Saturday 24 May 2014

Timmy's

On a road trip in Canada and need a break? Indulging in some retail therapy at the mall and your feet hurt? Need a coffee and a bite to eat to restore your energy? Then you'll probably make a stop at Tim Hortons.

Timmy's has 3,588 restaurants in Canada, 859 in the United States and 38 in the Persion Gulf region. There was even a temporary Tim's set up for the Canadian military in Kandahar in Afghanistan. They can't do without their "double double". The Kandahar Tim Hortons closed in 2011 after serving four million cups of coffee and three million doughnuts over five years.

The restaurant chain was started back in 1964 by NHL hockey player Tim Horton who played for Toronto Maple Leafs for most of his career. Unfortunately Tim didn't live to see the huge success of his coffee shops as he was killed in a car accident in 1974. Warning: even if you're a famous hockey player, you're not indestructible..... don't drink and drive!



My small town now boasts TWO Timmys. And they are always busy. They are a meeting place for high school students, seniors, and everyone in between. I stopped in for a small coffee and a muffin yesterday... yummy! 
See those weird looking black and white donuts on the third shelf? Stanley Cup Playoffs Donuts. Tim Horton would be proud!

16 comments:

  1. These look like a lovely place, with lovely yummy cakes! Plus, I've learnt something as I'd never heard of this chap or the shops. Must say, it is really nice to have you back to blogging :-)

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  2. It's great that "Timmy's" has continued on though Tim himself is gone. Many many MANY Delicious looking goodies.....YUM! I know I won't be getting up that way, but it's fun to see all those delicious looking desserts! Be sure to enjoy one of those Chocolate ones for me...lol!

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  3. There's even a Tims on the ground floor of Southlake Hospital! ;)

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  4. We also have two in our town, and they are both busy. My first memory of Tims was back in the 60s in Port Credit. Who knew at that time what an institution it would become. When my daughter lived in Hamilton, we paid a visit to the original Tims.

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  5. Those cakes look very delicious!I imagine that from young to seniors, they still love the hockey player Tim, enjoying yummy cakes there!! My English teacher is from Toronto.I like that he too knows of Tim!!!

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  6. Timmy’s would be categorized into “famires”, shorthand for “family restaurant”, in my country. I don’t know whether you call that way or it is Japanese English. Each famires like Saizeriya, Gusto, or Royal Host, to name a few, has many chains and prices are very reasonable.

    Yoko

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  7. I'd heard of Tim Horton's and knew it was fairly ubiquitous in the Great White North.
    Now I know a lot more.
    Thanks.

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  8. Fun post, Shammie. My nearby town of Bancroft has two Tims as well - one of which I stopped at before shopping this morning.

    And noticing your mention of the one in Kandahar and Sheila's comment about Oshawa reminds me of a Timmy stat. Neighbouring Bowmanville (I'm told) has the busiest Timmies in Canada and it was topped only by the one in Kandahar.

    Winner of a post.. I feel like I just rolled up the rim and won! ;)

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  10. Proper etiquette, at least at semi-rural Timmies, is to arrive in your pick-up. Then go in and get your 'double-double'. Go back to your truck and pop the hood and spend the rest of the evening sitting and drinking coffee in your lawn-chair in the parking lot.

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  11. hehehe OlderSon.... is that what you get up to on a summer evening now that you're officially a country hick?

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  12. We LOVE Timmies! Always a must for us whenever we're in Canada. I didn't know there were so many in the US. We also love Boston Pizza, which if I remember correctly is also a Canadian franchise, now with stores in the US. But I'm tempted to only go to them whilst in Canada because they are Canadian. Though I'd probably flip-flop on that statement, because if i did see a Timmies or a Boston Pizza in the US, I wouldn't be able to resist.

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  13. We LOVE Timmies! Always a must for us whenever we're in Canada. I didn't know there were so many in the US. We also love Boston Pizza, which if I remember correctly is also a Canadian franchise, now with stores in the US. But I'm tempted to only go to them whilst in Canada because they are Canadian. Though I'd probably flip-flop on that statement, because if i did see a Timmies or a Boston Pizza in the US, I wouldn't be able to resist.

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  14. What a great place to have near, I love pastries.

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  15. Woohoo Hilary, thanks for POTW award, when I see you, I'll treat you to a large double double, and maybe a Boston Creme too!

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  16. Interesting story. We don't have a Horton's near us.
    Now you have made me hungry for a doughnut and a good cup of coffee.
    Congratulations on POTW.

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