Undercover Boss Canada, episode 7: bad hair extensions and a coffee shop in crisis
On this week’s episode, Second Cup CEO Stacey Mowbray went undercover to figure out why Second Cup is losing out to “competitors” (translation: Starbucks and Tim Hortons). Although her repeated use of the term “front lines” is annoying—they’re coffee shops, not war zones—Mowbray’s backstory endears her to us: she was the first person in her family to go to university, and she worked her way through school with part-time jobs. We also applaud her willingness to don some seriously bad shaggy layers and dark eyeliner, all in the name of coffee reconnaissance. But is it enough make her an everyday hero? All the details, after the jump.
Ratty extensions taken care of, Mowbray heads to her hotel for the week. (By the way, are the hotel stays really necessary? Every week, the narrator acts like it’s ghastly, but the CEOs never care. Plus, Mowbray could have easily commuted, since she only went to Toronto-area shops. Just saying). She actually makes a decent coffee shop employee, though she messes up her latte art with big glops of milk foam. We’re most impressed that Mowbray actually implements her employee’s suggestions, making a policy to donate leftover food, expanding the company’s catering business and closing down a struggling café on Queen Street West. (Hold on, Queen West hipsters don’t like chain coffee shops? How very surprising.)
She gets all Rambo in the roasting factory, ripping open sacks of coffee beans with a lethal-looking tool.
Sometimes, it seems like she’s never spoken to a customer before. Supervisor Simone tells her, “Just say, this is your total.” Mowbray says, “Okay.” Then—silence. Simone: “Soooo…you can just tell her.”
Sure, her attempt at making a heart on the top of a latte is bad, but at least she admits it. “Oh, man, that is not good,” she says. “Not good.”
She sticks around for a musical performance by one of her employees.
Mowbray was serious enough about the concept to go to a coffee shop that was in really bad shape (the machines didn’t work and the drinks weren’t hot).
Hired. (As soon as she learns to make a decent latte heart.)
. Although her repeated use of the term “front lines” is annoying—they’re coffee shops, not war zones—Mowbray’s backstory endears her to us: she was the first person in her family to go to university, and she worked her way through school with part-time jobs. We also applaud her willingness to don some seriously bad shaggy layers and dark eyeliner, all in the name of coffee reconnaissance. But is it enough make her an everyday hero? All the details, after the jump.
Ratty extensions taken care of, Mowbray heads to her hotel for the week. (By the way, are the hotel stays really necessary? Every week, the narrator acts like it’s ghastly, but the CEOs never care. Plus, Mowbray could have easily commuted, since she only went to Toronto-area shops. Just saying). She actually makes a decent coffee shop employee, though she messes up her latte art with big glops of milk foam. We’re most impressed that Mowbray actually implements her employee’s suggestions, making a policy to donate leftover food, expanding the company’s catering business and closing down a struggling café on Queen Street West. (Hold on, Queen West hipsters don’t like chain coffee shops? How very surprising.)
Wherein we note where the CEOs embrace life as a plebe (everyday heroes, represented by Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope), and where they out themselves as fat-cat fakes (everyday zeroes, represented by Ricky Gervais’s David Brent)
She gets all Rambo in the roasting factory, ripping open sacks of coffee beans with a lethal-looking tool.
Sometimes, it seems like she’s never spoken to a customer before. Supervisor Simone tells her, “Just say, this is your total.” Mowbray says, “Okay.” Then—silence. Simone: “Soooo…you can just tell her.”
Sure, her attempt at making a heart on the top of a latte is bad, but at least she admits it. “Oh, man, that is not good,” she says. “Not good.”
She sticks around for a musical performance by one of her employees.
Mowbray was serious enough about the concept to go to a coffee shop that was in really bad shape (the machines didn’t work and the drinks weren’t hot).
Hired. (As soon as she learns to make a decent latte heart.)
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I just want to say how disappointed I am in the cheap Gratitude that was given to the hard workers…”a donation to a rainforest in the guys name For working for the company for 17 yrs”!!!! COME ON STACEY THATS NOT GRATITUDE!!! A PAID 1 WK VACATION ISNT THAT POLICY ANYWAY?? THE GRATITUDE HERE WAS VERRY LOW KEY AND THESE PEOPLE BRING IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A MONTH FOR UR COMPANY!!! JUST SAYING THE CHEAPEST CEO GRATITUDE I HAVE SEEN YET!!
Second Cup was the cheapest Company ever to appear on Undercover Boss (US or Canada). This company is a loser.
I agree with the previous comment re low show of Gratitude. Nice to make the contribution in his name, but seriously, nothing for him after 17 years ??? That’s pathetic. It was absolutely cheapest effort yet on Undercover Boss to show corporate gratitude. Embarrassingly stingy. Perhaps 2nd Cup really is in trouble financially if they can’t even pony up a decent bonus to impress everyone across the country with their true attitude towards employees. Why would anyone want to work for them? Seriously. I wonder who’s decision it was not to reward their employees properly on national television.
What I would like say that I also agree with the others here on stating how small minded this woman is; very unimaginative she was with her rewards to the employees.
One very important point that I noticed is that she did not reprimand anyone at head office when she found out how bad the equipment was in that store she closed; someone received the old ladies list of faulty equipment but did nothing to improve or replace it. How did not one of those executives at head office do anything about improving or closing that store a long time ago.
Someone should of been fired
You have got to be kidding me!!! Why in the world would any of these employees want to work for your company? As the CEO of Second Cup what do you make a year? Must be too much if that’s all the company could afford to give these employees. Shame on you Stacey!! You and the rest of Second Cup’s upper management should be thoroughly embarrassed! You really should look up what “gratitude” means in the dictionary or better yet they should change the definition of “cheap” to mean Second Cup! You need to get your head out of your @$$ and show your employees some real gratitude!
I am shocked to see the low level of gratitude given to employees by these undercover bosses. Hate to say this, but there are times when a bit of a bonus
would help ($$) so they could choose what to do with it… I was amazed they didn’t give the employees a year’s worth of free coffee or a few 24’s (Molson).
Have watched the British and USA undercover boss, and am ashamed of the Canadian one. Like “Come dine with me”, the Canadian one is horrible!
Where are they finding these bosses and “dinners”…