Second Cup Shuts Down Montreal Cafe Over Franchisee’s Hate Gesture During Protest

A cup of coffee is shown at a Second Cup Coffee outlet in a file photo. The Canadian Press/Chris Young

Second Cup Canada has cut ties with its franchisee at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital after the franchisee was spotted allegedly making hateful gestures during an anti-Israel protest last week.

“Last night, our franchisee at the Jewish General Hospital was filmed making hateful remarks and gestures,” Second Cup said in a statement published on social media platform X on Nov. 23.

“This franchisee’s actions are not only a breach of our franchise agreement, but they also violate the values of inclusion and community we stand for at Second Cup.”

The decision came after Peter Mammas, CEO of Montreal-based Foodtastic, which owns Second Cup Canada, confirmed with operations staff and employees that a woman seen in videos circulated online that show her allegedly making hateful gestures and comments during protests in Montreal is a franchisee of the coffee chain.

One video shows the woman walking around Concordia University’s downtown Montreal campus saying “final solution is coming your way”—wording used by the Nazis to eliminate Jewish people during WWII. She is also seen allegedly making a Nazi salute in another image.

The specialty coffee retailer said that it has “zero tolerance for hate speech.”

“In coordination with the hospital, we’ve shut down the franchisee’s cafe and are terminating their franchise agreement.”

The coffee chain said it will continue paying the staff “until the location at the Jewish General Hospital reopens under new management.”

Conservative Senator Leo Housakos, who represents Quebec, praised Second Cup for taking “a principled stand at risk to their own business.”

“In so doing, they are showing the courage and leadership [Canada] needs right now but is so desperately lacking from those in the highest of public offices,” he said on X on Nov. 23.

Riot

On Nov. 22, pro-Palestine rioters set cars ablaze and smashed windows of buildings on the first night of a NATO conference being held at the convention centre in downtown Montreal from Nov. 22 to 25. Some 300 delegates from NATO member and partner countries are expected to attend the meeting, says a news release.

Smoke bombs were deployed and metal barriers were tossed into the street during the march, Montreal police said. The protesters also smashed windows of the convention centre and nearby businesses. Police said three arrests have been made and that they expect to make more arrests.

Montreal police arrested three people, and said more arrests would be forthcoming.

Politicians condemned acts of anti-Semitism during the riots.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said what unfolded was “appalling.”

“Acts of antisemitism, intimidation, and violence must be condemned wherever we see them,” Trudeau said.

“The violent and hateful scenes we witnessed last night in the streets of Montreal, with attacks specifically targeting the Jewish community, are unacceptable,” Quebec Premier François Legault also condemned the violence said on Nov. 23.

“Burning cars and smashing windows is not sending a message, it is causing chaos. Such acts have no place in a peaceful society like Quebec.”

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said the riots had no place in her city.

“The excesses of the demonstration last night are shocking and have no place in a peaceful metropolis like Montreal. Neither chaos, violence nor trouble towards merchants are tolerated and I thank the [Montreal Police] who made several arrests yesterday,” she said in a Nov. 23 post on X.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.