Recently, I was visiting friends and a few friends of friends in the Great White North (Canada, that is) and realized that Canadians know about food. At least they know fast food. What I’m talking about is Tim Hortons, a restaurant chain that hardly anyone at home has ever heard of. I came to the conclusion that if there were Tim Hortons in South Florida where I live, no one would ever set foot in a Dunkin Donuts again. Always.
Imagine the scene in mid-March in the Montreal suburbs after a night out and one thing everyone agrees on is “Where can I get a quick hot breakfast?” When my friend Steve and his wife Adriana suggested Tim Hortons, I still didn’t know what the hell they were talking about. I was thinking about Ihop, being from America and all that. One thing is for sure, they definitely knew what they were talking about. Tim Hortons, I found out, is Dunkin-Donuts / Ihop / McDonald’s Canadian Breakfast and more.
Now, I try to stay in shape and I don’t necessarily have daily donuts and buttered croissants. But as you know, cravings are cravings, a good breakfast is better when it’s 15 degrees outside and coffee is a must. I realized that this place has it all. Awesome breakfast, which is its signature attraction. Actually a very good, cheap coffee. You can get egg whites, whole wheat bread, and there is an excellent variety of salads and sandwiches that are reasonably low in calories. But if you want to treat yourself, Tim Hortons is excellent. In short, if these places start showing up more in the States, many franchises will suffer very quickly (I found out later that there are several in the upper Midwest and Northeast).
I highly recommend this place, and while I tend to keep my overall fast food and restaurant consumption to a minimum, finding a cheap, fast, filling, and if you like, healthy meal is not easy. I was impressed and hope they open one near me. Are you listening, types of entrepreneurial franchises? It’s going to be a success! I promise!
