Our
Story
From our humble beginning in 1975 as a kiosk in a shopping mall, selling only whole bean coffee, Second Cup Café has become the largest Canadian specialty coffee retailer. Our goal is to be the best. For us, that means putting coffee at the core of business, focusing on quality, innovation and creating an individual experience for our customers.
With innovation, sustainability and a focus on the community in our DNA and in our beans, we know you’ll want a Second Cup.
1970s
In August, 1975, Second Cup was born as a kiosk shopping mall that sold six blends of specialty coffee beans. This was a small yet impressive start to what was to come next – an exciting future as a staple Canadian brand, brewing fresh, delicious coffees every day.
1990s
In the 1990s, we brushed up on our French and dipped our toes in the Quebec market with two cafés in Montreal. Mais oui! As café culture swept across North America, we expanded our offerings to include espresso, blender drinks, iced teas and a whole lot more.
2015
We decided it was time for a makeover — The Second Cup Café concept opened December 5th at 289 King Street West in Toronto. To go with our fresh new look, we revamped what goes in our cups, too.
1980s
Throughout the late 1980s, the chain experienced rapid growth. By 1989, Second Cup had approximately 130 cafés, with shopping malls and office tower locations comprising over two thirds of its café network, and an ongoing focus on brewed coffee, whole bean coffee and coffee-related merchandise.
2000s
As a Canadian specialty coffee retailer, Second Cup has become a second home to hundreds of thousands of customers every day. And because we know our customers appreciate a great cup of coffee, we’ve created an environment that highlights this careful coffee selection process, pays homage to the global coffee community, and shares with them our wealth of coffee knowledge. Paired with baristas that celebrate craftsmanship and take pride in all that they do, each experience is truly handcrafted.
1970s
In August, 1975, Second Cup was born as a kiosk shopping mall that sold six blends of specialty coffee beans. This was a small yet impressive start to what was to come next – an exciting future as a staple Canadian brand, brewing fresh, delicious coffees every day.
1980s
Throughout the late 1980s, the chain experienced rapid growth. By 1989, Second Cup had approximately 130 cafés, with shopping malls and office tower locations comprising over two thirds of its café network, and an ongoing focus on brewed coffee, whole bean coffee and coffee-related merchandise.
1990s
In the 1990s, we brushed up on our French and dipped our toes in the Quebec market with two cafés in Montreal. Mais oui! As café culture swept across North America, we expanded our offerings to include espresso, blender drinks, iced teas and a whole lot more.
2000s
As a Canadian specialty coffee retailer, Second Cup has become a second home to hundreds of thousands of customers every day. And because we know our customers appreciate a great cup of coffee, we’ve created an environment that highlights this careful coffee selection process, pays homage to the global coffee community, and shares with them our wealth of coffee knowledge. Paired with baristas that celebrate craftsmanship and take pride in all that they do, each experience is truly handcrafted.
2015
We decided it was time for a makeover — The Second Cup Café concept opened December 5th at 289 King Street West in Toronto. To go with our fresh new look, we revamped what goes in our cups, too.
2017
All the way from sunny California, Pinkberry® frozen yogurt joined our menu to make life a little sweeter. Their high-quality, fresh ingredients make you feel good about indulging, with as little as 100 calories per cup.
Our
Philosophy
Clean. Green. Beans.
Coffee tastes better when you know where it comes from. We care about how our coffee is grown and that farmers are paid fairly for their work. And we care about the planet — After all, we want to make sure there’s plenty of coffee for future generations to enjoy.
FAIR TRADE CERTIFIED
Fairly traded coffee beans are worth every penny. Coffee producers use the profits from their superior-quality harvest to reinvest in their farm, their employees and sustainable initiatives to develop environmentally-friendly methods that produce the best-tasting coffee. Cuzco® and Rwanda Musasa light roasts are Fairtrade Certified, a standard for social and economic sustainability. And every coffee we serve is fairly-traded, so you can enjoy each sip.
SWISS WATER DECAFFEINATION PROCESS
How do you get the caffeine out of the bean? At Second Cup, it’s with the SWISS WATER® Process. 100% pure and chemical-free, unlike others who use methylene chloride or ethyl acetate to remove caffeine. If we can’t pronounce it, it doesn’t go in our coffee. The SWISS WATER® Process is gentle, and keeps the full, natural flavour of the coffee in your cup.
RAINFOREST ALLIANCE CERTIFIED
We’re proud that nearly every Second Cup coffee is Rainforest Alliance Certified™. That means we uphold our commitment to community and the environment through supporting the rights of workers and their families. And we focus on biodiversity — Certification helps support sustainable environmental, development on each farm and its surrounding community. Look for the Rainforest Alliance™ symbol on our menu, and raise a cup to sustainable farms.
ETHICAL TEA PARTNERSHIP
We love coffee, but there’s always room in our hearts for tea. At Second Cup, we only source our tea from members of the Ethical Tea Partnership, an equal-opportunity employer (just like us!) focused on good farming practices and living wages. Health, safety and sustainability is at the heart of all they do, through all links in the tea supply chain. Their focus on clean drinking water improves the social and environmental prospects of tea farmers and their communities.
At Second Cup Café, we believe that our premium, specialty coffee deserves the highest quality food offering.
We partner with local best in class bakeries and food suppliers across the country to provide premium quality food made fresh locally and delivered fresh to our cafes.