Tim Hortons announces 80 new restaurants, renovations

As Dunkin’ plans a Canadian comeback, Maritimers contemplate a brewing battle between the coffee giant and Tim Hortons.

Tim Hortons is opening 80 new restaurants and renovating 400 others this year amid plans by U.S. cafe giant Dunkin’ to re-enter Canada.

The Canadian coffee chain announced Friday that 340 restaurant owners in the country are investing $270 million, while the corporation is supplying an additional $130 million.

Currently, 1,500 restaurant owners, or franchisees, operate 4,000 Tim Hortons restaurants across Canada.

“Tim Hortons was built in Canada by Canadians, and we are proud to continue investing in Canada to give our guests beautiful, modern restaurants to enjoy,” Tim Hortons president Axel Schwan said in a press release Friday. “These are Canadian families investing their own money in their own communities – and that’s something we’re proud of.”

The company didn’t specify a timeline for when the restaurants would open this year.

As part of the renovations, the company said restaurants would have “better lighting, layouts and design,” making the spaces more welcoming and allowing staff to serve guests “faster and more accurately.”

The renovated spaces will have upgraded kitchen equipment and make ordering digitally and picking up mobile orders clearer, the company added.

Most of the new restaurants and renovations will be in Ontario, with 26 openings and 188 renovated locations.

The move comes as U.S. cafe chain Dunkin’ prepares to open hundreds of locations across the country, beginning around December or January, The Canadian Press reported. Dunkin’ owner Inspire Brands signed a master franchising deal with Foodtastic, a Canadian restaurant operator. Foodtastic operates Second Cup, Milestones and Freshii restaurants in Canada. Dunkin’ previously had hundreds of locations in Canada but left in 2018.

Tim Hortons didn’t state whether Dunkin’s plan was a factor in the decision to open new restaurants and do renovations.

Tim Hortons is owned by Miami-based multinational company Restaurant Brands International, though the coffee chain’s headquarters is in Toronto and it opened its first restaurant in Hamilton, Ont., in 1964.

With files from The Canadian Press