess?’
The first question that should be asked is ‘How are you going to get the company out of this mess?’
jd… that is just the kind of negativity that can’t be tolerated at Coffee Talk with Dale. “The blog IS NOT intended to be a place to gripe….the purpose of this blog is to improve the Cuppy’s Brand in its business and communications.”
Don’t you know that asking questions like that is what caused the banks to lose confidence and poisoned the Success Fairy?
okay admin, you’re right that won’t be the first question, this is what it’ll be:
Zee: Dale, I’m finding that for about 10 minutes/day, all the seating in my cafe is taken. i’ve decided that i need another table or two. Can you help me with a vendor?
Dale: Great question. Sure we can help you out. Send $20,000 to ‘Elite Manufactuing’ and in about 5-6 months we’ll have those tables to you.
By getting franchisees to comminicate on “Dale’s Blog”, he will have control over what is published or not. He’s just up to another trick trying to get negative bloggers to stop.
I guess this so called improved comunication still excludes the people that gave their deposits and just want their money returned to them. I have yet to see anything positive from him concerning those people.
I would bet my last dollar…well, I actually have about $3 after the bankruptcy. Anyways, I can assure you that Morg is still behind the scenes in this. There is no way that he would just walk away. He is too greedy and too sly to just walk away.
Trust me.
please be careful what you say. Anything said here is liable to end up in a court proceeding. Just be careful, this is a public forum. Open records.
I am sorry for rambling on, but as I think about this, I guess I only have myself to blame for our own downfall. I should of been less naive, and not trusted people who treated you so well at the beginning. And then dumped you like a bad habit. Think about all those youngsters you talked to on the phone, when you were trying to get an answer to something. None of them have any experience. I were simply yes people. They were getting paid nominal wages based on nominal educations. Morg hired people to answer phones and pay them the least amount he could in that small town of Ft. Walton Beach, which makes its money on tourism. Anyways, the blame starts with me and then goes on and on from there. I never thought I would make a decision in business that would affect my life in such negative ways. Marriage, money, financial security. Its all gone now. I wish I never would of met these people and Morg who is nothing more than a slick talking salesman. I am sorry for all of your hurts and negative experiences this has caused. Sometimes I just want to die. Its that bad. I wish all of you the best.
Marriage, money, financial security. Its all gone now. I wish I never would of met these people and Morg who is nothing more than a slick talking salesman. I am sorry for all of your hurts and negative experiences this has caused. Sometimes I just want to die. Its that bad. I wish all of you the best.
Martin:
I have been where you are now. You will get through this. It will get better. And you will emerge stronger and smarter. And this will never, ever happen to you again. You were naive, yes, and now you aren’t. You are among the ex-naive, you have a new understanding of the crap people can pull and get away withit. But god help the next cloud salesman who comes your way saying “trust me.”
Don’t give up, man. Don’t let them win. Talk to somebody when your thoughts get dark like that. Email me at unhappyfranchisee[at]gmail.com
okay, okay MR>DALE wants to improve communication. This is what he needs to do. . How about letting us know when he is planning to re- pay all of us. This page is not going to make things better we are to angry many of us have already gotten lawyers not until he takes care of this HUGE PROBLEM is when people will start to respect and improve what we say here. He needs to talk to us the VICTIMS and open a line of communication with us we can not even call cuppys nobody anwers the phones voice mails are always full. Yes Dale open communication dozes of us are very MAD, ANGRY come on get real solve this communication problem first then maybe people will actually take you serioustly.
Well the 7-10 days of personal phone calls is just about up. Did anyone get their 1:1 call to go over their individual situation? Or was sending a 120 question survey supposed to take the place of communication?
I’m sure all the franchisees are more than happy to fill out an introductory questionaire to explain who they are, what they paid, what they would like to see happen, and which millenium they’d prefer to have their Cuppy’s Coffee branded business open.
Here’s the real question. What is the purpose of the survey? Is it anonymous, or will he know who is saying what? Will he use that to determine which franchisees get more help than others (ie if you are more positive, you’ll be helped first).
I’m sorry to say to all of the Cuppy’s victims that you will NOT be getting re-paid. The company has NO money and I wouldn’t be surprised if their next step is filing for bankruptcy. Since the company has NO assets to liquidate to re-pay the victims they will all be out of luck. Sad, but true.
Martin,
Hang in there! We also had to file for bankruptcy and lost a lot at the hands of Cuppy’s/Medina/Elite. I refuse to let it get the best of us. We will not allow them to take our dignity along with everything else they stole from us. Keep fighting for what is rightfully yours and don’t give up on yourself!