Franchise Agreement Terminated

Official Notice of Franchise Termination

Qargo Coffee, Inc. has terminated its Franchise Agreement with Issam Ozeir for the Tampa, Florida location, effective January 15, 2026, following repeated, severe, and uncorrected violations of brand standards, health and safety regulations, and franchise agreement terms.

Review Violations Download Documents

6.52%

Audit Score

Items Flagged

Photos on File

Formal Warnings

Inside the Tampa store

The conditions our customers were exposed to

59 photographs taken on-site at 2223 N. Westshore Blvd, Tampa, FL. Health-code violations, unauthorized competitor product (Lavazza, Monin, Torani, Lotus), cross-contamination, expired food, and filth throughout the store.

View all evidence →

Grab & Go display stocked with non-approved bottled beverages — Mole Cola, Pellegrino, Acqua Panna and other unauthorized brands

Employee restroom used as storage — boxes of cups and supplies blocking the hand-wash sink (critical health code violation)

Restroom floor packed with stored cases of unauthorized bottled water and soda

Restroom floor — Mole Cola cases, San Pellegrino, Coca-Cola and personal clothing piled next to a floor drain

Hand-wash sink in employee restroom completely blocked by stacked cup boxes and personal laundry — basic hygiene impossible

Coffee bean storage — Lavazza and other non-Qargo-approved coffee brands stocked under official Qargo Coffee shelf labels

Floor storage of Celsius energy drinks, Sanpellegrino multipacks, Mole Cola and bulk paper towels — none of these are Qargo-approved SKUs

Three-compartment sink (Wash/Rinse/Sanitize) misused — sanitizer buckets full of soiled rags and a plastic bottle dumped in the wash basin

Critical

Syrup wall — large stock of Lotus Energy concentrates — unauthorized non-Qargo brand

Rows of unapproved Monin and Lotus bottles dominating storage instead of Qargo-spec product

Wider syrup shelving — full inventory of unauthorized Lotus Energy bottles plus Monarch's Choice honey

Walk-in fridge — bakery boxes stored directly on shelving with no individual product expiration labeling

Bottom shelf shows torn boxes with exposed/leaking pastries sitting on the fridge floor (cross-contamination risk)

Bakery items labeled 'PICK UP TAMPA WEST 05/17/25' and '05/16/25' still being stored at the time of inspection

Walk-in fridge bottom — open gallon jugs of milk on the floor with bakery boxes dripping above

Reach-in fridge — handwritten 'Use 1st 4/28' on cheese boxes next to a Celsius energy-drink case (unauthorized SKU)

Cheese boxes marked 'Use 1st 4/28' photographed during the May inspection — well past the use-by note

BOH freezer — Bindi cake boxes stamped 5/13, 5/6 and 'egg 2nd Receive 4/28/25': long-stored product mixed with new

'Receive 4/28/25 Use 2nd Bacon' carton plus Chinese-language handwritten boxes indicating unauthorized products in cold storage

Unbranded 'CLEAR COLD' cup sleeve — generic non-Qargo packaging stored loosely in a cardboard box

Critical

'Sunset Brands CLEAR PET COLD DRINK CUPS' — generic foodservice supplier brand, not the Qargo-spec branded cup

Sunset Brands cup sleeve open and stored unsealed — exposed cup rims left uncovered (lip-contact contamination risk)

Disposables shelf — Sunset Brands sleeves only, no Qargo-branded cups visible anywhere on the rack

Walk-in fridge dairy shelf — retail consumer cartons (Silk, Good & Gather) instead of approved Qargo foodservice dairy SKUs

Bottom of the walk-in fridge — unlabeled containers of brown liquid and a soiled cloth lying directly on the fridge floor

Multiple unlabeled tubs of brown syrup/liquid stacked on the fridge floor next to a retail-grade marinade bottle

Walk-in fridge — full inventory of retail consumer dairy (Silk, Good & Gather) — none are Qargo-approved foodservice SKUs

Chinese-language bulk milk-tea powder, Bossen Taro and Matcha sitting on a torn Celsius energy-drink shipping carton used as a tray

Retail Fage Greek yogurt tub being used as the ingredient container for matcha service, on a torn energy-drink box

Unauthorized 'Qbubble' Chinese-import 3-in-1 milk-tea powder, opened and stored on a Fage yogurt tub

Syrup wall — entire shelving unit stocked with unauthorized Monin and Torani retail-grade syrups instead of the Qargo line

Front-of-house pastry case — staff member reaching directly into the open display case with a bare arm (no glove, no utensil)

Merrychef high-speed oven — interior pan scorched and encrusted with carbonized food residue

Convection oven interior — racks, walls and bottom plate caked with baked-on grease and food carbon

Pastry-case interior glass shelf — heavy rust streaks, food debris and grime across the food-contact surface

Front-of-house counter — yellow Lavazza coffee bag displayed for retail sale at a Qargo Coffee storefront

Lavazza-branded Cold Brew Cornelius dispenser at the service counter; consumer Wi-Fi webcam zip-tied above the hand-wash dispenser

Customer-facing menu boards prominently feature 'LAVAZZA' branding at a Qargo Coffee store — direct competitor exposure to customers

Under-counter shelf at the espresso station — Lavazza coffee bags and unauthorized Monin/Torani syrups as the active backup stock

Active service espresso machine is a Lavazza two-group unit; used shot glasses on the drip tray and markers on the cup warmer

Pre-poured drinks served to mall customers in 'Qargo Coffee — Proudly Serving LAVAZZA' co-branded cups

Three-group Lavazza espresso machine — full Lavazza-branded chassis as the primary espresso platform at the Qargo Coffee storefront

Reach-in dairy fridge — entire stock is retail-grade consumer dairy (Silk, Good & Gather); no foodservice SKUs

Under-counter prep fridge — 'Fanale' popping boba (unauthorized Asian-import topping) plus retail S. Pellegrino bottles

Brew station — two large Lavazza-branded coffee airpots as the primary drip coffee dispensers at the Qargo Coffee FOH

Customer-facing menu boards use Lavazza-branded boba tea imagery; consumer Wi-Fi webcam instead of the required Solink camera

Storage area floor — Italian-import 'Yoga' fruit nectar and Coca-Cola glass bottles in torn cases on a stained floor

Yoga case bears the franchise-shipping label 'QARGO COFFEE TAMPA WS — 05/16/25' confirming unauthorized Italian juice stored at this location

High

Personal clothing stored on hangers next to dry goods and disposables — hygiene and brand-policy violation

Prep area — rice cooker (unauthorized substitute for the approved boba cooker) next to the Wash/Rinse/Sanitize sink

Back-of-house syrup shelving — unapproved Arrezzio olive oil, generic syrups and bulk Domino sugar mixed above a Lavazza-branded cup

Mop closet — chemical bottles stored on a single open shelf above the mop sink with a soiled mop; no chemical segregation

Hand-drawn whiteboard staff schedule with Chinese-character annotations — required corporate scheduling system not in use

Overhead wire shelving — torn cardboard boxes stuffed with loose, bagged unbranded plastic cups directly above food-contact equipment

On top of the back-of-house refrigerator — torn cardboard boxes of bagged disposable cups exposed to ceiling dust

Convection oven door — interior glass coated with baked-on grease and food splatter; door gasket area heavily soiled

Front Food Fridge — products labeled in handwritten pink marker directly on the glass; consumer kitchen timers stuck on top

Open trash bin sitting against a structural column directly beside the bakery display case

Front-of-house tea bar — Harney & Sons and Revolution Tea unauthorized retail-grade tea brands instead of the Qargo program

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Executive Summary

Nearly four years of repeated, documented non-compliance

After nearly four years of operations (March 2022 – January 2026), the Tampa location operated by Issam Ozeir consistently failed to meet Qargo Coffee's operational, health, and brand standards. Despite multiple written warnings, extensive on-site corporate training, and detailed corrective action plans, the franchisee showed persistent disregard for standards.

Inspections in May 2025 documented critical health code violations including food and beverages stored in the restroom, visible mold inside the cold-brew machine, syrups expired more than 6 months, unauthorized non-Qargo products, rusted food-contact surfaces, and a recipe manual in a foreign language.

The franchisee's actions endangered customers, damaged the Qargo Coffee brand, and resulted in Qargo Coffee being named in an insurance lawsuit stemming from his negligent operations.

Impact on the Brand

Damage caused by the franchisee

Lawsuit

Insurance lawsuit naming Qargo

Health Risk

Customer safety endangered

Brand

Reputation damage across markets

4 Years

Resources spent on remediation

Brand Reputation Damage

Customer complaints regarding quality, cleanliness, and food safety directly impact the Qargo Coffee brand reputation across all locations.

Legal Liability

Qargo Coffee was named in an insurance lawsuit as a result of this franchisee's negligent operations, creating significant legal and financial exposure.

Customer Safety Concerns

Health code violations including mold, improper food storage, and expired ingredients put customer health and safety at serious risk.

Warning to Other Franchisors

Issam Ozeir has demonstrated, through documented evidence, that he is not suitable for franchise ownership.

Consistent disregard for health and safety standards that endangered customers
Repeated failure to follow brand standards despite extensive training and support
Poor communication and lack of responsiveness to franchisor directives
Inability or unwillingness to maintain basic operational standards
Business abandonment to the point of complete deterioration
Legal liability creation that resulted in lawsuits involving the franchisor

This individual should not be granted franchise rights by any responsible franchisor.

Step 1

Review the timeline →

Four years of warnings, audits, and missed corrections.

Step 2

See the evidence →

Photographic evidence from corporate inspections.

Step 3

Download documents →

Termination letter, compliance reports, audits, legal notices.