Tim Hortons

[Loco101]

I much prefer A&W coffee and also their lattes. They use Pret brand coffee.

The A&W located in my neighbourhood has had $1.00 coffee of any size for a few months now to complete with the Tims located right next to it. It amazes me that even with better pricing and quality Tims gets so much more traffic volume but I have noticed that Tims isn't nearly as busy as it used to be. The A&W does appear to be gaining slowly.

[manny_santos]

I’ve tried A&W’s coffee several times and don’t care for it.

I’ve also noticed their burgers have shrunk considerably since last summer. Their Mama burger is so tiny compared to a Burger King Whopper, despite being a similar price.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I remember the Masonville Chapters store opened in late 1995. However I seem to remember a different coffee shop being there initially and Starbucks replacing it about three years later. I may be wrong on this. Can’t speak to the Wellington location as I never went there back then.

I remember Second Cup having a few locations in London back then. Never as many as Tim Hortons but it was, to pardon the pun, the second coffee shop chain there.

I'm having a little brain fog on the timing of the south Chapters. I seem to recall Toys R Us was originally in the Chapters spot and then they expanded the building and moved Toys and Chapters moved in to where it still is now (I know Toys opened first as I went to that madhouse grand opening when I was a teen in the mid 80's and Knight Rider David Hasselhof was the celeb they brought in). I do have in my mind the south store got a Starbucks before the north.

It doesn't even seem that long ago that Second Cup left. I was in Masonville daily for work up to about 10 years ago and always stopped there for cookies and a hot chocolate on the way out as their shop was right across from receiving. I was never a coffee guy so I didn't pay much attention to where else they were, they always seemed like a mall coffee shop to me

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I'm having a little brain fog on the timing of the south Chapters. I seem to recall Toys R Us was originally in the Chapters spot and then they expanded the building and moved Toys and Chapters moved in to where it still is now (I know Toys opened first as I went to that madhouse grand opening when I was a teen in the mid 80's and Knight Rider David Hasselhof was the celeb they brought in). I do have in my mind the south store got a Starbucks before the north.

It doesn't even seem that long ago that Second Cup left. I was in Masonville daily for work up to about 10 years ago and always stopped there for cookies and a hot chocolate on the way out as their shop was right across from receiving. I was never a coffee guy so I didn't pay much attention to where else they were, they always seemed like a mall coffee shop to me

Yeah, in London I believe Second Cup was only ever in malls. I remember them at Masonville and I believe also Westmount and White Oaks, possibly also Galleria. First time I ever saw a standalone one was in downtown Toronto.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Where did that info come from? I'd love the Vancouver numbers, and Metro Vancouver if possible.

I just used ChatGPT.

Metro Vancouver
Tim Hortons: (104+)
Starbucks: 90
McDonalds: 75-85

[MolsonExport]

McDonald's coffee is cheaper and better-tasting than Rimmie's. I also prefer the breakfast sandwiches and hash browns of McDonald's over Rimmie's. The only problem is: Rimmie's is everywhere, and McD's are much fewer (and nonexistent on campus, which is owned by Whoreton's).

Given the awfulness of Trump's America, I would gladly patronize only Tim's if it were truly Canadian, but they are largely owned by a Brazilian holding company.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I much prefer A&W coffee and also their lattes. They use Pret brand coffee.

The A&W located in my neighbourhood has had $1.00 coffee of any size for a few months now to complete with the Tims located right next to it. It amazes me that even with better pricing and quality Tims gets so much more traffic volume but I have noticed that Tims isn't nearly as busy as it used to be. The A&W does appear to be gaining slowly.

Roasted in Canada?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Ozabald

Vancouver is probably the outlier likely being the only city in Canada with more Starbucks than Tim Horton's. When I moved to Vancouver in 1994, there were no Timmie's locations within Vancouver proper; only a handful in the suburbs. Living in the West End at that time, the closest location was on Marine Drive in North Vancouver.

The number of Starbucks has plummeted in Vancouver as part of Sbux self-inflicted post pandemic business woes.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I’ve tried A&W’s coffee several times and don’t care for it.

I’ve also noticed their burgers have shrunk considerably since last summer. Their Mama burger is so tiny compared to a Burger King Whopper, despite being a similar price.

Ok, but Burger King sucks. Whoppers have never been good. Sloppy mess.
A&W often has coupon deals

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Wigs

Ok, but Burger King sucks. Whoppers have never been good. Sloppy mess.
A&W often has coupon deals

My experience with BK is that their quality varies widely from one location to another. The two locations in New Westminster, and the one in Maple Ridge are actually pretty decent. But I’ve been to terrible BKs elsewhere.

I also want to say I still like the quality of A&W. And their poutine is one of the better fast food poutines out there. I’m just salty about their shrinking burgers.

[jonny24]

Originally Posted by Wigs

agreed. A&W is a much better experience. Typically only 1-2 cars ahead of you in drive thru at a time.
I'm surprised many Canadians don't think of A&W for breakfast and coffee. Higher quality coffee than Tim's.

If you don't believe harls and me, try it.

I'm not one for fast-food breakfast, and I can skip coffee when it's not free at the office, but I DO love morning A+W for something else.

They will cook you a burger literally any time of day. None of this "we're on the breakfast menu till 11:00, no burger for you bullshit". 6:30 am and hungover/still drunk? You can get an A+W burger.


Edit: Have never had a good Burger King experience. At this point, I try it once a decade and go "yup, this is why I don't come here".

[Ozabald]

Originally Posted by whatnext

The number of Starbucks has plummeted in Vancouver as part of Sbux self-inflicted post pandemic business woes.

Yes, Starbucks "glory days" in the YVR market has certainly passed. We all likely remember when there were two Starbucks across from each on the corner of Robson and Thurlow. If I was to do coffee from a chain in Vancouver, it likely would be Blenz, Artigiano or Brekka.

[zoomer]

Originally Posted by Ozabald

Vancouver is probably the outlier likely being the only city in Canada with more Starbucks than Tim Horton's. When I moved to Vancouver in 1994, there were no Timmie's locations within Vancouver proper; only a handful in the suburbs. Living in the West End at that time, the closest location was on Marine Drive in North Vancouver.

I'm not sad to see Starbucks decline as they seem to relying on a 'superstar' CEO to turn around the ship instead of truly focusing on the customer.

As for Victoria there are:

28 Starbucks
20 Tim Horton's
9 McDonald's
90-120 independent coffee shops

The first three calculated using their own numbers the last using Chat GPT as they mention the distinction between coffee shop and cafe makes it difficult to precisely determine. Plus this is ChatGPT, lol. Gemini AI refused to even try to calculate.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

My experience with BK is that their quality varies widely from one location to another. The two locations in New Westminster, and the one in Maple Ridge are actually pretty decent. But I’ve been to terrible BKs elsewhere.

I also want to say I still like the quality of A&W. And their poutine is one of the better fast food poutines out there. I’m just salty about their shrinking burgers.

I find that only a handful of fast food places are the same quality across the board, McDonald's and AnW being 2 of them. Generally, if I get a coffee out, it will be at a local coffee shop. But if I'm driving, it's McDonalds coffee.

As for AnW Poutine, they put so much cheese on it's great!

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

Generally, if I get a coffee out, it will be at a local coffee shop. But if I'm driving, it's McDonalds coffee.

I like local coffee shops, that’s one thing that is really lacking in some parts of London. Out where my parents live there’s two Tim Hortons and a McDonald’s close by, and a Starbucks if you drive further. There is no coffee shop within walking distance and I believe the nearest “local” shop is in Wortley Village, which isn’t exactly convenient to get to at times.

There used to be a couple of more “local” shops on Commissioners Road out their way, but they both closed around 8-10 years ago.

My Tim Hortons consumption has dropped considerably since leaving London. There is so much more selection of local coffee shops in BC, and not just in metro Vancouver, smaller communities have these too and aren’t forced to rely on Tim Hortons as their coffee shop.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by jonny24

...but I DO love morning A+W for something else.

They will cook you a burger literally any time of day. None of this "we're on the breakfast menu till 11:00, no burger for you bullshit". 6:30 am and hungover/still drunk? You can get an A+W burger.

Wow I had no idea. That's above and beyond other chains

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I just used ChatGPT.

Metro Vancouver
Tim Hortons: (104+)
Starbucks: 90
McDonalds: 75-85

Thanks. I feel like Tim's did a massive expansion out here maybe 10+ years ago. There used to not be that many. Meanwhile Starbucks has expanded but also gone through a few waves of store closures.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by jonny24

Edit: Have never had a good Burger King experience. At this point, I try it once a decade and go "yup, this is why I don't come here".

I got very ill after eating there late-night in Cancun almost 30 years ago. Probably the first time I had in more than a decade. So, unless I'm desperate and it's the only option, I'm now doing a half-century cycle of that place.

[zoomer]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I like local coffee shops, that’s one thing that is really lacking in some parts of London. Out where my parents live there’s two Tim Hortons and a McDonald’s close by, and a Starbucks if you drive further. There is no coffee shop within walking distance and I believe the nearest “local” shop is in Wortley Village, which isn’t exactly convenient to get to at times.

There used to be a couple of more “local” shops on Commissioners Road out their way, but they both closed around 8-10 years ago.

My Tim Hortons consumption has dropped considerably since leaving London. There is so much more selection of local coffee shops in BC, and not just in metro Vancouver, smaller communities have these too and aren’t forced to rely on Tim Hortons as their coffee shop.

Huh, I never realized that, not having spent any time in Ontario outside of Ottawa and Toronto. It would be pretty sad having to rely on Tim's as the main coffee outlet - although in the summer I'll admit to getting the odd ice cap, but in Victoria that usually means a painful customer service experience, so not worth it in the end. The best customer service I've ever had in chain type restaurants/coffee shops was in Regina and Moncton.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

I got very ill after eating there late-night in Cancun almost 30 years ago. Probably the first time I had in more than a decade. So, unless I'm desperate and it's the only option, I'm now doing a half-century cycle of that place.

Burger King in Mexico is much worse than in Canada, from my own experience. And my girlfriend who is from there won’t touch BK because of how bad it is there.