Very strange pattern of penetration into the US. You'd expect them to start at states with land borders and move south. But here's where they are right now, according to their Web site:
Tim Hortons locations can presently be found in Michigan, Maine, Connecticut, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York, with responsible expansion continuing in these core markets.
Closest to me is Maine. Not surprising, as much of the Maine coast becomes part of Quebec in the summer.
The presence of a Tim's was enough to tell me to stop for the night at the nearby hotel when driving through Ohio a few years back.
Tim Hortons locations can presently be found in Michigan, Maine, Connecticut, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York, with responsible expansion continuing in these core markets.
Couldn't have said it better myself. It is a ritual, and just decent consistent coffee, and for me being at ground zero with the first 5 stores all within a twenty minute drive, just adds to it.
I think that's exactly what you will start seeing in the states, TH's partnered up with gas stations with high traffic flow through the pumps. There's plenty of those type of operations around here, all corporate operations so no more lucrative franchi$e opportunities. A stand-alone store franchise is around $425,000, considering the average outlet sells over 2,000 dollars a day in just coffee alone, that's still considered a bargain, just fewer outlets available.
Over the last twenty years I've had the pleasure to know and talk with both co-founder Ron Joyce and current CEO Don Schroeder. Ron Joyce told me that during the early years of shopping franchises that he was only turned down by roughly 5 people with the common response 'who's going to pay to sit down or buy a coffee and donut'. Joyce eventually sold Tim's to Wendy's founder Dave Thomas (as nice as he appeared) for an estimated 500 million dollars!! Tim's now accounts for just over half of Wendy's overall profits and recently re-established Tim Hortons as a stand-alone business under Wendy's.
Wikipedia's coverage is interesting. It explains the missing apostrophe: Quebec language laws! And it shows that the spotty penetration into the US could be due in part to their taking over existing, small local chains.
The thing that is still a mystery to me is why there is no actual memorial or other sort of reference to Tim Horton himself. I've heard some Canadians say that this is disrespectful. Perhaps the owners didn't procure the appropriate release from the family?
The closest I've come to Tim's here in New England is finding a used cup in a parking lot at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, 35 miles south of the closest Tim's in Biddeford. (Or should that be spelled "Tims," peut être? :icon_wink
Before all of the stores got remodelled, each store had a picture/painting similar to this http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/images/tim_horton.jpg It had to be an American decision to remove them after the purchase:N_poke: The name was the brand not the image. There are pictures of him featured on the Tim Horton Childrens Foundation plaques in the stores here.
I still say you can't beat Wawa. Although when I was up in Canada a couple weeks ago that double hot chocolate or whatever and the triple chocolate donut was pretty damn good
Yes, I saw that report. I think they might have done better by gradually creeping southward and establishing their name as they went rather than making quantum leaps and grabbing an existing company. It would help in establishing their brand, and it would also make for easier expansion of their distribution system.
Mmmm....Timbits....
After I left Buffalo, I thought I'd never have a chance to eat there again. Well, now one opened on the way home from my gym. So now, it's:
1. Work out
2. Grab a donut
3. Repeat
Tim's bundled up with a Coldstone Creamery opened up in my town last month. Interesting, as the standalone Starbuck's shop closed its doors last year. I've got Double Double's on the brain now.
It was the concept of World Domination that seemed timely.
Any connection between Tim and Nathan? There's nothing mentioned in wikipedia, but perhaps something way back long ago? Wikipedia does say that he's married to the great-niece of Jacques Plante.
Nope, still no Timmie's around here. Dunkin has too strong a hold.
My wife is currently en route to the land of Tim's, to visit younger kid and grandkids. I'm back here in New Hampshire doing typical winter maintenance things like scraping snow off the decks and, as necessary, off the roof. We'll both get out there come springtime, AKA grandkid birthday season.
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