Tim Hortons
 

Can anybody tell me the facination with Tim Hortons. There are always queues at the drive through and it's nigh on impossible to find a table! There are I think 4 in Red Deer and the line ups are all the same. I have only been twice and not been impressed - you can't even get a proper jam doughnut :D and the coffee is not as good as some of the other coffee shops - Am I missing something?

Re: [B]Tim Hortons[/B]
 

Might be something to do with the price?..Probably get 2 cups for same price as a skinny, extra wet, double shot , no cream vanilla latte at Starbucks.

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But you can also go to the petrol station and get a coffee and put vanilla creamers in it - bingo almost a vanilla bean latte for $1.59 :D

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Other than lame-ass coffee and simple, insulin-raising carbs, trans fatty acids disguised as food? No. And you can still behold the splendor of the Tim Horton's franchise architecture from across the street, so in my view there's no reason to actually enter one.

... and we all now know that the bolding thing doesn't work in thread titles! :D

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Only 4 in Red Deer!!! :scared: No wonder there are long line ups.

Timmy's is a national institution.

Have you never had the chilli lunch, complete with coffe/tea and maple topped doughnut. :D

You havn't lived

There are too many expats out there who won't let go of the english mentality (ie the only doughnut is a soggy jam one).

You won't be a propper cannuck if you don't like Timmy's :p

Pennyhp :) :D :D

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Don't knock Timmy's 'cos I love it (especially their BLT's) :p I wish we had Tim Horton's over here. I miss the BLT's, cakes and chilli lunches ...... sigh

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I believe Tim Horton was a well respected hockey player in the 70's. unfortunately, he was on painkillers / driving fast and died in a car accident. the coffee shops were named after him and i think this is the facination aswell as the great deals they do.

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Died in a car crash! it makes my favorite snack there, 'Tims bits' seem that little bit stranger.
Stu
p.s they couldn't understand the Scottish accent in Alberta Drive-throughs so we had some strange drink combinations as well. :D

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Looks like I wont be a proper cannuck then!!! ;) :D

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Ahhhhhhhh, Tim's. At last count we've got 6 within a 15 minute walk of our house, heaven... :D
Will be going to one this morning to get sandwiches for our lunch on the train today - going to Montreal - only takes 20 hours on the train from here (Halifax)! :eek:

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You are soooooo lucky!!! I was very disappointed moving to Red Lake when I found that the nearest Timmy's is in Dryden, 2 1/2 hours drive south. Boohoo!!! One of the things I was looking forward to in Canada was Bpston Cream doughnuts! Yum!
As so many people mouth off on this site, EMBRACE THE CANADIAN
LIFESTYLE FULLY!!!!! GO TO TIM HORTONS!!!!!!!

Re: [B]Tim Hortons[/B]
 

I dont think his hockey heritage has much to do with it, but TH was an immense hockey player, One of the last maple leafs to lift the Stanley cup? I think the stores appeal is that its just cheap ubiquitous and quick, and kind of a classless in a everyonegoesthere kind of way. Its not great, but its consistent and reasonable value.

Maybe its popular as it highlites the "canadian" difference, its home grown (if not literally), unpretencious, and maybe "we canadians" like to think that perhaps we dont need to select from 16 different blends of coffee and overpriced fancy pastries when a regular cup of Jo and a sticky bun for a good price will do the job. Remember, Krispy Cream crashed and burned when they tried to expand into Canada.

In recent years though the doughnuts have shrunk alarmingly, so Im not convinced its as good value as it used to be. If you dont like donuts, it seems odd to criticise them for selling them, its what they do. I like the soup in a Bread bowl now and then too. If you dont like it, dont go there (but dont let CIC find out:D )


FWIW Tim Hortons was in business before TH died, but it only really took off after his death with Ron Joyce driving it along. THs widow was bought out for $1M and the Horton family never really got much out of it while Joyce went on to become one of the wealthiest canadians when they merged with Wendys a few years ago. I think he made some sort of charity payout to the horton widow after that to stop her making too much noise. Its said that Tim Hortons only real involvement with the business was to choose the roast of the coffee.

Apparently there are three in the UK! Anyone know where?

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Extra wet? Does that mean weak?

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Our local petrol station here in Rochester, Kent has a Somerfield convenience store with a Tim Hortons doughnut counter. it opened last August and I nearly crashed the car when I saw the Tim Hortons sign outside. Dashed in to see it with my own eyes and was most disappointed to see that they don't even do coffee, just doughnuts and tim-bits. You see, I'm also a fan of the chili bowl! It's not really taking off, it just doesn't work as a doughnut-only stand.

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Chilli bowl rocks...as does the 'everything bagle' toasted on light cheese:)
Have become adicted to the French Vanilla coffee....but too much of the pastries (quaint expression I know) is just a little too sugary and sweet for me...

Citizenship test should be a breeze....:D :D :D

Re: [B]Tim Hortons[/B]
 

Found this

http://www.canuckabroad.com/forums/1...er=asc&start=0



And yes, I realise replying to my own post is sad:)
Now, if only I could give myself Karma eh!

Re: [B]Tim Hortons[/B]
 

Yes. It's desperately sad.

As for the next bit; let's not even go there.

Re: Tim Hortons
 

I live in Powell River, BC, and recently it's been the talk of the town that we're going to be getting a Tim Hortons. Apparently, we're the biggest community in Canada that doesn't have a Tim Hortons. However, we found out the rumour was started by someone for a laugh.

Now to us this appeared to be a rather uninteresting thing, but the whole thing sparked fervent debate among the Canadians here. They are very upset that no one is actually coming to build a Timmy Ho's.

As a side issue, if anyone wants a winning franchise opportunity, Powell River would be a great place to build a Timmys.

Sarah

Re: Tim Hortons
 

I find it staggering that the queues (or to be more Canadian, 'lines') for Tims in the morning spiral through the parking lots and out into the road. Particularly as its often times quicker to park go in and buy your coffee than wait for the drive thru. The coffee is OK, the tea is Ok but its not that special and frankly I can get just as nice coffee for free at work! I am unfortunately addicted to my once weekly sugar fix of a small assorted timbits through. Clearly the addititives they put in 'em are working! :D

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The best thing about Timmy's for me is that their low-fat high fibre muffins are dairy and egg-free (supposedly). Since I can't eat donuts anymore, a nice blueberry-bran muffin helps to satisfy the pastry craving...

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I love their XL coffee and walnut crunch donut.

The chilli bowl is great and a toasted cinnamon bagel with butter is wonderful!

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Whenever we come go over for a visit we always vist Tim's. I enjoy a cheese croissant, always 'heated with butter', and my hubby enjoys the chilli bowl.

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That white powder on them...that aint sugar ;)

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This, notwithstanding

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=354326

I'm pretty much indifferent to Tim Horton's as a corporation. Except for their signage, they're no better or worse than McDonalds but, boy, do I hate their customers.

I've given up on them but it used to be that I'd run in looking for a large black, right money in hand, and there'd always be some prat buying TimBits. Since they're the same TimBits that person bought yesterday you'd think he or she would know exactly how many bits of each type of sickly glop were wanted but, oh no, not only do people who eat donuts have difficulty walking, they have difficulty thinking. "Hmm, no put back three of the yellowish ones and give me two brownish ones and the one with the slime". Bear in mind that the server is either a new immigrant with no grasp of the names of the colours in English or a geriatric who creaks and groans with every moment and this is enough to make a zen master scream with impatience.

Then there's the signage. They put up signs along the highway marking the exits as having a coffee shop, one might think that such a sign means that there's a coffee shop at the exit but, oh no, in the case of Tim Horton's it just means that they have a coffee shop in the same province as the sign. It's not uncommon for the shop to be five miles from the exit.

Tim Horton's is plainly set up for people who aren't going anywhere in particular and who have all day to not get there. Red Green springs to mind.

Re: Tim Hortons
 

The ultimate endorsement!

Re: Tim Hortons
 

But its soooo good!! :D

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So any one with a spare $273,000 cash and almost cash $250,000 like to emigrate as a business Class Talk to Tim's and the CIC and you may get here before the finished building it.

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As a Coffee-Holic, Tim Horton's was a life saver on my last research trip.
Covering 5000 km in 2 weeks,
Coffee is OK quality > but very good value.
The drive through line up are for people like me, who want the coffee, but not be tempted by the doughnuts.
I had a business meeting and asked my client where do they want to go for lunch> they suggested Tim Horton's. The images that sprang to mind were doughnuts? - but once inside I had the soup, and managed to leave the free doughnut to one side. :rolleyes:
Since I have found their sandwiches, chili and soup excellent low cost meals.
:D
The month before I spent 2 weeks in the USA on the road, and came back 20lbs heavier. :mad:

Re: [B]Tim Hortons[/B]
 

Not named after him ... but by him. He didn't like the blend of coffee in other places so he made up his own blend and then decided to market it by setting up a Tim Horton. It grew from there, even after his untimely death.

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Well Krispy Kreme (Us juggernaut) tried to come up here and take over the Doughnut and Coffee business a while ago. At first they did very well with the doughnut side of the equation - when they were only in a few spotlight locations.

But then they decided on the strategy: - instead of going head to head with Tim's for choice doughnut shop locales, they went for boutique shops inside mega-Loblaws grocery shopping stores. They failed miserably and have since pulled shop on the Loblaw stores across the country.

Now: In my opinion, they had very good coffee (not as good as a well-brewed Tim's) and a unique way to cook/display the doughnuts that always drew a crowd.

But! If you have coffe that is sub-par to Tim's...and your doughnuts have the equivalent to a Big Mac in calories per piece (also with no varying menu like Tim has) - then how did they expect to survive up here?

I agree that Tim's has diversified itself enough to dominate the market...even without the brainwashing!

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I read somewhere that Tim's in the US is making a more agressive move into Breakfasts as this is the growth markets. Presumably Canada will follow.

My favourite fast food place (which is not unique to Canada) is Subway. Healthy(ier) food and the coffee's Ok too! Mind you nothing is a patch on Mary Brown's chicken. A uniquely Atlantic Canadian experience where if it aint deepfried chicken it aint worth considering!

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There's a Mary Brown's in Scarborough. I'm not sure if that's part of Atlantic Canada anymore.

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Isnt it part of the Asian subcontinent ? :confused:

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It probably is if you are from Alberta! ;)

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It used to be heavily populated by Newfies, you can still get salt beef in the corner stores and bars generally have a copy of the Downhomer (http://www.downhomer.com/) Mostly the Newfies have moved out though, to Whitby and Ajax and Oshawa. Note the ad on the Downhomer site :

"Are You Moving?
To Toronto East or Durham area? Already here and just moving across town? Call Cindy Cranstoun (nee Parsons), formerly from Stephenville, NL, for all your Real Estate needs and great Downhome Service!"

Re: Tim Hortons
 

Well......................2 of my Canadian friends are convinced there is something in Timmy's coffee that get you addicted to it and they never drink it. What do you guys think?
Now Barrs Irn Bru..................Yummmmmmmm i am addicted to that. :beer: :)

Re: Tim Hortons
 

No....got the 'Irn Bru' monkey off of my back...but it's taken a while! :D

Re: Tim Hortons
 

does anyone else know of any other reason for emigrating to Canada, other than Mr Tom Hortons ?????

Re: Tim Hortons
 

Your all missing my point - why do people line up for half an our for a cup of coffee from Tim Hortons when they can pop into any of the other drive thru's for the same sort of mediocre coffee? I must be missing something! Oh Well maybe it will come to me one day :D

Re: Tim Hortons
 

Because they are to lazy to park the car and go inside to order their coffee and only have to spend 10 minutes on line instead?

We have the same with the lines at Dunkin Donuts here in the States in the morning.