Tim Hortons
 

Tim Hortons is opening a new location at U Wellington and Mohawk on a former Esso station.

The building footprint looks small, I don't expect a lot of tables. But of course plenty of room for a massive drive-thru.

Tim’s takes aim at Big Apple

TheSpec.com - Business News

Hortons expanding into NYC

TORONTO — Tim Hortons Inc. has already conquered the Canadian coffee landscape and is now trying to take a bite out of the Big Apple.

The coffee giant says it is opening 12 new locations in New York City, with three more planned for August.

New Yorkers can now try “double doubles” at famous local landmarks including Broadway, Times Square, Penn Station and Madison Square Garden.

Two of the new stores will be located in Brooklyn.

Tim Hortons will continue its expansion into New York next month by opening three stores in existing Cold Stone Creamery locations. Tim Hortons, a much-loved brand throughout Canada but less well known in the U.S., has 3,500 stores across North America.

I like the facade of the new Tim Hortons on Mohawk and Upper Wellington, stone facade.

It's a tiny one so obviously it's a drive thru Tim Hortons with no chairs and tables. So far I think the best Tim Hortons design/format is at Clifton Hill.

Any word if Tim Hortons is going to open up at City Hall? I wouldn't be surprised if Tim Hortons also put a chain at the new passenger terminal building at MacNab.

Good news.

I wonder what design they have in store for the drive through at main and wentworth.

Has anyone ever seen the Tim Hortons on Frederick St in Downtown Kitchener. Glorious stone building fits in like a glove and even brings attention from the surrounding buildings.

What? They're changing the brown siding?

I agree I like the Clifton Hill format too.

I thought Tim Hortons at city hall was a joke? I hope it doesn't, I fear the renovations will already make it look like a mall inside, add a Tim Hortons and it will feel like a foodcourt.

No, a new cafe will definitely go to the main floor of City Hall. North East side of the building, facing towards the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Suppose to include a large patio space. Lloyd wants Tim Hortons. So I'm hoping they'll do the same treatment from Clifton Hill for this Tim Hortons.

Fans enjoy New York Tims

TheSpec.com

Torstar News Service

NEW YORK–Albert Wells stood for a long time at the counter of the newly opened Tim Hortons at Penn Station in Manhattan, looking puzzled.

The 48-year-old postal worker, an American who had never heard of Timbits, had read about the iconic Canadian coffee chain's maple-glazed doughnuts in the newspaper and was eager to try one. But after two attempts in one day, none were available at that site. He consoled himself with a coffee – free yesterday on the opening day for the chain's 12 locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

"This coffee is good. But I'm disappointed about the maple glazed," he said.

It's not every day Canadian cuisine, in any form, shows up en masse in New York City, but Tim Hortons Inc.'s arrival here, the company's first foray into this most costly and competitive of locations, was heralded by lengthy stories in the New York Post and New York Times.

The stores are taking over sites formerly occupied by Dunkin' Donuts, causing some consternation for its long-time, loyal customers.

There are three Tim Hortons sites within Penn Station alone, the bustling train station that welcomes thousands of commuters every day.

Regulars, expecting to find Dunkin' Donuts, their regular coffee-and-carb fix, in its usual spot, were a little disoriented, even suspicious.

"Who's this Tim Horton guy and why's he taking over my Dunkin' Donuts?" asked Melanie Skunca, 32, a media buyer who rode the subway with two colleagues, one a huge Tim Hortons fan.

"This morning I was so excited!" said Elizabeth Oberlin, 21, a junior ad buyer who has been a three-times-a-week Hortons fan in her native Rochester. "This is awesome. Their iced cappuccino is the best."

A regular commuter who heads for that site bleary-eyed each morning, Skunca said it would be a little tough to alter her routine and switch allegiance.

Tim Hortons is opening its Manhattan locations in conjunction with franchisee Riese Organization, which runs more than 100 restaurants in New York, including TGI Friday's, KFC and Pizza Hut. Riese will be the franchisee of 12 Tim Hortons restaurants – 10 in Manhattan and two in Brooklyn. The sites were all formerly Dunkin' Donuts restaurants operated by Riese that closed July 10.

"There's a lot of excitement, a lot of buzz," said Tim Hortons' regional marketing manager Anne Pritz, who flew in from Ohio for yesterday's openings. "There are a lot of Canadians ecstatic to see us. Dozens have come up to us. It's a little piece of home."

Kevin Gamble, a 34-year-old Vancouver native working in New York, happily waved a small Canadian flag attached to the end of his pencil and had his photo taken at the counter. "I was very excited to come down," he said.

"It means my frantic runs to Canada to buy tins of Tim Hortons ground coffee are over. Everything in New York is fantastic except the coffee. It's dreadful. It's watery."

Is it actually going to be attached to building? If so, that is so lame. Our city hall is now available to renters by square footage.

Was there even a tender for a tenant to occupy our glorious public building, the local forum of our democracy?

No, it'll be located inside the main floor, they are going to knock down some walls to have glass walls and doors for the patio.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...lforecourt.jpg
Look at the Northeast corner.

But was there a call for proposals? or did Ferguson just decide it'll be Tim Hortons?

I dunno, as you probably already can tell most of what's happening at City Hall has been very secretive, not open and transparent.

Last week, after having the worst cup of coffee in my life at a truck stop in Illinois (we had stopped for fuel) I figured there`s a scale of coffee quality like this...

- Real coffee, good coffee, fair-trade organic shade-grown premium coffee... is like homemade macaroni and cheese, lovingly prepared, possibly with bacon, possibly with crab, with crunchy breadcrumbs and sharp cheese. The good stuff.

- Certain chain coffee is the restaurant variety of that thing.. not great, but better than a lot.

- Tim Hortons is pretty much the Kraft Dinner of coffee. No one would ever confuse it with the real thing... but it`s consistent, reliable, and all to itself, has a certain strange appeal.

- The coffee at this truck stop was 5-for-$1 dollar-store KD mimicry, filled with melamine and MSG for all I know. Whatever it was, I have never had anything so awful in my life.

Can`t get a good cup of coffee in New York, though... wow. There`s 353 Starbucks within a 5m radius of Manhattan alone or something like that. Better than Tim`s at any rate.

Now city workers don't have to venture into the downtown at all. They can stay in their glass case and make rules and regulations while drinking from their own exclusive Tim Horton's.

Er, City Hall is downtown.

I live a block from city hall so I sure hope it will be a decent cafe instead of Tims.

Tim Hortons video by the City of Hamilton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieXTK-CZu_8

And one from CBS called "Is America ready for more Tim Hortons?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4LKFvOGx_c

Fred's looking much older from 3 years ago.

Wow that's a cool retro intro for the CBS morning show. Tim Hortons should go from Northeast to Midwest, not further south along the East Coast.

I really liked that video. It made me wonder how Dunkin's forray into Canada went. I remember a handful of stores in Toronto when I was growing up. Haven't seen any for a long time though. I'm guessing they just couldn't stand up to Timmy. I also agree with Steeltown regarding expansion.