Tim Hortons

Author: Leandro Alegsa Creation date: November 13, 2022

Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast food restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It was started in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton. In 1967 Tim Horton joined with investor Ron Joyce, who quickly took over running the company and expanded the chain into a multi-million dollar franchise.

Tim Hortons stores quickly spread and together with Subway, became bigger than McDonald's and is now Canada's largest chain of fast food restaurants. The company opened twice as many Canadian stores as did McDonald's and sales also are bigger than those of McDonald's Canadian restaurants as of 2002. The chain got 22.6% of all fast food industry revenues in Canada in 2005. Tim Hortons also has 76% of the Canadian market for baked goods (based on the number of customers) and has 62% of the Canadian coffee market (compared to Starbucks, who is the second largest with 7%). Tim Hortons had 2,733 restaurants in Canada as of July 1, 2007.

Tim Hortons also has international restaurants with 500 in the United States as of December 2008, with one opened in Detroit and owned by former NBA player Derrick Coleman and one on a Canadian military base outside Kandahar, Afghanistan. Tim Hortons' other international efforts include a small outlet at the Dublin Zoo. Tim Hortons also made a deal with the SPAR store chain in the UK and Ireland, with Tim Hortons coffee and doughnuts being sold at small self service counters in 16 SPAR stores.

Questions and Answers

Q: What is Tim Hortons?

A: Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast food restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts.

Q: Who started the company?

A: The company was started in 1964 by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton.

Q: How did it become so successful?

A: In 1967, Tim Horton joined with investor Ron Joyce, who quickly took over running the company and expanded the chain into a multi-million dollar franchise. This allowed the chain to quickly spread throughout Canada and become bigger than McDonald's.

Q: What percentage of fast food industry revenues does Tim Hortons have in Canada?

A: In 2005, Tim Hortons had 22.6% of all fast food industry revenues in Canada.

Q: How much of the Canadian market for baked goods does it have?

A: As of 2007, Tim Hortons had 76% of the Canadian market for baked goods (based on number of customers).

Q: How much of the Canadian coffee market does it have compared to Starbucks?

A: As of 2007, Tim Hortons had 62% of the Canadian coffee market compared to Starbucks' 7%.

Q: Does it have any international restaurants?

A: Yes, as of December 2008 there were 500 international restaurants located in the United States as well as one at a military base outside Kandahar, Afghanistan and one at Dublin Zoo in Ireland.