Ah, Tim Horton’s, the most trusted brand in Canada. For a large segment of the YK population, Tim’s is the neighbourhood hang, the average-joe daily ritual, the double-double essence of Canucklehood. It’s a sanctified YK myth that our local branch is the busiest in the country, oft-repeated to credulous newcomers and seemingly true when you look at the ever-present line-up of Ford F150s and Escapes in the drive-through. But is it so?
Well, it was. Tim Horton’s had the top overall sales in North America in 2007. But that was then and this is now and how have we been doing lately? While we don’t know any exact numbers, franchise owner/operator Suzanne Desfosses says our Tim’s is no longer number one, but is still up there and in “the top 8 now.” She also added that “the Fort McMurray locations are leading all restaurants in the chain,” so there’s something to shake your Timbit at.
While we’re busting Timmie myths, how about those ongoing rumours of a downtown location? A few years ago the Desfosses were just one signature away from reaching their goal, before that fell through at the last minute. Desfosses confirms that they’re still working on a downtown spot and the process is well underway. No announcements will be made, though, until all the T’s are crossed this time.
A more concrete change we can look forward to in 2016 is a rebuild of the current restaurant. They’ll be shifting over to the land directly in front of them, formerly a Petro-Canada, and the old location will make way for more parking (with any useful materials handed over to Habitat for Humanity, Desfosses says). The new place will be a “more modern and efficient restaurant”/caffeine delivery system to meet our needs.
