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Podcast: North Star with Ellin Bessner
Episode: Why Israel’s Aroma Espresso Bar owes $10 million to their original Canadian franchisor—but they’re not paying (yet)
Description: The popular Israeli chain of Aroma Espresso coffee bars is tied up in a three-and-a-half year legal fight with the Toronto business partners who originally brought the brand to Canada in 2007.
Aroma’s foray here had been considered an international success story for the Israeli brand: at its peak, founder Earl Gorman and manager Anat Davidzon grew the branch to 45 franchise locations in and around Toronto. That was the most anywhere outside of Israel, where Aroma has about 160.
There were plans to open many more here, but by 2017 Aroma’s Canadian venture was in serious fina...