Tim Hortons Inc., commonly nicknamed Tim's, or Timmie's is a Canadian multinational
coffeehouse
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...
and
restaurant chain
A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate the retail and dining markets and many service categories, in many pa ...
. Based in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Tim Hortons serves
coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
S ...
,
doughnuts, and other fast-food items. It is Canada's largest quick-service restaurant chain, with 5,352 restaurants in 15 countries, as of June 30, 2022.
The company was founded in 1964 in
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, by Canadian hockey player
Tim Horton
Miles Gilbert "Tim" Horton (January 12, 1930 – February 21, 1974) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 24 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburg ...
(1930–1974) and Jim Charade (1934–2009), after an initial venture in
hamburger
A hamburger, or simply burger, is a food consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically Ground beef, beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. Hamburgers are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles ...
restaurants.
[ In 1967, Horton partnered with investor ]Ron Joyce
Ronald Vaughan Joyce, (October 19, 1930 – January 31, 2019) was a Canadian entrepreneur and billionaire. He co-founded the Tim Hortons doughnut chain as Tim Horton's partner and first franchisee in 1964. After the death of Tim Horton, Ron Joyc ...
, who assumed control over operations after Horton died in 1974. Joyce expanded the chain into a multi-billion dollar franchise
Franchise may refer to:
Business and law
* Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees
* Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...
. Charade left the organization in 1966 and briefly returned in 1970 and 1993 through 1996.
On August 26, 2014, Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
agreed to purchase Tim Hortons for US$11.4 billion. The two chains became subsidiaries of the Canadian-American holding company Restaurant Brands International
Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI) is a Canadian-based multinational fast food holding company. It was formed in 2014 by the $12.5 billion merger between American fast food restaurant chain Burger King and Canadian coffee shop and res ...
, which is majority-owned by Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian investment firm 3G Capital, on December 15, 2014.
History
1964–1989: Tim Horton and Ron Joyce
The business was founded by Tim Horton
Miles Gilbert "Tim" Horton (January 12, 1930 – February 21, 1974) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 24 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburg ...
, who played in the National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
, from 1949 until his death in an auto crash in 1974. The first Tim Horton restaurant was located in North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing. North Bay developed as a railroad centre, and its airport was an important military ...
and sold hamburgers. The chain's first doughnut store opened on May 17, 1964, in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...
, under the name "Tim Horton Donuts". The name was later abbreviated to "Tim Horton's" and then changed to "Tim Hortons" without the possessive
A possessive or ktetic form (abbreviated or ; from la, possessivus; grc, κτητικός, translit=ktētikós) is a word or grammatical construction used to indicate a relationship of possession in a broad sense. This can include strict owne ...
apostrophe
The apostrophe ( or ) is a punctuation mark, and sometimes a diacritical mark, in languages that use the Latin alphabet and some other alphabets. In English, the apostrophe is used for two basic purposes:
* The marking of the omission of one o ...
.
Soon after Horton opened the store, he met Ron Joyce
Ronald Vaughan Joyce, (October 19, 1930 – January 31, 2019) was a Canadian entrepreneur and billionaire. He co-founded the Tim Hortons doughnut chain as Tim Horton's partner and first franchisee in 1964. After the death of Tim Horton, Ron Joyc ...
, a former Hamilton police constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...
. In 1965, Joyce took over the fledgling Tim Horton Donut Shop at 65 Ottawa St N. By 1967, after opening two additional stores, Joyce and Horton became full partners. Upon Horton's death in 1974, Joyce bought out the Horton family's shares for $1 million and took over as sole owner of the existing chain of 40 stores, quickly and aggressively expanding the chain in both geography and product selection. The 500th store opened in 1991.
Ron Joyce's aggressive expansion of the Tim Hortons business resulted in major changes to the Canadian coffee and doughnut restaurant market. Many independent doughnut shops and small chains were driven out of business, while Canada's per-capita ratio of doughnut shops surpassed that of all other countries.
The Horton and Joyce partnership carried on, with the marriage of Joyce's son, Ron Joyce Jr., and Horton's eldest daughter, Jeri-Lynn Horton-Joyce, who are joint owners of Tim Hortons franchises in Cobourg, Ontario
Cobourg ( ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto and east of Oshawa. It is the largest town in and seat of Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It i ...
.
1990–2002: Name change and growth
The company had originally been incorporated as Tim Donut Limited. By the 1990s, the company name had changed to The TDL Group Ltd. This was an effort by the company to diversify the business, removing the primary emphasis on doughnuts, and continuing the expansion of the menu options as consumer tastes broadened.
Some older locations retain signage with the company's name including a possessive apostrophe, despite the fact that the official styling of the company's name has been ''Tim Hortons'', without an apostrophe, for at least a decade. The company had removed the apostrophe after signs using the apostrophe was interpreted by some to be breaking the language sign laws of the Province of Quebec in 1993. The removal of the apostrophe allowed the company to have one common sign image across Canada.
Although a number of Quebec locations have bilingual menu boards, the decision to have both Canadian official languages represented is left to the discretion of individual franchise owners. Some Quebec locations have French-only menu boards. It is the strong recommendation to all the Quebec restaurants from the TDL Group Corporation that they post menu boards in both English and French in accordance with the standards being enforced by the ''Office québécois de la langue française
The (, OQLF; en, Quebec Board of the French Language) is a public organization established on 24 March 1961, by the Quebec Liberal Party, Liberal government of Jean Lesage. Attached to the , its initial mission, defined in its report of 1 Apri ...
''.
Merger with Wendy's
In 1992, the owner of all Tim Hortons and Wendy's Restaurants in Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...
, Daniel P. Murphy, decided to open new franchise outlets for both brands in the same building in the town of Montague. Murphy invited Joyce and Wendy's chairman Dave Thomas Dave may refer to:
Film, television, and theater
* Dave (film), ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver
* Dave (musical), ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film
* Dave (TV channel), a digital ...
to the grand opening of the "combo store," where the two executives met for the first time. Murphy's success with combining coffee and doughnuts with Wendy's fast food led to the August 8, 1995, acquisition of and merger with TDL Group by Wendy's International, Inc., an American company.
The sale was widely commented on in the media. In 1995, the ''Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
'' had a column reflecting on Tim Hortons "selling out" to Wendy's
Wendy's is an American international fast food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas (1932–2002) on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. Its headquarters moved to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of December 31, 2018, Wendy's was t ...
with "the spectacle of another great Canadian icon... gone to Yankee burgerfat".
2002–2006: Regaining independence
Tim Hortons franchises spread rapidly and eventually overtook McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
as Canada's largest food service operator. The company opened twice as many Canadian outlets as McDonald's by 2005, and system-wide sales also surpassed those of McDonald's Canadian operations as of 2002. The chain accounted for 22.6% of all fast-food industry revenues in Canada in 2005.
Under pressure from major investors Peter May and Nelson Peltz
Nelson Peltz (born June 24, 1942) is an American billionaire businessman and investor. He is a founding partner, together with Peter W. May and Edward P. Garden, of Trian Fund Management, an alternative investment management fund based in New Yo ...
, in late 2005, Wendy's announced it would sell between 15% and 18% of the Tim Hortons operations in an initial public offering
An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investment ...
, which was completed on March 24, 2006, and subsequently said it would spin-off to shareholders its remaining interest by the end of 2006. Wendy's cited increased competition between the two chains and Tim Hortons' increasing self-sufficiency as reasons for its decision, but the company had been under shareholder pressure to make such a move because of the strength and profitability of the Tim Hortons brand.
Shares of the company began trading on March 24, 2006, with an initial public offering
An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investment ...
of per share, raising over $700 million in the first day of trading. On September 24, 2006, Wendy's spun off the rest of its shares in Tim Hortons, by distributing the remaining 82% to its shareholders. On the same day, Tim Hortons was added to Canada's benchmark stock-market indicator, the S&P/TSX Composite Index
The S&P/TSX Composite Index is the benchmark Canadian index, representing roughly 70% of the total market capitalization on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) with about 250 companies included in it. The Toronto Stock Exchange is made up of over 1, ...
, and to the S&P/TSX 60
The S&P/TSX 60 Index is a stock market index of 60 large companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Maintained by the Canadian S&P Index Committee, a unit of Standard & Poor's, it exposes the investor to nine industry sectors.
Combined wit ...
.
As of March 2006, Tim Hortons commanded 76% of the Canadian market for baked goods (based on the number of customers served) and held 62% of the Canadian coffee market (compared to Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain.
As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...
, in the number two position, at 7%).
2007–2013: Repatriation
On June 29, 2009, Tim Hortons Inc. announced that, pending shareholder approval, the chain's operations would be reorganized under a new publicly traded company, also named "Tim Hortons Incorporated", incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act
The ''Canada Business Corporations Act'' (CBCA; french: Loi canadienne sur les sociétés par actions) is an act of the Parliament of Canada regulating Canadian business corporations. Corporations in Canada may be incorporated federally, under t ...
. The change was being made primarily for tax purposes. On September 28, 2009, Tim Hortons Inc. announced it had completed the reorganization of its corporate structure to become a Canadian public company.
In November 2010, Tim Hortons extended Interac
Interac is a Canadian interbank network that links financial institutions and other enterprises for the purpose of exchanging electronic financial transactions. Interac serves as the Canadian debit card system and the predominant funds transf ...
debit
Debits and credits in double-entry bookkeeping are entries made in account ledgers to record changes in value resulting from business transactions. A debit entry in an account represents a transfer of value ''to'' that account, and a credit en ...
payment system
A payment system is any system used to settle financial transactions through the transfer of monetary value. This includes the institutions, instruments, people, rules, procedures, standards, and technologies that make its exchange possible.Bia ...
acceptance to most of its stores. The company previously began accepting Interac in its stores in Western Canada in 2003 and, later, MasterCard and MasterCard PayPass across most of its stores in 2007. The company often indicated the delay of broader or wider electronic payment acceptance was to "ensure speed of service." In 2012, Tim Hortons began accepting Visa cards, and in 2013, began accepting American Express cards.
In late 2013, Tim Hortons had "4,350 cafes across the world, out of which 3,500 are in Canada, 817 in the US and 33 in the GCC. The Toronto Stock Exchange listed company recorded revenues of $794 million and net profit of $111 million in the September quarter."[
]
2014: Merger with Burger King
On August 24, 2014, American fast-food chain Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
announced that it was in negotiations to merge with Tim Hortons Inc; the proposed $18 billion mergers would involve a tax inversion into Canada, with a new holding company majority-owned by 3G Capital, and the remaining shares in the company held by current Burger King and Tim Hortons shareholders. A Tim Hortons representative stated that the proposed merger would allow Tim Hortons to leverage Burger King's resources for international growth; the two chains would retain separate operations post-merger. News of the proposal caused Tim Hortons' shares to increase in value by 28 percent.[
On August 25, 2014, Burger King officially confirmed its intent to acquire Tim Hortons Inc. in a deal totaling (US$11.4 billion).] 3G Capital offered to purchase the company at $65.50 per share, with existing shareholders receiving $65.50 in cash and 0.8025 shares in the new holding company: per-share—all-cash ($88.50) and all-shares (3.0879) options were also made available. The agreement planned to result in 3G Capital (which held a 71% majority stake in Burger King) holding a 51% majority stake in the new company, Tim Hortons' existing shareholders owning 22%, and Burger King's owning 27% with the new entity based in Oakville and listed on both the TSX and New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed c ...
. Per the agreement, Burger King CEO Daniel Schwartz became CEO of the company, with existing Tim Hortons CEO Marc Caira becoming vice-chairman and director; Burger King itself still operated out of its existing headquarters in Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
. It was announced the deal would form the third-largest fast-food restaurant company in the world.[ On October 28, 2014, the deal was approved by the ]Competition Bureau
The Competition Bureau (french: Bureau de la concurrence) is the competition regulator in Canada. It is an independent Canadian law enforcement agency that ensures that markets operate in a competitive, innovative manner.
Headed by the Comm ...
of Canada, but had yet to be approved by Industry Canada
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED; french: Innovation, Sciences et Développement économique Canada; french: ISDE, label=none)''Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal I ...
. The Bureau ruled that the deal was "unlikely to result in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition."
Former CEO Marc Caira reassured the integrity of Tim Hortons following the purchase, stating that the acquisition would "enable us to move more quickly and efficiently to bring Tim Hortons iconic Canadian brand to a new global customer base." On October 30, 2014, various media covered a Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) is an independent think tank in Canada. It has been described as "left leaning".
The CCPA concentrates on economic policy, international trade, environmental justice and social policy. It is ...
study which suggested that Burger King's proposed takeover of Tim Hortons is "likely to have overwhelmingly negative consequences for Canadians." This study analyzed Burger King's private equity owner, 3G Capital, and past takeovers of Burger King, Heinz, and Anheuser-Busch, and declared that "it has a 30-year history of aggressive cost cutting, which could hurt Tim Hortons employees, small-businesspeople, Canadian taxpayers, and consumers."
The deal was approved by Minister of Industry The industry minister is a cabinet position in a government.
The title may refer to the head of the governmental department that specializes in industry. This position may also be responsible for trade and employment, areas that fall under the mi ...
James Moore (of the governing Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada (french: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a federal political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 by the merger of the two main right-leaning parties, the Progressive Con ...
) on December 4, 2014: The two companies agreed to Moore's conditions, requiring that the Burger King and Tim Hortons chains retain separate operations and not combine locations, maintain "significant employment levels" at the Oakville headquarters, and ensure that Canadians make up at least 50% of Tim Hortons' board of directors. Tim Hortons shareholders approved the merger on December 9, 2014; the two chains merged under the new parent company Restaurant Brands International
Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI) is a Canadian-based multinational fast food holding company. It was formed in 2014 by the $12.5 billion merger between American fast food restaurant chain Burger King and Canadian coffee shop and res ...
(RBI), which began trading on December 15, 2014. According to CBC News
CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca. ...
, "how the government will enforce oore'sconditions is unclear."
2015–present
In May 2015, the company announced the closure of its U.S. headquarters in Dublin, Ohio
Dublin is a city in Franklin, Delaware and Union counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 49,328 in the 2020 census with a census estimate of 49,037 in 2019. Dublin is a suburb of Columbus. The city of Dublin hosts the yearly ...
; in March 2015, it had 127 employees. In August 2016, Tim Hortons again changed presidents. In September 2016, Tim Hortons announced it would be expanding into the United Kingdom, with an unannounced number of locations to be built.
Revenue in 2015 for RBI was US$4.0522 billion with a rise to $4.15 billion in 2016. Tim Hortons had 683 U.S. locations by the end of 2016, and total annual revenue of US$3.00 billion.
In April 2018, Tim Hortons announced that they would be moving their head office along with its 400 employees to the Exchange Tower
Exchange Tower is a 36 storey tower in the First Canadian Place complex of Toronto, Ontario, Canada completed in 1981. The International style building is named for the Toronto Stock Exchange, which is the building's highest profile tenant. Th ...
in Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the main central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located entirely within the district of Old Toronto, it is approximately 16.6 square kilometres in area, bounded by Bloor Street to the northeast and Dupont Str ...
.
In May 2018, the Reputation Institute
RepTrak (formerly known as Reputation Institute) is a company that publishes reports on the reputation of corporations and places, based on consumer surveys and media coverage. It is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
History
In 1999, Char ...
reported that Tim Hortons had fallen from 13th to 67th in its study of Canada's most reputable companies, as "one of the largest moves down of all 250 companies it analyzed this year'" and that the brand was "still considered to have a 'strong reputation.'"
Beginning in October 2018, Tim Hortons began to install self-serve kiosks at some locations in Ontario. In February 2019, Tim Hortons began to spread the installation of the self-serve kiosks across Canada.
In June 2022, Tim Hortons was investigated by the Provincial and Federal authorities/watchdogs for illegally tracking massive amounts of location information from Canadian customers via the Tim Hortons App. It had tracked and recorded user movements, even when the app was not in use - a violation of Canadian privacy laws.
Locations
In December 31, 2018, Tim Hortons had 4,846 restaurants in 14 countries, including 3,802 in Canada, 807 in the United States, 29 in the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
, and 25 in the UK. As of June 20, 2022, Tim Hortons now has 5,352 restaurants.
Tim Hortons had a presence on a number of military bases, including Kandahar
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a List of cities in Afghanistan, city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population ...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
, although this latter outlet was principally intended for Canadian Armed Forces and allied military personnel. Three more outlets were located in military bases at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold res ...
, Kentucky, and Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hampt ...
, Virginia. The latest location is at Camp Adzai in Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
.
North America
Tim Hortons was originally concentrated in Ontario and Atlantic Canada. However, the chain has greatly expanded its presence into Quebec and western Canada. Its location in Iqaluit
Iqaluit ( ; , ; ) is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the large bay on the coast on which the city is situated. In 1987, its t ...
, Nunavut
Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...
, is the northernmost store as of 2010.
TDL Group recorded $1.48 billion in sales in 2005. Tim Hortons also operates locations on Canadian and American university campuses, including Brock University
Brock University is a public research university in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is the only university in Canada in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, at the centre of Canada's Niagara Peninsula on the Niagara Escarpment. The university bear ...
, Durham College
Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology is located in the Durham Region of Ontario, Canada, with a campus co-located with Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, a second campus in Whitby, and community employment services in Uxbridge, Por ...
, Georgian College
Georgian College is a College of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario, Canada. It has 13,000 full-time students, including 4,500 international students from 85 countries, across seven campuses, the largest being in Barrie.
History
The colle ...
, Algonquin College
Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is a publicly funded English-language college located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The college serves the National Capital Region and the outlying areas of Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, and Upst ...
, Canisius College
Canisius College is a private Jesuit college in Buffalo, New York. It was founded in 1870 by Jesuits from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. Canisius offers more than 100 undergraduate majors and minors, and around 34 master's ...
, York University
York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...
, Toronto Metropolitan University
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU or Toronto Met) is a public university, public research university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Garden District, although i ...
, University at Buffalo
The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1846 ...
, SUNY Plattsburgh
The State University of New York College at Plattsburgh (SUNY Plattsburgh) is a public college in Plattsburgh, New York. The college was founded in 1889 and officially opened in 1890. The college is part of the State University of New York (SUN ...
, UBC
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top three ...
, Memorial University
Memorial University of Newfoundland, also known as Memorial University or MUN (), is a public university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook, elsewhere in Newfoundland and i ...
, and Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university in British Columbia, Canada, with three campuses, all in Greater Vancouver: Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, and Vancouver. The main Burnaby campus on Burnaby Mountain, located from ...
.
In March 2010, Tim Hortons announced further expansion on both sides of the Canada–US border to be completed by 2013. The plan called for 600 new stores in Canada (primarily in Quebec and Western Canada but also including smaller communities) and 300 new stores in the US (primarily in its existing markets of Michigan, New York, and Ohio). It also called for expansion into such non-standard store locations as hospitals, universities, and airports, as well as extending its co-branding initiative with US ice cream chain Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery is an American international ice cream parlor chain. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the company is owned and operated by Kahala Brands. The company's main product is premium ice cream made with approximately 12–14% bu ...
, which began in 2009, to cover 60 Canadian stores and 25–35 new and existing US stores. It also included testing a new café/bake shop concept in at least 10 existing US locations, including "enhanced finishes, fixtures, and seating areas" as well as an expansion of menu offerings.
In 2010, Tim Hortons opened its northernmost locations: three kiosks at NorthMart stores in Iqaluit
Iqaluit ( ; , ; ) is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the large bay on the coast on which the city is situated. In 1987, its t ...
, Nunavut
Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...
. This expanded Tim Hortons' presence in every province and territory of Canada. According to Nick Javor, senior vice-president of corporate affairs at Tim Hortons, "You could say it's overdue. If we can be in Kandahar
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a List of cities in Afghanistan, city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population ...
, why can't we be in Iqaluit?" In December 2011, Tim Hortons opened its 4000th restaurant. In 2012, Tim Hortons Inc. recorded its total revenues at $3.12 billion (CDN). As of 2012 the company had expanded across Canada.
United States
Initially, the US stores were the result of natural expansion in Canada–U.S. border areas (e.g., stores in Maine and the Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
, area where Horton played from 1972 to 1974 as a member of the Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
). The first United States locations were opened in Deerfield Beach, Florida
Deerfield Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States, just south of the Palm Beach County line. The city is named for the numerous deer that once roamed the area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,859. It is a principal ...
, and Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach ( ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is located along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, just north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2020 ...
, in 1981, but they proved unsuccessful and were closed.
In 1985, the chain returned to the US with a location on Niagara Falls Boulevard in the Buffalo suburb of Tonawanda, New York
Tonawanda (formally ''City of Tonawanda'') is a city in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 15,130 at the 2010 census. It is at the northern edge of Erie County, south across the Erie Canal ( Tonawanda Creek) from North To ...
. Starting in the mid-1990s, however, the chain began expanding in the US by acquiring former locations from fast-food chains. In 1996 and 1997, thirty-seven former Rax Restaurants
Rax Roast Beef is a regional U.S. fast food restaurant chain specializing in roast beef sandwiches. The company has been through many iterations, declaring bankruptcy more than once, rising to as many as 504 locations in 38 U.S. states in the 19 ...
locations in Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia were bought by Wendy's International Inc.; 30 of these were converted to Tim Hortons, while the others became Wendy's franchise locations. Thirty-five closed Hardee's stores in the Detroit area were also purchased with the intention of being converted. By 2004, the chain had also acquired 42 Bess Eaton
Bess Eaton or Bess Eaton Management LLC is a small chain of coffee shops based in Rhode Island and Connecticut, serving doughnuts, bagels, and muffins. It started in 1953, grew to over 50 shops throughout southern New England, was sold to other ch ...
coffee and doughnut restaurants situated in southern New England. Several combination Wendy's/Tim Hortons units were opened in the US; both in the "traditional" markets of Maine and Buffalo, where there were well over 180 locations as of 2011, and in the markets entered through acquisition.
In October 2008, Tim Hortons announced a plan to add 82 locations in Tops Markets
Tops Friendly Markets is an American supermarket chain based in Amherst, New York, that operates stores in Upstate New York, Vermont, and Northern Pennsylvania. The chain operates full-scale supermarkets. Tops is a subsidiary of Northeast Groc ...
stores in the United States.[ ]
On July 13, 2009, Tim Hortons opened stores in New York City at former Dunkin' Donuts locations operated by the Riese Organization. One of the stores is located at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
, where Horton played as a member of the New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
from 1969 to 1971. In November 2010, Tim Hortons announced it was closing 36 stores in the northeastern United States due to high competition with New England-based Dunkin' Donuts and Au Bon Pain
Au Bon Pain (, meaning "at (or 'to') the Good Bread") is an American fast casual restaurant, bakery, and café chain headquartered in Richardson, Texas and operates 175 locations in the United States, and Thailand. The company is currently ow ...
. The stores, which made less than half the average company per-store sales, were concentrated heavily in the Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
, and Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
, areas, the former of which also has a concentration of stores from the locally competing Honey Dew Donuts
Honey Dew Associates, Inc., doing business as Honey Dew Donuts, is a privately owned and operated Massachusetts-based coffeehouse chain selling donuts and other breakfast foods that operates in New England. The chain is mostly known for its donu ...
chain, itself with some 150 outlets in Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
and Southeastern Massachusetts
Southeastern Massachusetts consists of those portions of Massachusetts located along Buzzards Bay, including the cities of New Bedford and Fall River and their respective suburbs. Despite the location of Cape Cod and the islands to its south, ...
. In the announcement, the chain stated that it will concentrate its efforts on its core markets such as western Canada. In the same statement, the company announced the sale of its portion of distribution company Maidstone Bakeries to Tim Hortons' European partners. It will use the generated by the sale for a stock buyback.
In 2010, Tim Hortons opened two kiosks at Consol Energy Center (now known as PPG Paints Arena
PPG Paints Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Pittsburgh, that serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). It previously was the home of the Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2 ...
) in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, partly as a test to eventual expansion into Pittsburgh (their closest locations at that point were in the Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the county seat, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and also contains a tiny portion extending ...
/Steubenville, Ohio
Steubenville is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Ohio River 33 miles west of Pittsburgh, it had a population of 18,161 at the 2020 census. The city's name is derived from Fort Steuben, a ...
area) as well as Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
star Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Sid the Kid" and dubbed " The Next One", he was selected first o ...
having a longtime sponsorship with the chain as well. In addition, Horton played for the Maple Leafs American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
affiliate, the Pittsburgh Hornets
The Pittsburgh Hornets were a minor-league professional men's ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Contrary to popular belief, the Pittsburgh Hornets did not evolve from the International Hockey League's Pittsburgh Shamrocks. The ...
, earlier in his career as well as the Penguins for one season in 1971–72. Aramark
Aramark Corporation, known commonly as Aramark, is an American food service, facilities, and uniform services provider to clients in areas including education, healthcare, business, prisons, and leisure. It operates in North America (United St ...
, which operated the kiosks, closed them in 2012, however Tim Hortons proceeded to open full-service locations in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas in July 2012. At the time of the entry into Pittsburgh, of the four NHL cities Horton played in (Buffalo, New York City, Toronto, and Pittsburgh), Pittsburgh was the only one without a Tim Hortons location, and was also where Horton met his future wife, Lori.
2011 saw Tim Hortons aggressively expanding into the Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...
, region.
In 2012, Tim Hortons began advertising in the Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio, Mahoning County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of ...
area in anticipation of an eventual expansion into the Mahoning Valley. The closest location at the time was in Calcutta, Ohio
Calcutta is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in southeastern Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,941 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Salem micropolitan area and the greater Youngstown–Warr ...
, about 50 miles south of Youngstown. The chain entered the area in July 2012 with the opening of a location in Hermitage, Pennsylvania
Hermitage is a city contiguous with Sharon, PA in western Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States. Hermitage is located about northeast of Youngstown, about southeast of Cleveland and about northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 16,2 ...
. This location has since closed, but Tim Hortons would return to the market in the spring of 2019 with the opening of two locations, one in Youngstown and one in Girard, though both would suddenly close within weeks of each other by the end of the year.
As of 2012 the company had expanded across the US states of Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
On January 7, 2014, Tim Hortons opened a kiosk in the Gila River Arena
Desert Diamond Arena (originally Glendale Arena and formerly Jobing.com Arena and Gila River Arena) is an indoor multi-purpose entertainment arena located in Glendale, Arizona. The venue anchors the 223-acre, $1 billion Westgate Entertainment D ...
(where the Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...
of the NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
play) in Glendale, Arizona
Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located approximately northwest of Downtown Phoenix. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 248,325.
History
In the la ...
. On March 5, 2014, The Arizona Coyotes announced that as of March 10, 2014, the Tim Hortons stand would be open to the public from 9:00 to 15:00, seven days a week. This location is the first Tim Hortons in Arizona. A flagship Tim Hortons location within the Buffalo area opened across from the KeyBank Center
KeyBank Center is a multipurpose indoor arena located in Buffalo, New York. Originally known as Marine Midland Arena, the venue has since been named HSBC Arena and First Niagara Center. Home to the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey Leagu ...
(then First Niagara Center) at the LECOM Harbor center complex on October 29, 2014.
In 2016, Tim Hortons expanded to Minnesota with a store inside Mall of America
Mall of America (MOA) is a large shopping mall located in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States. Located within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, the mall lies southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway ...
. However, this location is now closed. In 2017, the chain announced an expansion to Northeast Ohio with 105 stores to come to the greater Cleveland area. The first of these opened in the Ellet neighborhood of Akron in July 2019.
In 2020, Tim Hortons partnered with Bolla Market to open "15 to 20 over the next 12 to 18 months" across Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
. The stores are located inside gas stations.
In 2022, Tim Hortons announced a planned expansion into Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
& Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. Over the next 5 years, they plan to open over 20 new stores in the Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
and Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
areas, plus greater Houston, TX
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
.
Asia
Tim Hortons reportedly had plans by 2013 to enter the large Indian market, which the company denied. In an effort to expand the company following its 2014 merger with Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
into Restaurant Brands International, Tim Hortons began expansion in Asia in 2017 citing the increasing demand for coffee and large populations. The first Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
n branch was opened in the Philippines on February 28, 2017, at Uptown Mall
Uptown Mall is a lifestyle mall , located at the northern part of Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City. It is located along 9th and 11th avenue, 36th and 11th drive, in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. It hosts a variety of lifestyle, retail, leisure and ...
in Bonifacio Global City
Bonifacio may refer to:
Places
* Bonifacio, Corse-du-Sud, a town in Corsica, France
* Strait of Bonifacio, separating Corsica from Sardinia
* Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental, a municipality in the Philippines
* Bonifacio Global City, a central bu ...
, Taguig
Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig ( fil, Lungsod ng Taguig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 886,722 people. Located in the northwestern shores of ...
. Miss Universe Canada 2016, Siera Bearchell
Siera Bearchell (born February 15, 1993) is a Canadian beauty pageant titleholder, model, entrepreneur, and body positivity activist who was crowned Miss Universe Canada 2016. She represented Canada in the Miss Universe 2016 competition in Manila, ...
, was present for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. , there are 39 branches operating in the Philippines.
Through franchise partnership with Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
based Apparel Group, Tim Hortons entered the United Arab Emirates in 2011 with store openings in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
, Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
and Fujairah
Fujairah City ( ar, الفجيرة) is the capital of the emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. It is the seventh-largest city in UAE, located on the Gulf of Oman (part of the Indian Ocean). It is the only Emirati capital city on the ...
, with the first location opening in September 2011. As of December 2013 it has 19 stores in the United Arab Emirates, two in Oman and two in Saudi Arabia. They plan to open up to 120 stores over the next five years in the Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
area, with a focus on Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
has Tim Hortons at The Gate Mall in Egaila; at Promenade Mall in Hawalli; at The Avenues Mall at Al Rai.
In July 2018, Tim Hortons announced that they will open 1,500 stores in China. The first Tim Hortons store opened at February 26, 2019, in Huangpu District, Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
.
The first Tim Hortons in Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
opened on January 18, 2020, at Samyan Mitrtown Mall in Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
, through a franchise partnership with Thailand-based WeEat Co. As of January 2021, there were 10 branches operating in the country.
They opened their first 2 stores in India on August 11, 2022. One in New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
and the other in Gurugram
Gurgaon (pronunciation: ʊɽɡãːw, officially named Gurugram (pronunciation: ʊɾʊɡɾaːm, is a city located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi–Haryana border, about southwest of the nationa ...
followed by another store in New Delhi on August 31, 2022.
Europe
Tim Hortons' products have been available in Ireland and the United Kingdom at some Spar
SPAR, originally DESPAR, styled as DE SPAR, is a Dutch multinational that provides branding, supplies and support services for independently owned and operated food retail stores. It was founded in the Netherlands in 1932, by Adriaan van Well, ...
convenience stores since 2006 and Tesco
Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
supermarkets. Tim Hortons' other international expansions include a small outlet at the Dublin Zoo
Dublin Zoo ( ga, Zú Bhaile Átha Cliath), in Phoenix Park, Dublin, is a zoo in Ireland, and one of Dublin's most popular attractions. Established and designed in 1830 by Decimus Burton, it opened the following year. Today it focuses on conserv ...
. Tim Hortons coffee and doughnuts were being sold at small self-service counters in 50 Spar stores in the UK and Ireland as of April 30, 2007.
In 2016, Tim Hortons announced that they would be opening stores in the United Kingdom starting in 2017. Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
saw the first UK store open its doors on June 2, 2017, with a further store opening in Bishopbriggs
Bishopbriggs ( sco, The Briggs; gd, Achadh an Easbaig) is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the northern fringe of Greater Glasgow, approximately from the city centre. Historically in Lanarkshire, the area was once part of ...
in November 2017. In November 2017, two stores in Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
opened, as well as a store opening in Dunfermline
Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...
. In December 2017, two further stores were opened in Trafford in the towns of Sale and Altrincham
Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester city centre, southwest of Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2011 Census, it had a population o ...
. On December 20, 2017, the chain opened a store in the Golden Square Shopping Centre in Warrington
Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...
. Tim Hortons opened its first 2 stores in Northern Ireland in 2018. One on Fountain Street in Belfast city centre, and another drive-thru store at the Connswater Retail Park in East Belfast. With the opening of the Braintree branch and the Stockport (Greater Manchester) branch in February 2022, Tim Hortons has 47 locations in the United Kingdom, with a further 6 locations in development.
In December 2017, Tim Hortons opened two stores in the centre of Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
and later opened another in the city of Pozuelo de Alarcón
Pozuelo de Alarcón () is a municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain. Bordering the Moncloa-Aravaca district of Madrid proper to its west, Pozuelo de Alarcón is surrounded by large Mediterranean pine-tree forests: the Casa de Campo, the ...
, in the Community of Madrid
The Community of Madrid (; es, Comunidad de Madrid ) is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. It is located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, and of the Central Plateau (''Meseta Central''). Its capital and largest munici ...
. The menu also includes typical Mediterranean drinks apart from the typical drinks of a Tim Hortons.
Store growth
Menu
Tim Hortons' first stores offered only two products – coffee and doughnuts.[ Aside from its coffee, tea, ]hot chocolate
Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener like whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate ...
, and doughnuts, the menu now contains a number of other baked goods, such as bagel
A bagel ( yi, בײגל, translit=beygl; pl, bajgiel; also spelled beigel) is a bread roll originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. It is traditionally shaped by hand into a roughly hand-sized ring from yeasted wheat dough that is first ...
s – of which the brand sells one out of every two in the Canadian food service industry. Nutritional information on most menu items is made available by the company in a two-page brochure and online. The brochure does not list ingredient information.
Most of the time Tim Hortons' menu contains many of the same items across different locations. However, the pricing may vary since it is a franchise so the cost of each item may be slightly different depending on the owner of the location, as well as the province in which the franchise operates in.
Coffee and beverages
Tim Hortons sells coffee, tea, hot chocolate
Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener like whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate ...
, and soft drinks. In the mid-1990s the chain moved into specialty and premium items such as flavored cappuccino
A cappuccino (; ; Italian plural: ''cappuccini'') is an espresso-based coffee drink that originated in Austria and was later popularized in Italy and is prepared with steamed milk foam (microfoam).
Variations of the drink involve the use of cre ...
, iced cappuccino, and iced coffee.
Despite an expansion in their food offerings around 2009, the brand remained heavily dependent on coffee sales. In 2009, it was reported that 60% of their sales occur in the morning, and of that more than 50% is coffee. The coffee served is a blend of 100% arabica beans. The "original blend" is a medium, balanced roast that is the most popular served coffee in Canada. The chain has an "always fresh" policy where coffee is served within 20 minutes of brewing.
In November 2011, the company announced that they would be adding espresso
Espresso (, ) is a coffee-brewing method of Italian origin, in which a small amount of nearly boiling water (about ) is forced under of pressure through finely-ground coffee beans. Espresso can be made with a wide variety of coffee beans and ...
machines in 1,000 of their locations, later that month. On April 16, 2012, the brand launched frozen lemonade, in two flavours: original and raspberry. On August 15, 2014, the company added a dark roast coffee blend as an alternative.
Food items
The menu contains a number of other baked goods, such as doughnut holes
A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fran ...
(branded as Timbits
A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fran ...
), muffin
A muffin is an individually portioned baked product, however the term can refer to one of two distinct items: a part-raised flatbread (like a crumpet) that is baked and then cooked on a griddle (typically unsweetened), or an (often sweetened) ...
s, croissant
A croissant is a buttery, flaky, Austrian viennoiserie pastry inspired by the shape of the Austrian kipferl but using the French yeast-leavened laminated dough. Croissants are named for their historical crescent shape, the dough is layered wi ...
s, tea biscuit
A biscuit is a flour-based baked and shaped food product. In most countries biscuits are typically hard, flat, and unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also ...
s, cookie
A cookie is a baked or cooked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat and sweet. It usually contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil, fat, or butter. It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chips, n ...
s, rolls, danishes, and bagel
A bagel ( yi, בײגל, translit=beygl; pl, bajgiel; also spelled beigel) is a bread roll originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. It is traditionally shaped by hand into a roughly hand-sized ring from yeasted wheat dough that is first ...
s. The dutchie is a Canadian doughnut popularized by the Tim Hortons chain.
Since the mid-1990s, the chain has moved into other areas beyond doughnuts and coffee, including specialty and premium items such as New York-style cheesecake, and a lunch selection that includes soups, chili, and submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
-style sandwiches. In the fall of 2006, the chain began rolling out a breakfast sandwich
A breakfast sandwich is any sandwich filled with foods associated with breakfast. Breakfast sandwiches are served at fast food restaurants and delicatessens, sold in supermarkets, or commonly made at home. Different types of breakfast sandwich inc ...
. The sandwich consists of an egg patty, processed cheese slice, and either ham, bacon, or sausage as the topper, and is placed on either a biscuit, English muffin, or bagel. In October 2007, they launched a chicken fajita wrap, which contained spiced chicken and sautéed vegetables. This was discontinued and replaced a year later with the barbecue and ranch chicken wrap snackers. In December 2007, they introduced hash browns and the "Bagel B.E.L.T.", a breakfast sandwich of bacon, egg, lettuce, and tomato on a bagel. In February 2009, they announced co-branding with American ice cream
Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as str ...
parlour Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery is an American international ice cream parlor chain. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the company is owned and operated by Kahala Brands. The company's main product is premium ice cream made with approximately 12–14% bu ...
. The deal called for each chain to convert 50 stores into dual-operation franchises, for a total of 100 stores. The idea was successfully tested at two stores in Rhode Island. Despite this expansion, the brand remained heavily dependent on coffee sales. In February 2014, Tim Hortons announced that the dutchie timbit was discontinued due to low popularity.
Despite the chain's ubiquity across Canada, Tim Hortons has never offered poutine
Poutine () is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. It emerged in Quebec, in the late 1950s in the Centre-du-Québec region, though its exact origins are uncertain and there are several competing claims regarding it ...
as a regular menu item, despite the fact that poutine (largely seen as Canada's signature dish
A signature dish is a recipe that identifies an individual chef or restaurant. Ideally it should be unique and allow an informed gastronome to name the chef in a blind tasting. It can be thought of as the culinary equivalent of an artist finding ...
) is offered at just about every other major restaurant chain in Canada. Tim Hortons did offer poutine for the first time in 2018 across Canada for a limited time, using seasoned potato wedges
Potato wedges are irregular wedge-shaped slices of potato, often large and unpeeled, that are either baked or fried. They are sold at diners and fast food restaurants. They are usually seasoned with a variety of spices, commonly paprika, salt ...
instead of the typical French fries
French fries (North American English), chips (British English), finger chips ( Indian English), french-fried potatoes, or simply fries, are '' batonnet'' or ''allumette''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin from Belgium and France. Th ...
. Tim Hortons poutine received a mixed social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
response.
In Canada, the company began to offer hamburgers on the lunch menu in 2017. In an attempt to attract customers with a healthier option, Tim Hortons offered a hamburger filled with the "Beyond Meat
Beyond Meat, Inc. is a Los Angeles–based producer of plant-based meat substitutes founded in 2009 by Ethan Brown. The company's initial products were launched in the United States in 2012. History Founding
Ethan Brown founded the company in ...
" meatless option. The offering of hamburgers was risky for the company in their attempt to compete with the popular, large hamburger chains such as McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
. Wendy's
Wendy's is an American international fast food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas (1932–2002) on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. Its headquarters moved to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of December 31, 2018, Wendy's was t ...
and Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
in Canada. Ironically, Burger King had acquired Tim Hortons in 2014 and was running it as a separate subsidiary and had supply chain mechanisms already in place to supply Tim Hortons with hamburger items. However, after only a brief period, consumers did not respond well to Tim Hortons offering of hamburgers or the "Beyond Meat" variety. With poor national sales, subsequently in 2019, hamburgers were removed from the menus at the Canadian Tim Hortons stores.
Baking methods and lawsuit
Coupled with the expansion and the expanded menu came the outsourcing of baked goods. Doughnuts, which used to be made at night to be ready for the morning rush, are now parbaked
Parbaking is a cooking technique in which a bread or dough product is partially baked and then rapidly frozen for storage. The raw dough is baked normally, but halted at about 80% of the normal cooking time, when it is rapidly cooled and frozen. ...
– partly cooked and then frozen and delivered to every restaurant in Canada from Brantford
Brantford (Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River (Ontario), Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by County of Brant, Brant County, but is politically separate with ...
, Ontario. Each restaurant bakes and finishes the product throughout the day. , many of the various muffin batters were being revoked, as frozen, pre-made and pre-wrapped muffins were being introduced at Tim Hortons locations.
Tim Hortons' switch to the parbaking
Parbaking is a cooking technique in which a bread or dough product is partially baked and then rapidly frozen for storage. The raw dough is baked normally, but halted at about 80% of the normal cooking time, when it is rapidly cooled and frozen. T ...
system disappointed some customers, who noted that it contradicts the chain's "always fresh" slogan. David Swick reported in the ''Halifax Daily News
''The Daily News'' was a tabloid newspaper in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that was published from 1974 until ceasing operations in February 2008.
History
''The Daily News'' owed its existence to David Bentley, who, along with his wife Diana and Patri ...
'' on September 19, 2003, Tim Hortons outlets in Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
would no longer serve fresh doughnuts, but rather doughnuts that had been remotely factory-fried and then frozen and shipped. In 2008, two franchisees initiated a class-action lawsuit against the parent company for the switch to parbaking, "claiming breach of contract, breach of duty of fair dealing, negligent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment". The lawsuit cited that parbaking tripled the franchisee's fixed cost to produce a doughnut (from 6 cents per doughnut to 18 cents), required the purchase of new freezers and microwaves, and reduced profitability for the franchises while increasing profits for the parent company. Franchise owners are required to purchase food products from the Brantford-based parbaking company owned by IAWS Group PLC, and had originally been told the price of each doughnut would be 11 or 12 cents (and each Timbit 4.6 cents). The case was dismissed in February 2012.
A 2009 ''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' article contrasted the baked from scratch at stores' approach of Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme, Inc. (previously Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.) is an American multinational doughnut company and coffeehouse chain.
Krispy Kreme was founded by Vernon Rudolph (1915–1973), who bought a yeast-raised recipe from a New Orleans c ...
and some Dunkin' Donuts locations compared to the "flash frozen" and shipped Tim Hortons method. The ''Times'' article also noted an apparent scarcity of doughnut specialties such as the dutchie at newly opened Tim Hortons stores in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Noting that "American visitors tend to flock to the sweets," including the "raisin-studded Dutchie", the ''Times'' found redemption among Canadians that the brand was once again a Canada-based company while contrasting the way politicians in the US "woo" soccer mom
The term soccer mom broadly refers to an American, middle-class, suburban woman who spends a significant amount of her time transporting her school-age children to youth sporting events or other activities, whether or not they are soccer relat ...
s while in Canada they "go after Tim Hortons voters".
Marketing
Tim Hortons' advertising slogans have included "You've Always Got Time for Tim Hortons" and starting in the mid-2000s, "Always Fresh. Always Tim Hortons."
''Canadian Business
''Canadian Business'' is the longest-publishing business magazine based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and founded in 1927. The print edition terminated in the end of 2016. Beginning in January 2017, the magazine was published online only.
In Octob ...
'' magazine named Tim Hortons as the best-managed brand in Canada in 2004 and 2005.
Since 2005, Tim Hortons has been the title sponsor of the Brier
The Tim Hortons Brier, or simply (and more commonly) the Brier (''french: Le Brier''), is the annual Canadian men's curling championship, sanctioned by Curling Canada. The current event name refers to its main sponsor, the Tim Hortons coffee and ...
, the annual Canadian men's curling championships, along with the Canadian Ringette Championships.
Shortly before December 2007, they discontinued their gift certificates and replaced them with the Quickpay Tim Card.
In September 2006, Tim Hortons courted controversy by mandating that employees were not to wear red as part of the Red Fridays
''Support our troops'' (french: Appuyons nos troupes; es, Apoya a nuestras tropas) is a slogan commonly used in the United States and Canada in reference to each country's military forces or troops. The slogan has been used during recent confli ...
campaign by families of the military to show support for Canadian troops. Within a few hours, Tim Hortons partially reversed its position and has allowed staff in Ontario stores to wear red ribbons or pins to show support for the wear red on Fridays campaign.
In June 2009, Tim Hortons USA created Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
and Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
pages to drive online traffic. After Tim Hortons had agreed to provide 250 cups of free coffee in 2009 for a "Marriage and Family Day" hosted by the National Organization for Marriage
The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is an American non-profit political organization established to work against the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States. It was formed in 2007 specifically to pass California Proposit ...
, the company removed its sponsorship after it was revealed that the NOM was an organization that campaigns against gay marriage. The company stated the sponsorship was a violation of the company's policy not to sponsor events "representing religious groups, political affiliates or lobby groups."
On July 12, 2013, it was announced that Tim Hortons had acquired the naming rights
Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization whereby a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event, typically for a defined period of t ...
to the new stadium being built in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...
. The new stadium took on the name of Tim Hortons Field
Tim Hortons Field, nicknamed "The Donut Box", is a multi-purpose stadium in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Built as a replacement for Ivor Wynne Stadium, Tim Hortons Field is primarily used for Canadian football and association fo ...
. It became the home stadium of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...
in 2014.
In June 2015, Tim Hortons pulled a four-week advertising campaign by energy company Enbridge
Enbridge Inc. is a multinational pipeline and energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Enbridge owns and operates pipelines throughout Canada and the United States, transporting crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. ...
from its in-store "Tims TV" service after three weeks following a petition by the advocacy group, SumOfUs
SumOfUs is a global non-profit advocacy organization and online community that campaigns to hold corporations accountable on issues such as climate change, workers' rights, discrimination, human rights, animal rights, corruption, and corporate pow ...
. Even though the ads were part of a general "Life Takes Energy" campaign introduced by Enbridge the previous year, the group argued that Tim Hortons' airing of the ads implied an endorsement of controversial projects under development by Enbridge, such as the Northern Gateway pipeline
The Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines were a project to build a twin pipeline from Bruderheim, Alberta to Kitimat, British Columbia. The eastbound pipeline would have imported natural gas condensate and the westbound pipeline would have expor ...
, going on to say that "Enbridge's ad campaign uses attractive actors, cute kids and high production values to hide the real truth—its tar sands project will put ecosystems, salmon and wildlife in danger, create virtually no local jobs, and accelerate climate change." The decision to pull the ads, however, resulted in a boycott of Tim Hortons led by Wildrose Party
The Wildrose Party (legally Wildrose Political Association, formerly the ''Wildrose Alliance Political Association'') was a conservative provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. The party was formed by the merger in early 2008 of the Albe ...
leader Brian Jean
Brian Michael Jean (born February 3, 1963) is a Canadian politician who has served as the minister of Jobs, Economy and Northern Development since 2022 and the member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche since Ma ...
, who felt that the decision was an attack on Alberta's oil industry, as Enbridge is one of the province's top-employing companies.
In November 2021, the chain began a promotion with Toronto singer Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
, which included the release of limited edition "Tim Biebs" Timbits and accompanying merchandise.
Tim Hortons is also the primary sponsor of Forge FC
Forge FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Hamilton, Ontario, that competes in the Canadian Premier League, the top tier of Canadian soccer. The club plays its home matches at Tim Hortons Field. Forge FC joined the CPL in 2019 as ...
.
Canadian cultural fixture
Tim Hortons is popularly known as "Timmies". The ubiquity of Tim Hortons, through the wide expansion of its outlets, makes it a prominent feature of Canadian life; Canadians eat more doughnuts per capita and have more doughnut outlets per capita than any other nation. Tim Hortons' prevalence in the coffee and doughnut market has led to its branding as a Canadian cultural icon. The media routinely refer to its iconic status, despite this being a relatively recent development; there were only a few outlets before the chain's expansion in the late 1990s and 2000s. A series of Tim's television commercials promotes this idea by showing vignettes of Canadians abroad and their homesickness
Homesickness is the distress caused by being away from home.Kerns, Brumariu, Abraham. Kathryn A., Laura E., Michelle M.(2009/04/13). Homesickness at summer camp. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 54. Its cognitive hallmark is preoccupying thoughts of home ...
for Tim Hortons. Canadian author Pierre Berton
Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton, CC, O.Ont. (July 12, 1920 – November 30, 2004) was a Canadian writer, journalist and broadcaster. Berton wrote 50 best-selling books, mainly about Canadiana, Canadian history and popular culture. He also wr ...
once wrote: "In so many ways the story of Tim Hortons is the essential Canadian story. It is a story of success and tragedy, of big dreams and small towns, of old-fashioned values and tough-fisted business, of hard work and of hockey."
Some commentators have bemoaned the rise of Tim Hortons as a national symbol. Rudyard Griffiths, director of The Dominion Institute, wrote in the ''Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
'' in July 2006 that the ascension of the chain to the status of a cultural icon was a "worrying sign" for Canadian nationalism, adding, "Surely Canada can come up with a better moniker than the Timbit Nation."
The recognition of Tim Hortons as a Canadian icon has permeated into American culture as the result of product placement efforts in conjunction with a marketing agency. In the American situation comedy ''How I Met Your Mother
''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005 to March 31, 2014, follows the main character, Ted Mosby, and his ...
'', while standing in a Tim Hortons "just around the corner from the Hockey Hall of Fame", Robin, played by Canadian actress Cobie Smulders
Jacoba Francisca Maria "Cobie" Smulders (born April 3, 1982) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her starring role as Robin Scherbatsky in the CBS sitcom '' How I Met Your Mother'' (2005–2014) and as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill in the ...
, called the location the "most Canadian place in the universe". The chain has since embraced that comment as an unofficial slogan and has used it in promotional advertisements to emphasize their fixture in modern Canadian culture. The chain has also been featured in the TV series ''Homeland
A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethni ...
'' as a result of the aforementioned product placement campaign. Another TV show that has Tim Hortons products making an appearance is '' The Last Ship'', having a product placement deal.
Partnerships
Cold Stone Creamery
The parent company of Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery is an American international ice cream parlor chain. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the company is owned and operated by Kahala Brands. The company's main product is premium ice cream made with approximately 12–14% bu ...
, Kahala, announced in February 2009 that it had reached an agreement with Tim Hortons to open up to 100 co-branded stores in the United States after successfully testing two locations in Rhode Island. The most notable co-branded store opened in August 2009 when Tim Hortons moved into three Cold Stone Creamery locations in New York City, including its flagship Times Square location.
In June 2009, Cold Stone Creamery started testing the Canadian market by opening its six co-branded locations with Tim Hortons in Ontario, and began expanding its test markets in Canada, including Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario, New Brunswick, and British Columbia, and in the summer of 2010, Cold Stone Creamery moved into six Tim Hortons locations in Quebec and one in each of Charlottetown, and Summerside, PEI. However, in February 2014, Tim Hortons chief executive Marc Caira announced that they will be pulling Cold Stone Creamery from all its Canadian restaurants, although Tim Hortons would maintain its locations in the United States.
Military partnerships
Tim Hortons has outlets located on at least seven Canadian Forces Bases. TDL Group announced in March 2006, in response to a request by Chief of the Defence Staff, General Rick Hillier
Rick may refer to:
People
*Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name
*Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality
*Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
, its commitment to open a franchised location at the Canadian Forces operations base in Kandahar
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a List of cities in Afghanistan, city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population ...
, Afghanistan. The new Kandahar location opened on July 1, 2006, in a trailer on the military base. The 41 staff members of the Kandahar outlet have been drawn from the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency
Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS) ( French: ''Services de bien-être et moral des Forces canadiennes''; ''SBMFC''), previously known as Canadian Forces Personnel and Family Support Services (CFPFSS) and Canadian Forces Personnel ...
who received training on such matters as how to handle a potential nuclear
Nuclear may refer to:
Physics
Relating to the nucleus of the atom:
* Nuclear engineering
*Nuclear physics
*Nuclear power
*Nuclear reactor
*Nuclear weapon
*Nuclear medicine
*Radiation therapy
*Nuclear warfare
Mathematics
*Nuclear space
*Nuclear ...
or biological attack before working at the military base. The Canadian Federal government subsidized the operation of the Kandahar outlet in the order of CAD$4–5 million per year. The Kandahar Tim Hortons closed on November 29, 2011, after serving four million cups of coffee and three million doughnuts over five years.
The first Tim Hortons outlet at a US military base was opened in 2009 at Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold res ...
. The following year, a second Tim Hortons outlet was opened at Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hampt ...
. As of November 2011, Tim Hortons has five outlets open on four US military bases. Besides the first two, they are also at Naval Air Station Oceana
Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana or NAS Oceana is a United States Navy Naval Air Station located in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Nowadays, the station is located on 23.9 km2. It has total of 250 aircraft deployed and buildings valued at $800 mil ...
, and two locations at the Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) (sometimes erroneously called Aberdeen Proving ''Grounds'') is a U.S. Army facility located adjacent to Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland, United States. More than 7,500 civilians and 5,000 military personnel work at ...
.
Roll Up the Rim to Win campaign
Each February, Tim Hortons holds a marketing campaign called Roll Up the Rim to Win. As of 2007, over 31 million prizes were distributed each year, including cars
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
, television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
s, and store products. Customers determine if they have won prizes by unrolling the rim on their paper cups when they have finished their drink, revealing the result underneath. Prizes are not distributed randomly country-wide; each of the company's distribution regions has distinct prize-winning odds. The idea for the campaign began in 1985 when Roger Wilson of one of Tim Hortons' supplier of cups, Lily Cup company, approached Tim Hortons with a new idea to increase their sales. Wilson explained his company had created a new cup design that allowed a message to be printed under the rim; the cup type cost no more than the current one and could enable a promotion or contest. Recognizing the opportunity to promote coffee in the normally weak sales period in the spring, the Roll Up the Rim to Win campaign was first held in 1986 when the biggest prize was a snack box of Timbits
A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fran ...
. In 2008, over 88% of major prizes were redeemed.
The contest is popular enough that Paul Kind has invented the Rimroller (as seen on ''Dragons' Den
''Dragons' Den'' is a reality television program format in which entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of venture capitalists in the hope of securing investment finance from them. The program originated in 2001 in Japan, where it is k ...
''), a device for rolling up the rim mechanically.
In honour of Canada's sesquicentennial, a special edition of the Roll Up the Rim promotion was held in July 2017, with prizes including an "Ultimate Canadian Vacation" valued at $10,000.
The contest has seen several controversies including the theft of unrolled cups. In March 2006, two families were fighting over a Toyota RAV4
The is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. Considered the first ever compact crossover SUV, it made its debut in Japan and Europe in 1994, and in North America in 1995, being launched in January 19 ...
SUV
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definiti ...
prize of value when their daughters found a winning "roll up the rim" coffee cup in a garbage bin of an elementary school in Saint-Jérôme
Saint-Jérôme () ( 2021 population 80,213) is a suburban city located about northwest of Montreal on the Rivière du Nord. It is part of the Montreal of Greater Montreal. It is a gateway to the Laurentian Mountains and its resorts via the ...
, a town north of Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
. The younger girl had found a cup in the garbage bin and could not roll up the rim, so she requested the help of an older girl. Once the winning cup was revealed, the older girl's family stated that they deserved the prize. Tim Hortons originally stated that they would not intervene in the dispute. A further complication arose when Quebec lawyer Claude Archambault requested a DNA test
Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, o ...
be done on the cup. He claimed that his unnamed client had thrown out the cup and was the rightful recipient of the prize. On April 19, 2006, Tim Hortons announced that they had decided to award the prize to the younger girl who had initially found the cup. The company has also faced concerns over the amount of additional litter generated by the promotion.
In 2018, Tim Hortons began to add digital components to the promotion, via the "Scroll Up the Rim" feature (which gave players a chance at food prizes) on the chain's mobile app
A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...
. In 2020, as part of environmental initiatives and to promote the chain's new Tims Rewards loyalty program, Tim Hortons announced that it would only distribute Roll Up the Rim cups during the first two weeks of the campaign. Each eligible purchase by a Tims Rewards member during the first half of the promotion was to earn two electronic entries, and one electronic entry in the second two weeks, redeemable via the Tims Rewards mobile app. Any purchase using a reusable cup was to award three entries.
On March 7, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, Tim Hortons announced that it had cancelled the distribution of physical cups for the promotion due to concerns that the virus could be spread by returned cups, and that the promotion would be conducted solely via the app. The chain had also joined others in temporarily prohibiting the use of reusable cups for similar reasons. The changes from 2020 remained in use for 2021, with the promotion therefore being renamed to Roll Up to Win. In addition, Tim Hortons announced that every electronic entry would be guaranteed to win Tims Rewards points at a minimum.
Community involvement
Tim Hortons sponsor community outreach programs including Free Skating, Free Swimming, Earn-a-Bike Program, Remembrance Day, Food Drives, the Smile Cookie program, Enactus, as well as a community clean-up project.
The store promotes itself through the "Tim Horton Children's Foundation." Founded by Ron Joyce, the Foundation sponsors thousands of underprivileged children from Canada and the United States to go to one of six high-class summer camp
A summer camp or sleepaway camp is a supervised program for children conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as ''campers''. Summer school is usually a part of the academ ...
s located in Parry Sound, ON; Tatamagouche, NS; Kananaskis, AB; Quyon, QC; Campbellsville, KY
Campbellsville is a city in central Kentucky founded in 1817 by Andrew Campbell. It is known for Campbellsville University, Taylor Regional Hospital health care system, its historic downtown, and the proximity to Green River Lake State Park. Ca ...
; St. George, ON and most recently, Whiteshell, MB.
The foundation's highest-profile fundraiser is Camp Day, which is held annually on the Wednesday of the first full week in June. All proceeds from coffee sales at most Tim Hortons locations, as well as proceeds from related activities held that day, are donated to the foundation. Small stores located in Esso Service Stations do not donate coffee proceeds on Camp Day.
Joyce's work with the Tim Horton Children's Foundation earned him the Gary Wright Humanitarian Award in 1991, presented periodically in recognition of contributions to the betterment of community life throughout Canada.[ In recognition primarily for his work with the Foundation, he received an appointment to the ]Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
, with the official presentation taking place on October 21, 1992, in Ottawa.
Tim Hortons became a sponsor of Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada (which merged with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1994) is the national governing body of ice hockey and ice sledge hockey in Canada. It is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation and controls the majority ...
in December 2019, including the presenting sponsor of the Centennial Cup
The Centennial Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament organized by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), which determines the national champion of junior A ice hockey. It is a ten-team round robin featuring the winners of ...
, the national junior "A" ice hockey championship and one of the major sponsors of Canada's national ice hockey teams.
Controversies
Great White North Franchisee Association
The Great White North Franchisee Association, which was formed in 2017, represented Tim Hortons franchises involved in a series of ongoing disputes with the head office of Tim Hortons due to frustrations with Restaurant Brands International (the parent company of Tim Hortons and Burger King). GWNFA has filed class-action lawsuits against the Restaurant Brands International over the handling of the Ontario minimum wage hike (see below), inflated head office pricing, and misuse of their advertising funds.
Ontario minimum wage
Tim Hortons became the subject of controversy after the raise of minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Bec ...
in Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
from $11.60 to $14.00 an hour which was made effective January 2018. The minimum wage increase was strongly criticized by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Restaurants Canada, and the Canadian Franchise Association. Restaurant Brands International did not help franchisees offset the wage hike, refusing to reduce the supply costs that it charged Tim Hortons franchisees, nor did it permit franchisees to raise menu prices in order to offset the wage hikes (in contrast to McDonald's, Cara Foods and Starbucks who did allow menu price increases in Ontario to cope with the wage increases). Tim Hortons franchisees, many of them small business owners who employed an average of 35 staff (the wage hike would cost the franchisee $7,000 per employee a year), responded by cutting employee benefits such as paid breaks and contributions to health plans. In one case, owners posted a memo encouraging employees to contact the Ontario Premier, Kathleen Wynne
Kathleen O'Day Wynne ( ; born May 21, 1953) is a Canadian former politician who served as the 25th premier of Ontario and leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2003 and sat as the ...
, and indicate that they "will not vote Liberal in the coming Ontario election in June 2018." Wynne responded by saying "I'm happy to talk to any business owner about the minimum wage but taking it out on employees is not fair and not acceptable." Around 50 demonstrations were held across Canada, including 38 in Ontario, in response to the benefit cuts. The minimum wage controversy hurt the chain's reputation; usually placing in the top 10 of the Leger research poll for the top 10 companies or brands in Canada, Tim Hortons dropped from 4th place in 2017 to 50th in 2018.
Plastics pollutant
Named as one of the top five plastic polluters in Canada in 2018 and 2019; in 2019, Tim Hortons accounted for about 11% of branded plastic waste collected by Greenpeace Canada
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to ...
from rivers and beaches.
In late 2018 and early 2019, Tim Hortons was subject to controversy over their usage of plastic cups. An online Change.org petition asking the company to switch from plastic cups to "a fully recyclable and compostable alternative" gained over 171,000 signatures. The cups were not compostable, due to their plastic lining, and are often very difficult to recycle. As of February 2019, Tim Hortons had not responded to the petition's requests. In early 2020, they gave away reusable cups for their "Roll Up the Rim to Win" promotion, to eliminate single-use plastic in their establishments. The effort was criticized as greenwashing
Greenwashing (a compound word modeled on "whitewash"), also called "green sheen", is a form of advertising or marketing spin in which green PR and green marketing are deceptively used to persuade the public that an organization's products, aims ...
through a limited-time promotion.
2020 sick-leave during COVID-19 pandemic
In March 2020, Tim Hortons met criticism for not offering sick-leave concessions to employees during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (). It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). Most cases over the course of the pandemic have been in Ontario, Que ...
.
App privacy violation
On June 1, 2022, the federal privacy commissioner, with officials in Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta, announced the results of their investigation, that Tim Hortons violated privacy laws by tracking people who used its app, gathering their location data hundreds of times a day – even when the app was not in use. A way of restitution, Tim Hortons offered eligible app users a free coffee and a baked good.
See also
* List of Canadian restaurant chains
Although many of the largest restaurant chains in Canada are US-based (McDonald's and Yum Brands among others), some Canadian-based (owned and operated from Canada) restaurant chains are growing and have expanded into other markets, especially ...
* List of coffeehouse chains
This list of notable coffeehouse chains catalogues the spread and markets share of coffeehouses world-wide. This list excludes the many companies which operate coffeeshops within retail establishments, notably bookstores and department stores, o ...
* List of doughnut shops
Doughnut shops (also spelled donut shops) specialize in the preparation and retail sales of doughnuts. A doughnut is a type of fried dough confectionery or dessert food. The doughnut is popular in many countries and prepared in various forms a ...
*Coffee wars
Coffee wars, sometimes referred to as caffeine wars, involve a variety of sales and marketing tactics by coffeehouse chains and espresso machine manufacturers to increase brand and consumer market share. In North America belligerents in these w ...
* History of Burger King
The predecessor to what is now the international fast food restaurant chain Burger King was founded on July 23, 1953, in Jacksonville, Florida, as Instant Burger King. Inspired by the McDonald brothers' original store location in San Bernardin ...
References
External links
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{{Restaurant Brands International
1964 establishments in Ontario
1995 mergers and acquisitions
2006 initial public offerings
2014 mergers and acquisitions
Bakery cafés
Canadian culture
Canadian companies established in 1964
Coffee brands
Coffeehouses and cafés in Canada
Coffeehouses and cafés in the United States
Companies based in Toronto
Companies formerly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange
Fast-food chains of Canada
Fast-food chains of the United States
Fast-food franchises
History of Hamilton, Ontario
Multinational companies headquartered in Canada
Regional restaurant chains in the United States
Restaurants established in 1964
Wendy's International