Second Cup Coffee Chain Inks Its Third Regional Franchise for 2011

Mississauga, Ontario Canada (PRWEB) August 17, 2011

The Second Cup Coffee Company Inc. (Second Cup) announced that it continues to build its global presence with a new franchise development agreement. The growing coffee caf franchise chain has signed its 17th regional agreement encompassing new cafs to be developed in the Semi-Autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq with HMS Coffee Limited (HMS), a company led by its Director Ali Mahmoud.

This agreement with our Kurdistan partner is symbolic of Second Cups evolution and strategic direction for our global expansion, said Mr. Jim Ragas, President, Second Cup International. Accelerating our international expansion into new regions of the world is one of the main pillars to achieve our vision of making Second Cup recognized as a leading global Premium Caf brand. We are confident and excited for our Second Cup brand to be entering this market with HMS, whose principals have already demonstrated their considerable skill and proficiency in growing other hospitality and franchised operations in Kurdistan and other areas of the Middle East.

Speaking on behalf of HMS, Ali Mahmoud said that We, too, are enthusiastic about this new opportunity to grow the Second Cup caf banner in the Semi-Autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq and we look forward to launching our first caf in Erbil in the coming months with multiple store openings planned for 2012 and beyond.

"Kurdistan provides an excellent demographic for our brand, with a young, affluent and well educated aspirational consumer ready to welcome new products and experiences. Kurdistan has one of the fastest growing populations in the world, rich natural resources and is the gateway to the rest of Iraq. Customers in other regions of the Middle East, Europe and the USA have embraced our Second Cup coffee caf offerings and, building on that momentum, we recognized that the time was ideal to further penetrate the global market," said Mr. Ragas.

Second Cup believes that having strong local owners as operators is instrumental to delivering a better guest-experience. Our franchise partners are selected on the basis of their business acumen, passion for the coffee caf business and customer service, local relationships and entrepreneurial spirit and are fully aligned with the Second Cup vision said Ragas.

The Second Cup coffee caf concept originated over 36 years ago in Toronto, Canada. Second Cups international expansion began in 2003 and has opened cafs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Syria, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Turkey, U.S.A., Cyprus, Romania, Lebanon and soon in Morocco. Second Cup caf operators are committed to serving the best coffees in the world in an inviting ambience with uncompromising standards of customer service, product quality and freshness.

Second Cup cafs are located in 16 countries worldwide with 63 operating internationally. Second Cup cafs offer a variety of innovative and exclusive blends, espresso-based beverages and iced drinks, signature foods, indulgent treats and premium beverages in a warm and comfortable setting. 100% of all Second Cup espresso coffee beans are Rainforest Alliance Certified. Second Cup is actively seeking new regional franchise partners for additional countries. Find out more about Second Cup at http://www.mysecondcup.com.

For more information please contact Jim Ragas, President, Second Cup International, The Second Cup Coffee Company Inc., at (phone) +1.905.234.0315 or e-mail jragas(at)mysecondcup(dot)com

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