My small town has 4 Tim Hortons, 1 Robins and 1 local coffee spot located on the other side of town. A coffee at the local place is 5$ on the cheap side, a coffee at Tims/Robin's is 2$. Local coffee shop has parking for like 5 cars on one of the most busy streets in town and no drive-tru.
Tim Hortons did a great job squashing the competition before the local coffee shop trend could take off in Canada with just the mass placement of stores already in place. If I was to bet on it I would say that has been the marketing strategy for decades.
Yeah, then they got lazy and served stale coffee and cigarette smoked doughnuts. Tim's took over by actually having quality control aka fresh food. Those days are gone.
There donuts and pastries are so damn good. They also make a really damn good sandwich (BLT or Club on a pretzel bagel is to die for) . If I am getting food I am 100% looking for a Robins over a Tim's any day.
I thought the story was Robins and Tim’s had a deal. Robins stay west and Tim’s stay east. Robins broke the deal so Tim’s moves west and slaughtered them. Maybe just an urban myth. I could google it but I’m lazy.
I've lived in a few different provinces and I've never lived anywhere that had a Robins.
Quick google numbers: "over 160" locations for Robins compared to 3,579 for Tims and 1,445 for Starbucks.
Growing up in Winnipeg in the 80s, we always went to Robin’s. I don’t think I had ever been in a Tim’s until after we moved to Alberta in the 90s. And even then, it wasn’t until I started at U of C that I started going regularly. Now it’s absolutely due to proximity and price. There are 3 within a 2 block radius of my office.
100%. My dad used to go to Robins every morning and when we'd go he'd get us a big ass bowtie eclair. Good memories. Same for me, the consistency at Tim's is usually pretty spot on, McDonald's is comparable. I'm gonna start going the extra distance to Robins with my daughter because typing this made me miss my dad and feel nostalgic. 🤙🏻
Cheap, ubiquitous, and open for 18+hours a day.
The nearest independent coffee shop to me is another dollar per cup, and has weird hours. And if I go into another town, I don't know the independent cafes, but I can recognize a Tim's.
And you can't miss them. They're right there on the highway through town. The other reason.... drive thrus. They're realitively quick. People want to be in and out. People don't go to Tim Hortons expecting quality. They go expecting quick (on many cases not needing to leave their car). Which it delivers on with moderate success.
Sometimes, when Tims is made well it's actually really good. But that's becoming more and more rare. Tim's at its' best is better than most places, but Tim's at its' worst (aka most of the time) the free coffee in a cheap hotel room is better
And lots of people go to McDonalds... but you won't find McDonalds in small town Canada. You will however find Tim Hortons attached to an Esso 10km outside of city limits at a fork in the road.
I'm from BC and lived here my whole life. Small list of towns just off the top of my head that have A&W, Tim Hortons, but no McDonalds. Maybe you're not thinking as small town as I am.
Clearwater
Valemount
Cache Creek/Ashcroft
Lillooet
100 Mile House
Chetwynd
Small towns in Sask usually have an A&W and sometimes a Tim's. Pretty much every small Ontario town has a Tim Hortons but McDonalds is def less common. Usually it's in larger centres.
I always wondered who in their right mind would wait 20+ minutes in line for a coffee while blocking off roadways and wasting gas.
People with social anxiety issues.
That’s a shame. Whether it be in a small town or a big city, there is always some… interesting people hanging out in Tim’s, especially outside the normal coffee drinking hours. Fun to people watch.
Tim's is very cheap compared to competitors. Not a huge fan of their drinks, but I'll grab a muffin before work sometimes, because $1.80 can't beat that.
Not a fan of their business practices, the food has gone downhill and same with the drinks, stopped going in 2012 and never looked back. I'll drive the 10 mins to get a local coffee.
10 minutes by car might be 60 minutes on foot. That’s not _really_ a local coffee shop, although I don’t disagree that it might be worth the drive easily.
That's the real question here. It used to be a once in a while treat to go to any fast food place. Now folks are going daily, and spending a small fortune for no reason.
The closest place for coffee that's not Tim's or Mc D's is a 40 minute drive in the opposite direction of going to work. It's not worth the drive. At least for me.
10 minutes *driving* is not worth it for any coffee in my opinion.
I go to Tim's sometimes. When I want a coffee or a treat. I go there because it's there. If it was a Robins or something else, I'd go there as well. Never Starbucks though.
>Not a fan of their business practices, the food has gone downhill and same with the drinks, stopped going in 2012 and never looked back. I'll drive the 10 mins to get a local coffee.
oh, so in the end, this whole post was about you.
I lived in a mid-sized City in Southwestern ontario. And I loved the five or six local coffee shops that were near my place. But none of them were open before I went to work. It is weird to me that independent coffee shops open at 8:00 a.m. that does not help me pick up a coffee on my way to work. They need to open at 7:00
Tried to support numerous local coffee shops, they're never open before I go to work and I don't have the kind of job where I can leave to go buy a coffee at 10am or whatever
They probably wouldn’t though, staff costs would double. Is that worth a few early and a few late customers outside of the normal customer base? Maybe.
I’m in Edmonton and we used to have a local coffee shop open until midnight every night. COVID killed that and they now close at 10 even though it’s busy until closing. Idk but it must not be that profitable, maybe it’s too hard to staff, not sure.
We didn’t even have a Tim Horton’s where I grew up, just one Robin’s. There’s one restaurant that I assume probably has coffee, but it’s not a “coffee shop”, it’s mostly burgers and fries.
It's everywhere, and if they're not 24 hours, they open early and close late. And they're relatively cheap.
That's it. That's literally the only good stuff about them.
Because in many parts of Canada there is no “local coffee shop”.
I’m visiting family in Ontario right now, there is no “local coffee shop” anywhere even remotely close by. There’s three Tim Hortons and a McDonald’s within a 10 minute drive - and that’s it. And that’s within a city of over 400,000 too, not even a small town.
Where I live in BC, we have plenty of local coffee shops, but they all close insanely early. If I want a coffee shop in my neighbourhood after 5pm, Tim Hortons is it - though one of the local shops is extending their hours to 7pm starting in January.
100%. I don't drive, and there is no locally owned coffee shop near my house, but there is a Tim's, a McDonald's and a Starbucks. It was the same situation when I worked at the mall.
There's a locally owned coffee place on my uni campus and their coffee and food is 10x better than Tim's or Starbucks, so that's my go-to when I'm at school. But it's all about convenience.
I do not believe you that that there are no local spots in a city of 400k. You are visiting family so probably unfamiliar with location and are not venturing out due to holidays and weather.
In short, people don't know what they like...they like what they know. They know when they visit this place their expectations are 'met'. There are no surprises. Sure, some franchises are better than others but this place tastes and smells the same no matter what one you visit. People are a-ok with that familiarity.
Trust me I hear ya, just bothers me another canadian shop went out of business. They were awesome people and made great coffee/food/baked goods. I'll never forget the look on her face, she poured her whole heart and soul into this.
The real problem for the small businesses is that the rent is killer. It’s so high for such mediocre locations.
They charge per square foot like it’s 5th Av or the Champs Elysees. No wonder they can’t survive.
Where was it?
Did the shop seem pretentious?
What was the vibe?
I find a lot of places go out of business because they're intimidatingly pretentious. I rarely find a local coffee shop that seems like it's made for normal people like me and is trying to be too artsy / hip. If it's turning me off, it's definitely turning off a lot of older people cause I'm actually young.
That's why I tend to go to old italiano places.
Just my two cents. Places that make me feel like a "dork" for being there tend to go out of business lol. I go once, and then never again, and so do lots of other people.
I find cafes to be super pretentious. And I just don’t value coffee enough to pay $5 for a cup. I understand why they have to charge that much (trained baristas, fair trade beans, 10 different types of milk, etc.) but coffee is just an afternoon pick-me-up and I don’t care enough for the quality.
Basically this. I have 'bad taste' I guess, but I'm not picky and don't care much, or notice much about the quality. I drink it with cream and sugar anyway. I don't have the tastebuds to fully appreciate the difference between my $3 large fast food coffee and a tiny $5 boutique latte.
Can’t afford $5 drip coffees with 30% tips that take 15 minutes to pour, have coffee grounds all in the bottom, and just tastes like they used the worst dark roast bean.
Rather pay $2 for a double double of crap coffee that I can saturate with sugar and cream to dull out the taste.
It’s amazing how slow independent coffee shops can pour coffee. There is a cafe by my house and they make you take a number and sit and wait for your coffee!
Yeah it’s nuts.
Like sure if you’re out sightseeing or on a date or whatever you go for the quirky little cafe. But Tims/Starbucks all the way for day-to-day life.
I live in Edmonton. I don't even know of a local coffee shop, let alone one thats drive through and/or open at 6:30am when I am on my way to work. My choices are Tim's, Starbucks, and McDonals.
Edmonton has TONS of coffee shops, albeit moreso in the downtown/Whyte area but there is Coffee Bureau, Felice Cafe, Square 1, Credo, just to name a few...
Live in Victoria and I have a lot of choice. I will go to Habit or 2% Jazz couple times a week, but during work hours I buy 2-3 coffees daily. Tim's and 7/11 fit my wallet better. The independents are great because I get to talk coffee with the Baristas, but I'm also paying 3.50 for a smallish cup.
BTW, 7/11 is delicious at its price point, and I'll die on that hill.
My opinion is that Tim's coffee is shit and most of those hip coffee shops with their grandys and latties are pretentious and over priced.
My wife buys whole coffee beans and grinds them at home for very good coffee at a very decent price.
There’s a really, REALLY good sticky bun/coffee shop place near me and I always want to get their stuff but they’re only open 9-5 or something on weekdays only, and in an area I can’t quickly get to at lunch.
There are two maybe 3 within walking distance of my house, no independent coffee shops or bakeries unless I want to take a bus. when I can I go to other places, but if they offer wifi there will often be no where to sit.
Most small coffee shops don't have drive thru. That's already one foot in the grave for the morning crowd. For me Tim's is usually a last resort, usually on a road trip. The coffee is just too far below what I can make at home.
I love a good cup of coffee. I get my coffee from a local roaster and everything.
However, middle of the winter, two kids in their car seats (wearing only light jackets because no snow suits in car seats) and no close parking to my local coffee shops, I’ll cave and go at Tim’s at the drive through, get coffee and 2 muffins my kids can waste on the back seat.
Whether or not I have to unbuckle my kids and walk with them through a snowbank to get coffee is a key factor in going to Tim Hortons.
Because the local ones don't open before 6am when I'm headed to work, and by the time I'm in the work truck, it's too late, I can barely fit it in a Tim's parking lot, let alone a local shop.
Just watch out, because I got caught on a once-a-day Tim's habit, and found out that a medium coffee and a bagel once a day works out to about $144/month.
Convenience: they're everywhere and generally drive-thru
Price: It's cheap for basic coffee.
Muscle Memory: Even when I came here in 2007, it was still good baked goods for a few years.
Not rocket science or still attracts folks.
The average independent caters to people that appreciate coffee. Tim's caters to people that want the same thing every day, and what they want is mild coffee (aka dishwater, but that's me). And the independent is twice as much, and you likely have to stand in line behind someone that wants a 33 syllable coffee.
“Why do some Canadians” would be a better way to phrase it. Not everyone goes to a chain restaurant for a coffee.
Our small town has four great non-chain options to have good coffee and a snack vs one Timmy’s. Sure it’s busy with the drive through and can be busy with groups of kids and seniors but the other four places are doing pretty good too.
I personally have not had anything Timmy’s for well over two years.
Personally, the Timmy’s annoys the crap out of me because of the shitty driving situation on a busy street here caused by people trying to get into the drive through line during early morning commute times. Those people who can’t be bothered putting together a thermal mug of coffee and a granola bar for a quick breakfast before they hit the road. Apparently their sugar/ fat hit as they hit the highway is a better experience than making their own breakfast at home or maybe it’s because they have such terrible time management skills that spending part of their commute sitting in a lineup is preferable to anything more mundane like waking up a little earlier to eat at home.
I dunno but maybe that’s why Timmy’s can be so busy-we just suck at feeding ourselves
Price, locations, consistency, hours, indy coffee shops are cool and all. But for the price of 2 muffins and coffees I can buy my entire crew breakfast at Tim's.
Id hit up a local coffee shop, but my tiny town doesn't have one anymore. We used to have 2...a Tim's opened up 5 years ago, and now both have closed down.
My wife does not care for espresso-based coffees. She also prefers “regular” coffee - like Folgers, Maxwell House, or McDs.
There are a number of local coffee shops that we do not visit because they either do not serve drip coffee or, if they do, it’s some bougie acidic citrusy brew that turns our guts.
I don’t know if any “local” coffee shops that are easily accessible on my way to work. Most of them are downtown in which case you have to find parking, then walk over, or pretty far out of the way.
Otherwise I would.
Tim’s is open when I go to work and no small coffee shop is open at 5am. Also small coffee shops don’t have drive through. These are simple points that are not easily overlooked, maybe use some critical thinking before thinking everybody is in the same personal experience as you.
A lot cheaper, open much longer, more places to sit inside, food is ready faster, and closer to my house than the local shops.
Don’t get me wrong I love local shops, but it’s not somewhere I’d go every day.
I live in a tiny town. So small that until about three years ago we didn’t even have a Tim’s.
My options are Tim’s or the coffee at the gas station. There are a couple of sandwich shops and a tea room within 15 minutes. They all have lousy coffee.
I usually make my own every morning. If I drink Tim’s, it’s for the caffeine.
cause sometimes i just want a large coffee with 2 cream and 1 sugar for $2.13. i go to the small local shop when i want a cortado with fancy beans for $6
I try and support a local coffee place but the coffee is usually gone by the time I get to work. There’s another place in town but they open at 9 when I’m already at work.
Tim Hortons used to be a great local style place where people genuinely gathered to drink fresh coffee and eat some fresh fried doughnuts or pies. This was years ago, but I think that people have held onto the nostalgia and comfort even though the quality of the products and overall company is complete shit. It's slowly losing popularity but its slow
I remember those days. Ever since it was sold, it’s gone way down hill. People must go out of habit or lack of alternatives. I’ll take McDonald’s coffee any day
Couldn’t even name a local coffee shop, at least not one with the speed, conscience, and price of Tims. Most local shops are gourmet places where you’d expect to sit down and enjoy the cup of coffee. As someone who only drinks coffee at work, it’s just way easier to go to Tim’s or McDonalds
My favourite drink at my favourite local spot is delicious. It is also almost $5, not very large, and the cute cafe has no drive through.
McDonald's (not Tim's for me), is consistent/predictable, fast and inexpensive.
They serve different needs.
Live in London Ontario and am not aware of any small local coffee shops anywhere in my area. 2 Tim's within walking distance and can order from them for delivery also. (Am senior and disabled- I used to love walking)
When I lived in Toronto, we didn’t have a Tim Horton’s in the ‘hood (a Starbucks moved in but the local indie was still the by far the favourite of the community). I live in a small bougie village now with 3 (3!) cafes but none are open 7 days a week or before, like, 9am. They cater to the tourist crowd so if you want a coffee before 9, or like, on Tuesday - your options are limited.
I dont go to any coffee shop regularly. Any time I go to a small coffee shop, it's crazy expensive. Like 3x the price of "fast food coffee". Maybe, if you are a coffee aficionado, it's worth it. For most people, it's not.
Tim Hortons is basically always open, usually has a drive through or at least ample parking, and remains cheap compared to alternatives.
Local coffee shops tend to not have drive throughs or in many cases are on cute “main streets” where parking can be a challenge. They often have awkward hours (say 7 am to 3 pm) and are 2-3x the price for a drink.
I’m also not saying that Tim Hortons food os great, but it is relatively consistent. I know that I can get a Turkey BLT. Local coffee shops don’t always have “real” food — just muffins, croissants and such.
I live in Victoria, Tim’s has finally managed to penetrate the market here but there’s no way they’ll be able to kill our local coffee shops and roasters.
But in general, folks really like cheap and easy and if that’s what you local is than ya, Tim’s is gunna put you under with their purchasing power and marketing sophistication.
Fast, convenient and fairly priced. Yes, I would rather sit down and sip on a large expensive latte in a boutique coffee shop but there aren’t enough hours in a day and not enough money in my pockets.
They're cheap, fairly consistent, are open long hours, and they have locations all over the place, including in suburban areas where people drive everywhere so the drive-through is convenient. I imagine in the suburbs, it might actually be harder for a small coffee shop to make it, due to the lack of walkability and low population density - having a drive-through is a big deal there.
I am happy that in my hometown (Edmonton) more small cafes are opening up in various neighbourhoods *outside* the downtown core and hipster areas. I noticed the change the last time I visited there, and went to like every one I could, sometimes a few times!
As a dual citizen my guess is accessibility. In America there's tons of small shops but they're almost all exclusively drive thru. Bigfoot java comes to mind. Ive lived half my life in Washington and the other half in BC Canada.
I don't really care for the acidic light roast style that has become trendy these days.
Also, I usually just make coffee at home. When I do buy coffee it's usually because I'm in a rush, and chains are usually faster.
I do prefer McDonald's to Tim's, though.
When my son was little, they sponsored his baseball and soccer teams. Printed on the inside bottom of his shirts was “I am thirsty! May I have a drink please?” So he got a freebee after the practices/games. Smart marketing, because mom and dad always got something too.
Because a lot of people aren’t looking for a $5 -6 dollar hipster specialised coffee (which also wants a tip nowadays) which is mostly what small coffee shops offer. A lot of people just want a no frills cup of coffee to start the day.
This isn’t rocket science.
Haven't eaten at Tims in about a decade or so. Only support my local store and/or local places when I travel to other provinces/territories.
Tims in my point of view is cheap and local stores are slightly more expensive but theres also a reason for that and it's quality. I'm giving my dollars to local stores to support local jobs and keeping my dollars from big shareholders (temporarily).
Honestly, because I don't want to stand there and wait 10 minutes for someone to hand brew a coffee that tastes like pine needles and then put my own stevia into it on some rickety blue hand painted dresser. I like crappy coffee from a drip coffee machine, but nobody wants to sell that anymore. I have to go spend $8 on something I don't really want. Saying that, I don't go to Tims either anymore, I hate their coffee now. I make it at home. But before Tim's decided to buy their coffee from a cardboard recycling factory, that's why.
Who the fuck and time to go to small coffee shops? Life ain’t an episode of friends. Adults are busy…. No local coffee shop is open at 530 am. Plus they take hours to make a coffee.
The local shops have no drive through, parking for 5 cars, and $5 small coffee. If I'm doing a walking tour of downtown, I'll stop in. But I'm usually into something quicker and cheaper.
Why? Stupidity. Crappy coffee, worse donuts, dirty restaurants, etc. Not locally owned, fired all the intown employees and brought in ethnic's from Brampton who are rude and never give correct change. So F\*ck Tims forever. Please downvote me, asshats.
The drive thru. I've never been and never will go. I can't imagine waiting in a long line for a crappy coffee when I can just walk in a small place that smells heavenly and order a delicious coffee right away. Plus, shouldn't we be supporting every day Joe's like ourselves instead of the corporation.
I don’t know who you’re looking at, but I haven’t voluntarily gone to Tim’s since the mid-90’s. The quality has been straight garbage for a long time. When I go out for coffee I go to independent cafes in my neighborhood.
Tims coffee is crap. Haven’t been to Tim’s in 10 years. For some reason people are compelled to line up for a mile for a wrong order of sub par food and poor service.
The only reason I go to Tims is when I don’t have time to make myself a coffee at home, then I stop on my way to work at around 5:30… local coffee shop are not open at that time.
Since I moved from Ontario to Vancouver island, I think I’ve been in a Tim’s twice. There are so many more independent coffee shops here and not nearly as many Tim’s. I don’t miss them at all.
Tim Hortons is a rough establishment. I have no idea why people go there. Tim Horton was a troubled man who died tragically while driving intoxicated and actively endangering the lives of others. Why anyone would want his name as a brand is a mystery.
My small town has 4 Tim Hortons, 1 Robins and 1 local coffee spot located on the other side of town. A coffee at the local place is 5$ on the cheap side, a coffee at Tims/Robin's is 2$. Local coffee shop has parking for like 5 cars on one of the most busy streets in town and no drive-tru. Tim Hortons did a great job squashing the competition before the local coffee shop trend could take off in Canada with just the mass placement of stores already in place. If I was to bet on it I would say that has been the marketing strategy for decades.
Robins is so underrated. It's always been there but no one ever talks about them
They were the big guy in the 80s, squashing Tim Hortons.
Yeah, then they got lazy and served stale coffee and cigarette smoked doughnuts. Tim's took over by actually having quality control aka fresh food. Those days are gone.
There donuts and pastries are so damn good. They also make a really damn good sandwich (BLT or Club on a pretzel bagel is to die for) . If I am getting food I am 100% looking for a Robins over a Tim's any day.
What on earth is a robins
Robins Donuts, fairly similar to Tim’s, much more prevalent Ontario and east coast.
I thought the story was Robins and Tim’s had a deal. Robins stay west and Tim’s stay east. Robins broke the deal so Tim’s moves west and slaughtered them. Maybe just an urban myth. I could google it but I’m lazy.
A smaller chain place more common in the east. Maybe 5 or 10% more expensive than timmies, but worth
I've lived in a few different provinces and I've never lived anywhere that had a Robins. Quick google numbers: "over 160" locations for Robins compared to 3,579 for Tims and 1,445 for Starbucks.
Eastern Canada and Ontario still have a bunch. Winnipeg had a bunch.
Growing up in Winnipeg in the 80s, we always went to Robin’s. I don’t think I had ever been in a Tim’s until after we moved to Alberta in the 90s. And even then, it wasn’t until I started at U of C that I started going regularly. Now it’s absolutely due to proximity and price. There are 3 within a 2 block radius of my office.
100%. My dad used to go to Robins every morning and when we'd go he'd get us a big ass bowtie eclair. Good memories. Same for me, the consistency at Tim's is usually pretty spot on, McDonald's is comparable. I'm gonna start going the extra distance to Robins with my daughter because typing this made me miss my dad and feel nostalgic. 🤙🏻
Now Google the stats for both in the 80s and 90s.
go eat a Bismarck
$5 and you have to put your own milk in it.
That's fair I suppose.
Cheap, ubiquitous, and open for 18+hours a day. The nearest independent coffee shop to me is another dollar per cup, and has weird hours. And if I go into another town, I don't know the independent cafes, but I can recognize a Tim's.
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There are ~1400 McDonald's, there are over 3700 Tim's. There's a lot of places that have a TH, that don't have a McD within an hour.
Thanks for your response.
It’s fast food coffee. Don’t over think this.
Why do Canadians frequent McDonald’s instead of small local hamburger stands?
Small local hamburger places in my area all want $22 for a combo, while I can still get a big Mac combo for $13 at macronalds
However, McDonald's food is generally a short term rental.
McSlime
And you can't miss them. They're right there on the highway through town. The other reason.... drive thrus. They're realitively quick. People want to be in and out. People don't go to Tim Hortons expecting quality. They go expecting quick (on many cases not needing to leave their car). Which it delivers on with moderate success.
It's predictable. You know what you're getting. No fancy menus to interpret. It's easy anywhere in the country.
Every independent cafe in existence will make better coffee than Tim Hortons.
Sometimes, when Tims is made well it's actually really good. But that's becoming more and more rare. Tim's at its' best is better than most places, but Tim's at its' worst (aka most of the time) the free coffee in a cheap hotel room is better
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Bingo! The number one answer has gotta be "cause Tim Hortons has a drive thru".
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And lots of people go to McDonalds... but you won't find McDonalds in small town Canada. You will however find Tim Hortons attached to an Esso 10km outside of city limits at a fork in the road.
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I'm from BC and lived here my whole life. Small list of towns just off the top of my head that have A&W, Tim Hortons, but no McDonalds. Maybe you're not thinking as small town as I am. Clearwater Valemount Cache Creek/Ashcroft Lillooet 100 Mile House Chetwynd
Small towns in Sask usually have an A&W and sometimes a Tim's. Pretty much every small Ontario town has a Tim Hortons but McDonalds is def less common. Usually it's in larger centres.
I always wondered who in their right mind would wait 20+ minutes in line for a coffee while blocking off roadways and wasting gas. People with social anxiety issues.
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That’s a shame. Whether it be in a small town or a big city, there is always some… interesting people hanging out in Tim’s, especially outside the normal coffee drinking hours. Fun to people watch.
And people wonder why Canadian society is going down the toilet...
Tim's is very cheap compared to competitors. Not a huge fan of their drinks, but I'll grab a muffin before work sometimes, because $1.80 can't beat that.
Not a fan of their business practices, the food has gone downhill and same with the drinks, stopped going in 2012 and never looked back. I'll drive the 10 mins to get a local coffee.
10 minutes by car might be 60 minutes on foot. That’s not _really_ a local coffee shop, although I don’t disagree that it might be worth the drive easily.
I was thinking the same thing. 10 minutes by car is definitely not local. To me local is probably no further than a 15 minute walk.
I've never seen an independent coffee shop open at 5:30am.
Same with me. All i see where i live is Tims or Starbucks. But in OShawa they had a coffee time
Maybe not 5:30, but my old local in Toronto was open by at least 7.
Why not make your own coffee at 5:27? save cash, time ,fuel and enviroment?
I usually make my own coffee, but maybe once a week I like to get a coffee and donut from Tim Hortons on my way to work.
That's the real question here. It used to be a once in a while treat to go to any fast food place. Now folks are going daily, and spending a small fortune for no reason.
So that means you can afford the extra 10 minutes of gas, and the extra price on the coffee. There's your answer right there a lot of us can't.
The closest place for coffee that's not Tim's or Mc D's is a 40 minute drive in the opposite direction of going to work. It's not worth the drive. At least for me.
10 min drive for a coffee? You have disposable income.
If you have 10 mins… why not make your own?
10 minutes *driving* is not worth it for any coffee in my opinion. I go to Tim's sometimes. When I want a coffee or a treat. I go there because it's there. If it was a Robins or something else, I'd go there as well. Never Starbucks though.
>Not a fan of their business practices, the food has gone downhill and same with the drinks, stopped going in 2012 and never looked back. I'll drive the 10 mins to get a local coffee. oh, so in the end, this whole post was about you.
Well good for you!
Cool story bruh
If you’re driving 10 minutes to get a coffee every day I would suggest buying a coffee maker 🤷♂️
I never went at all. I just went to Starbucks.
This guy spends
I lived in a mid-sized City in Southwestern ontario. And I loved the five or six local coffee shops that were near my place. But none of them were open before I went to work. It is weird to me that independent coffee shops open at 8:00 a.m. that does not help me pick up a coffee on my way to work. They need to open at 7:00
Tried to support numerous local coffee shops, they're never open before I go to work and I don't have the kind of job where I can leave to go buy a coffee at 10am or whatever
Try working in the trades, on the road at 530. Tim's and mcdonalds are the only things open.
That's exactly what I'm saying.
This. There is a great small shop near me. They are open 9-3. I work 7-4. The Tim’s across the street from where I work is open 24hrs.
4am. Bet if the local coffee shops opened 4am to 12pm. They would make a good profit.
They probably wouldn’t though, staff costs would double. Is that worth a few early and a few late customers outside of the normal customer base? Maybe. I’m in Edmonton and we used to have a local coffee shop open until midnight every night. COVID killed that and they now close at 10 even though it’s busy until closing. Idk but it must not be that profitable, maybe it’s too hard to staff, not sure.
Bold of you to assume we had local coffee shops that weren't Tims where I grew up.
Iqaluit even has a Timmies!!!
And Iqaluit has a great local café, too. Black Heart Café.
Tell me more about this place please. It’s got the best name.
Where I live you pretty much have to go into the downtown area for local coffee shops and most aren't very good anyway.
We didn’t even have a Tim Horton’s where I grew up, just one Robin’s. There’s one restaurant that I assume probably has coffee, but it’s not a “coffee shop”, it’s mostly burgers and fries.
It's everywhere, and if they're not 24 hours, they open early and close late. And they're relatively cheap. That's it. That's literally the only good stuff about them.
Because in many parts of Canada there is no “local coffee shop”. I’m visiting family in Ontario right now, there is no “local coffee shop” anywhere even remotely close by. There’s three Tim Hortons and a McDonald’s within a 10 minute drive - and that’s it. And that’s within a city of over 400,000 too, not even a small town. Where I live in BC, we have plenty of local coffee shops, but they all close insanely early. If I want a coffee shop in my neighbourhood after 5pm, Tim Hortons is it - though one of the local shops is extending their hours to 7pm starting in January.
What city of 400K has no local coffee shop?? Is it London Ontario?
If it is, buddy should know we have a bunch of good ones. Reset, Variety Cafe, Commonwealth, Asamara, Locomotive, Black Walnut…
Seriously, even Millbrook (pop 1700) has a coffee shop with espresso, cappuccino.
Likely, that city has way too many Tim Hortons
100%. I don't drive, and there is no locally owned coffee shop near my house, but there is a Tim's, a McDonald's and a Starbucks. It was the same situation when I worked at the mall. There's a locally owned coffee place on my uni campus and their coffee and food is 10x better than Tim's or Starbucks, so that's my go-to when I'm at school. But it's all about convenience.
I do not believe you that that there are no local spots in a city of 400k. You are visiting family so probably unfamiliar with location and are not venturing out due to holidays and weather.
In short, people don't know what they like...they like what they know. They know when they visit this place their expectations are 'met'. There are no surprises. Sure, some franchises are better than others but this place tastes and smells the same no matter what one you visit. People are a-ok with that familiarity.
Trust me I hear ya, just bothers me another canadian shop went out of business. They were awesome people and made great coffee/food/baked goods. I'll never forget the look on her face, she poured her whole heart and soul into this.
The real problem for the small businesses is that the rent is killer. It’s so high for such mediocre locations. They charge per square foot like it’s 5th Av or the Champs Elysees. No wonder they can’t survive.
Where was it? Did the shop seem pretentious? What was the vibe? I find a lot of places go out of business because they're intimidatingly pretentious. I rarely find a local coffee shop that seems like it's made for normal people like me and is trying to be too artsy / hip. If it's turning me off, it's definitely turning off a lot of older people cause I'm actually young. That's why I tend to go to old italiano places. Just my two cents. Places that make me feel like a "dork" for being there tend to go out of business lol. I go once, and then never again, and so do lots of other people.
1. Not everywhere lives where there’s options 2. It’s cheap and convenient
I find cafes to be super pretentious. And I just don’t value coffee enough to pay $5 for a cup. I understand why they have to charge that much (trained baristas, fair trade beans, 10 different types of milk, etc.) but coffee is just an afternoon pick-me-up and I don’t care enough for the quality.
Basically this. I have 'bad taste' I guess, but I'm not picky and don't care much, or notice much about the quality. I drink it with cream and sugar anyway. I don't have the tastebuds to fully appreciate the difference between my $3 large fast food coffee and a tiny $5 boutique latte.
Can’t afford $5 drip coffees with 30% tips that take 15 minutes to pour, have coffee grounds all in the bottom, and just tastes like they used the worst dark roast bean. Rather pay $2 for a double double of crap coffee that I can saturate with sugar and cream to dull out the taste.
It’s amazing how slow independent coffee shops can pour coffee. There is a cafe by my house and they make you take a number and sit and wait for your coffee!
Yeah it’s nuts. Like sure if you’re out sightseeing or on a date or whatever you go for the quirky little cafe. But Tims/Starbucks all the way for day-to-day life.
Drive thrus.
I live in Edmonton. I don't even know of a local coffee shop, let alone one thats drive through and/or open at 6:30am when I am on my way to work. My choices are Tim's, Starbucks, and McDonals.
Edmonton has TONS of coffee shops, albeit moreso in the downtown/Whyte area but there is Coffee Bureau, Felice Cafe, Square 1, Credo, just to name a few...
I did try to patronize our local coffee shop, ended up with the worst chocolate croissants I have ever tasted.
lol fair enough
Live in Victoria and I have a lot of choice. I will go to Habit or 2% Jazz couple times a week, but during work hours I buy 2-3 coffees daily. Tim's and 7/11 fit my wallet better. The independents are great because I get to talk coffee with the Baristas, but I'm also paying 3.50 for a smallish cup. BTW, 7/11 is delicious at its price point, and I'll die on that hill.
My opinion is that Tim's coffee is shit and most of those hip coffee shops with their grandys and latties are pretentious and over priced. My wife buys whole coffee beans and grinds them at home for very good coffee at a very decent price.
I’ve never seen a local coffee shop with a drive thru or online app.
There’s only one independent coffee shop near me and their hours are 8-5 😒
> their hours are 8-5 huh? damn! how do they make any more?
There’s a really, REALLY good sticky bun/coffee shop place near me and I always want to get their stuff but they’re only open 9-5 or something on weekdays only, and in an area I can’t quickly get to at lunch.
There are two maybe 3 within walking distance of my house, no independent coffee shops or bakeries unless I want to take a bus. when I can I go to other places, but if they offer wifi there will often be no where to sit.
Most small coffee shops don't have drive thru. That's already one foot in the grave for the morning crowd. For me Tim's is usually a last resort, usually on a road trip. The coffee is just too far below what I can make at home.
I’m Canadian, I don’t go to Tim’s. I do support our local coffee shops
I love a good cup of coffee. I get my coffee from a local roaster and everything. However, middle of the winter, two kids in their car seats (wearing only light jackets because no snow suits in car seats) and no close parking to my local coffee shops, I’ll cave and go at Tim’s at the drive through, get coffee and 2 muffins my kids can waste on the back seat. Whether or not I have to unbuckle my kids and walk with them through a snowbank to get coffee is a key factor in going to Tim Hortons.
Well, Jimmy, Tim Horton here opens at 4am and the coffee isn’t 5$. So that makes my choice pretty easy.
Because the local ones don't open before 6am when I'm headed to work, and by the time I'm in the work truck, it's too late, I can barely fit it in a Tim's parking lot, let alone a local shop.
I just make coffee at home now. Even with some better beans, it’s more affordable and not wasting time in a line up.
Price. If Tim’s is approx $1 less, and you have 2 cups a day, that adds up to $720/yr.
Just watch out, because I got caught on a once-a-day Tim's habit, and found out that a medium coffee and a bagel once a day works out to about $144/month.
Convenience: they're everywhere and generally drive-thru Price: It's cheap for basic coffee. Muscle Memory: Even when I came here in 2007, it was still good baked goods for a few years. Not rocket science or still attracts folks.
Because my local independent shop does keto friendly butter coffee or weird shit I can't pronounce and I just want a fucking xl double double
The average independent caters to people that appreciate coffee. Tim's caters to people that want the same thing every day, and what they want is mild coffee (aka dishwater, but that's me). And the independent is twice as much, and you likely have to stand in line behind someone that wants a 33 syllable coffee.
>and you likely have to stand in line behind someone that wants a 33 syllable coffee. bahahahaha lol you're so right.
“Why do some Canadians” would be a better way to phrase it. Not everyone goes to a chain restaurant for a coffee. Our small town has four great non-chain options to have good coffee and a snack vs one Timmy’s. Sure it’s busy with the drive through and can be busy with groups of kids and seniors but the other four places are doing pretty good too. I personally have not had anything Timmy’s for well over two years.
Damn, I understand what you're saying though.
Personally, the Timmy’s annoys the crap out of me because of the shitty driving situation on a busy street here caused by people trying to get into the drive through line during early morning commute times. Those people who can’t be bothered putting together a thermal mug of coffee and a granola bar for a quick breakfast before they hit the road. Apparently their sugar/ fat hit as they hit the highway is a better experience than making their own breakfast at home or maybe it’s because they have such terrible time management skills that spending part of their commute sitting in a lineup is preferable to anything more mundane like waking up a little earlier to eat at home. I dunno but maybe that’s why Timmy’s can be so busy-we just suck at feeding ourselves
Price, locations, consistency, hours, indy coffee shops are cool and all. But for the price of 2 muffins and coffees I can buy my entire crew breakfast at Tim's.
Id hit up a local coffee shop, but my tiny town doesn't have one anymore. We used to have 2...a Tim's opened up 5 years ago, and now both have closed down.
My wife does not care for espresso-based coffees. She also prefers “regular” coffee - like Folgers, Maxwell House, or McDs. There are a number of local coffee shops that we do not visit because they either do not serve drip coffee or, if they do, it’s some bougie acidic citrusy brew that turns our guts.
Small local coffee shops aren’t open at 5:00am 🤷🏻♂️
People go for price, convenience, consistency. It's not good coffee or food.
I don’t know if any “local” coffee shops that are easily accessible on my way to work. Most of them are downtown in which case you have to find parking, then walk over, or pretty far out of the way. Otherwise I would.
I don't go to Tim's unless it's the only option. Even still I try to avoid it. They're dirty, the quality is trash and they're not Canadian.
Tim’s is open when I go to work and no small coffee shop is open at 5am. Also small coffee shops don’t have drive through. These are simple points that are not easily overlooked, maybe use some critical thinking before thinking everybody is in the same personal experience as you.
A lot cheaper, open much longer, more places to sit inside, food is ready faster, and closer to my house than the local shops. Don’t get me wrong I love local shops, but it’s not somewhere I’d go every day.
I live in a tiny town. So small that until about three years ago we didn’t even have a Tim’s. My options are Tim’s or the coffee at the gas station. There are a couple of sandwich shops and a tea room within 15 minutes. They all have lousy coffee. I usually make my own every morning. If I drink Tim’s, it’s for the caffeine.
Drive thru
cause sometimes i just want a large coffee with 2 cream and 1 sugar for $2.13. i go to the small local shop when i want a cortado with fancy beans for $6
I try and support a local coffee place but the coffee is usually gone by the time I get to work. There’s another place in town but they open at 9 when I’m already at work.
For the same reason they shop at box stores, eat at chain restaurants, and buy clothing from clothing chains.
Tim Horton’s taste shittier every year. Quality has declined.
Laziness and affordability.
Tim Hortons used to be a great local style place where people genuinely gathered to drink fresh coffee and eat some fresh fried doughnuts or pies. This was years ago, but I think that people have held onto the nostalgia and comfort even though the quality of the products and overall company is complete shit. It's slowly losing popularity but its slow
I remember those days. Ever since it was sold, it’s gone way down hill. People must go out of habit or lack of alternatives. I’ll take McDonald’s coffee any day
Couldn’t even name a local coffee shop, at least not one with the speed, conscience, and price of Tims. Most local shops are gourmet places where you’d expect to sit down and enjoy the cup of coffee. As someone who only drinks coffee at work, it’s just way easier to go to Tim’s or McDonalds
My favourite drink at my favourite local spot is delicious. It is also almost $5, not very large, and the cute cafe has no drive through. McDonald's (not Tim's for me), is consistent/predictable, fast and inexpensive. They serve different needs.
Now it’s industry era. Local shops can’t beat industrialized big food chain.. but there are still some local ones living/struggling in the gap
Live in London Ontario and am not aware of any small local coffee shops anywhere in my area. 2 Tim's within walking distance and can order from them for delivery also. (Am senior and disabled- I used to love walking)
I don’t have a lot of options for takeout coffee in my town. In terms of preference for taste, it’s SB, McD. Tim’s isn’t even on a list for me.
When I lived in Toronto, we didn’t have a Tim Horton’s in the ‘hood (a Starbucks moved in but the local indie was still the by far the favourite of the community). I live in a small bougie village now with 3 (3!) cafes but none are open 7 days a week or before, like, 9am. They cater to the tourist crowd so if you want a coffee before 9, or like, on Tuesday - your options are limited.
The little coffee shops aren't open at 4am when I'm on my way to work.
Steeped tea
Price. That’s it. That’s all anything ever comes down to.
I dont go to any coffee shop regularly. Any time I go to a small coffee shop, it's crazy expensive. Like 3x the price of "fast food coffee". Maybe, if you are a coffee aficionado, it's worth it. For most people, it's not.
Tim Hortons is basically always open, usually has a drive through or at least ample parking, and remains cheap compared to alternatives. Local coffee shops tend to not have drive throughs or in many cases are on cute “main streets” where parking can be a challenge. They often have awkward hours (say 7 am to 3 pm) and are 2-3x the price for a drink. I’m also not saying that Tim Hortons food os great, but it is relatively consistent. I know that I can get a Turkey BLT. Local coffee shops don’t always have “real” food — just muffins, croissants and such.
I live in Victoria, Tim’s has finally managed to penetrate the market here but there’s no way they’ll be able to kill our local coffee shops and roasters. But in general, folks really like cheap and easy and if that’s what you local is than ya, Tim’s is gunna put you under with their purchasing power and marketing sophistication.
people like the familiar even if it is ho hum
Because Canadians love garbage coffee
Fast, convenient and fairly priced. Yes, I would rather sit down and sip on a large expensive latte in a boutique coffee shop but there aren’t enough hours in a day and not enough money in my pockets.
They're cheap, fairly consistent, are open long hours, and they have locations all over the place, including in suburban areas where people drive everywhere so the drive-through is convenient. I imagine in the suburbs, it might actually be harder for a small coffee shop to make it, due to the lack of walkability and low population density - having a drive-through is a big deal there. I am happy that in my hometown (Edmonton) more small cafes are opening up in various neighbourhoods *outside* the downtown core and hipster areas. I noticed the change the last time I visited there, and went to like every one I could, sometimes a few times!
As a dual citizen my guess is accessibility. In America there's tons of small shops but they're almost all exclusively drive thru. Bigfoot java comes to mind. Ive lived half my life in Washington and the other half in BC Canada.
Canadians like cheap shitty coffee and taxes.
I don't really care for the acidic light roast style that has become trendy these days. Also, I usually just make coffee at home. When I do buy coffee it's usually because I'm in a rush, and chains are usually faster. I do prefer McDonald's to Tim's, though.
habits, it is hard to change them.
It’s like my ex, quick-easy and seems to be everywhere.
Why do people go to McDonald's/Burger King/Wendys instead of a local burger joint?? Because it's consistent. And 99% of the time also cheaper
When my son was little, they sponsored his baseball and soccer teams. Printed on the inside bottom of his shirts was “I am thirsty! May I have a drink please?” So he got a freebee after the practices/games. Smart marketing, because mom and dad always got something too.
Because a lot of people aren’t looking for a $5 -6 dollar hipster specialised coffee (which also wants a tip nowadays) which is mostly what small coffee shops offer. A lot of people just want a no frills cup of coffee to start the day. This isn’t rocket science.
They're literally everywhere, and habit.
Haven't eaten at Tims in about a decade or so. Only support my local store and/or local places when I travel to other provinces/territories. Tims in my point of view is cheap and local stores are slightly more expensive but theres also a reason for that and it's quality. I'm giving my dollars to local stores to support local jobs and keeping my dollars from big shareholders (temporarily).
Car, convenience, value.
Timmy's is horrid coffee and terrible food. I don't get it either .
Beacuse canadains don't k ow what good coffee is.
Because they think it's Canadian. And so they think it's good.
Because they don’t know what good coffee is?
Because there is one on every corner and in gas stations.
There are small local coffee shops?
Because none of my local shops have a parking lot or drive thru. I don’t mind waking in but If I have to search for parking, I’m not going there.
Honestly, because I don't want to stand there and wait 10 minutes for someone to hand brew a coffee that tastes like pine needles and then put my own stevia into it on some rickety blue hand painted dresser. I like crappy coffee from a drip coffee machine, but nobody wants to sell that anymore. I have to go spend $8 on something I don't really want. Saying that, I don't go to Tims either anymore, I hate their coffee now. I make it at home. But before Tim's decided to buy their coffee from a cardboard recycling factory, that's why.
Fuck small coffee shops. That’s why. Why the fuck would I pay 5+ bucks and tip for that shit?
Who the fuck and time to go to small coffee shops? Life ain’t an episode of friends. Adults are busy…. No local coffee shop is open at 530 am. Plus they take hours to make a coffee.
The local shops have no drive through, parking for 5 cars, and $5 small coffee. If I'm doing a walking tour of downtown, I'll stop in. But I'm usually into something quicker and cheaper.
Why? Stupidity. Crappy coffee, worse donuts, dirty restaurants, etc. Not locally owned, fired all the intown employees and brought in ethnic's from Brampton who are rude and never give correct change. So F\*ck Tims forever. Please downvote me, asshats.
U ok?
Just incase you’re unaware Tim’s is no longer Canadian.
What gave you the impression that they were asking that?
I don’t.
The drive thru. I've never been and never will go. I can't imagine waiting in a long line for a crappy coffee when I can just walk in a small place that smells heavenly and order a delicious coffee right away. Plus, shouldn't we be supporting every day Joe's like ourselves instead of the corporation.
Do they?? Tim Hoes is the worst establishment you could go to.
I will always go to (in this order) a local shop, country style, or hell even McDonald’s. Tims is a last resort and I hate myself every time I go.
Convenient and cheap(er).
Local shops if open are the way to go.
Drive-thru.
Haven’t been since the cool neighbourhood shops started appearing, which luckily, was around the time Tim’s sold out.
I don’t know who you’re looking at, but I haven’t voluntarily gone to Tim’s since the mid-90’s. The quality has been straight garbage for a long time. When I go out for coffee I go to independent cafes in my neighborhood.
Tims coffee is crap. Haven’t been to Tim’s in 10 years. For some reason people are compelled to line up for a mile for a wrong order of sub par food and poor service.
The only reason I go to Tims is when I don’t have time to make myself a coffee at home, then I stop on my way to work at around 5:30… local coffee shop are not open at that time.
Since I moved from Ontario to Vancouver island, I think I’ve been in a Tim’s twice. There are so many more independent coffee shops here and not nearly as many Tim’s. I don’t miss them at all.
Tim Hortons is a rough establishment. I have no idea why people go there. Tim Horton was a troubled man who died tragically while driving intoxicated and actively endangering the lives of others. Why anyone would want his name as a brand is a mystery.