Markham woman says she found a cockroach in her Tim Hortons coffee and is considering legal action

Photo left: Tim Hortons signage is pictured in Ottawa on Wednesday Sept. 7, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick / Photo right: A cockroach is seen in a cup of iced coffee. (Subhana Pira photo)

A woman from Markham says she’s considering taking legal action after allegedly finding a cockroach in her Tim Hortons iced coffee and not getting the response she expected from the restaurant.

The incident happened on March 10 at the chain’s busy Golden Mile location at 4 Lebovic Ave., which is near Warden and Eglinton avenues in Scarborough.

Subhana Pira said she was part of a group of six friends that met up at that coffee shop at around 9:15 p.m. that night after they broke their Ramadan fast.

She said they ordered four drinks – and had received and started consuming three of them – when she found what she believes to be a large roach in her beverage.

“I saw a dark spot and I knew right away [that it was a cockroach.] It was very big and it had antennas,” she told CP24.com on Sunday afternoon.

Pira, who is a nursing student, said she and her friend who had both consumed the beverage in question “went to the washroom and vomited.” In an email to CP24 on Sunday, she said that “multiple people (including myself) have experienced severe vomiting and diarrhea” as a result of the incident.

According to Health Canada, cockroaches can “contaminate food and spread disease by walking over, and excreting on, food or food preparation areas after having travelled through garbage and/or sewers.”

“People with asthma may have a negative reaction to their droppings (feces) and body parts,” the federal health department said, adding that their presence does not necessarily mean unclean conditions exist.

‘It happens,’ says Tim Hortons employee

Pira said after finding a cockroach in her iced coffee they immediately cancelled the fourth drink and demanded a refund for the three other beverages, which was granted.

This exchange was captured on video and provided to CP24.

In the footage, Pira and another friend are seen and heard speaking with a staff member, whom Pira said identified himself as a supervisor, about the insect in her drink.

The male employee is heard saying that that “sometimes [a cockroach] comes in the ice coffee packets, it happens.”

“We don’t have any control on the pests [for pre-packaged items],” said the worker, who then adds that they do have pest control in place at that location.

Pira says the supervisor then indicated that what happened was “common,” adding that she perceived his response to be “very nonchalant” and that it gave the impression that he “didn’t care,” which she said prompted her to contact head office.

Pira said she heard back from corporate a day later and was promised that they’d discuss the incident with the franchisee. She said she was also offered a $50 gift card, which she refused to accept.

“I’m not going to drink Tim’s ever again,” said Pira, who also advised Toronto Public Health (TPH) about what occurred but said she has yet to hear back.

“This has caused me so much distress. … I didn’t even get a sincere apology.”

Pira said she is concerned that there are similar sanitation/pest control issues at other locations and wants Tim Hortons to “do better.”

Tim Hortons says video ‘concerning’ and is investigating

In a statement provided to CP24, Tim Hortons said it has seen the video, which it called “concerning” and said they’re “looking into [the matter] with the restaurant owner.”

“We are confident that this did not happen during our coffee’s packaging process, given the strict manufacturing controls we have in place,” spokesperson Michael Oliveira wrote.

“Routine third-party health and safety inspections at this restaurant have found no issues, and a recent Toronto Public Health (TPH) inspection, conducted after this complaint, did not raise any concerns.”

Tim Hortons has provided CP24 with the TPH inspection report, which shows that an inspector was at the restaurant for nearly an hour on March 13. The restaurant was subsequently issued a food safety inspection “pass” following that visit.

“Our own corporate staff have also been on site since the complaint and saw no issues nor have we had any similar calls from guests when we looked back in the last few months,” Oliveira added.

“Following all this, the owner remains committed to understanding the cause of this guest experience and reached out on Friday to speak with the guest.”

Oliveira would not comment further on the situation “given that legal action has been threatened and an unusually large financial demand has been made.” He confirmed to CP24 on Sunday that the complainant is seeking $50,000 in compensation for the incident.

Complainant says incident is a ‘serious health risk’

Pira, meanwhile, said the compensation, which she declined to provide specifics on, “reflects the serious health issues and distress I’ve experienced. … What is most important is that this was a serious health risk and that Tim Hortons acknowledges the impact it had on my well-being.”

She added she feels the restaurant’s offer of a $50 gift card is “insufficient given the situation.”

Toronto Public Health told CP24 that it is looking into the matter and would be providing a response on Monday.