Monday, November 29, 2010

A Canadian Institution

Tim Hortons, eh. It is truly an institution in Canada.  If you don't know what Timmy's is that means you probably haven't spent much time in Canada or in Michigan, Maine, Connecticut, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York areas where there are Tim Hortons locations.

Tim Horton was a Canadian hockey player who started a doughnut and coffee shop in 1964.  (See Wikipedia for lots of information:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Hortons)  The chain has grown and morphed over the years into what I would consider a cross between McDonald's and Dunkin' Doughnuts.  There are locations everywhere here (more than 3000 in Canada), and they are constantly busy.  In the US, there are hundreds of locations, but they've recently closed 50 stores.  It doesn't seem like Timmy's is quite as successful breaking into the US market as it has been expanding in Canada.

We ended up driving to the US for the US Thanksgiving holiday so I made my first stop at a Tim Hortons on the road.  I thought the coffee was ok, maybe the same as McDonald's or Dunkin' Doughnuts.  But, as of 2006 Tim Horton's had 62% of the Canadian coffee market.  At least for coffee, I'm not planning to convert anytime soon - I'm still a Starbucks (or Caribou when available) girl!  
Posted by Katie G at 10:20 PM

4 comments:

  1. CourtneyJanuary 11, 2011 at 4:24 PM

    I'm a big fan of Second Cup. It's the closest thing I found in quality compared to The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf which I miss from my home state of California.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Katie GJanuary 11, 2011 at 5:22 PM

    Hi Courtney,
    Thanks for the comment. I like Second Cup so far too though I'm looking for a small local shop to call home too - must have WIFI! I'm glad you found a something that is at least a close second. I've never been to The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf having lived mostly in MN, IA, and NY, but the website makes me think the place is great. How long have you been in Canada?

    Katie

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  3. CourtneyJanuary 12, 2011 at 10:50 AM

    Hi Katie,

    I'm still stuck in Dallas, TX. My (Canadian)fiance is in the GTA right now and I'm waiting on my Labour Opinion to get my work permit for Holt Renfrew. I work for a cosmetics company in Dallas and will be working for the same company in Toronto. In the states I can work for the vendor without directly working for a dept. store like Neiman Marcus, Saks or Nordstrom. In Canada, the cosmetics line is exclusive to Holts and I actually have to be paid through Holts, not directly through the vendor. This keeps me from having a straight company transfer and the need for a labour opinion to recieve the "offer." It's been 8 weeks of waiting and I can't wait to move!! I've been in Toronto on a montly basis for the past six months and I really love it. I look forward to networking with other Americans when I'm up there. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. I can't wait to start doing makeup in Canada :)

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  4. Katie GJanuary 12, 2011 at 4:05 PM

    Hi Courtney,
    I'll connect with you on Facebook so we can get in touch when you get here or if you're in town visiting. Good luck with the labor market opinion (I like how you've already adapted the our in labour!). I'd love to hear more about your experiences moving and getting settled. I bet some reading the blog would as well since mine are specific to my experience!

    I'll keep my fingers crossed!

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