The Tims Addiction...Is it the donuts or coffee??

[jersey shark]

Wondering about this one....I understand that Tim Horton's is much beloved in Canada but it's NOT readily apparent to visitors as to WHY this is. Many folks have posted going thru Tim's "withdrawal" etc when visiting FL...

Is it the donuts, coffee, or other menu items?

P.S. To add to my confusion, I have visited a few times when in Canada and find it to be generally a good "full-service" donut shop (donuts as well as light meals), but can't identify anything extraordinary about it.

Interested in your thoughts!

 

[ChisJo]

I think that they put something in the coffee that attracts Canadians to it. I too love the English Toffee Caps and Iced Caps. It's not really the donuts, more bagels for me.
I would love to see a Timmies in WDW! This would truly be a Canadian sight!

 

[chico]

It's the coffee for me... gotta have my 'double double'!!

 

[abbyndrewmom]

For me it use to be the Tea but then they changed to steeped and raised the prices. So I now I make my own at home.

My husband, the American Chef, says it is the convenience of getting it the way you like it. I guess like a Starbucks we can ask for a double, double and get it the way we like and it taste's the same no matter where we are. You can pretty much expect the same cookies, donuts, soups and sandwiches no matter which city your are in. I find it a nice alternative to some of the other fast food restaurants.

It is also started as a Canadian Franchise that did well something we are always proud of. It is nice for us as Canadians to see one of our franchises moving South of the Border rather then the other way around.

After September 11, 2001 when my family was finally able to fly out of Orlando and arrive back into Ontario the first placed we stopped was at Tim Hortons and truly felt like we were home.

 

[april riddle]

Just the coffee for me. My family sends it down to me or I stock up when I go home.

 

[Nagle]

It's the coffee for me. The donuts are ok at best, but I am just hooked on the coffee. I even prefer it to the pricier places like Starbucks, Barney's etc...

 

[connorsmom911]

It's the tea for me (the bag kind...NOT THE STEEPED CRAP...but you can still ask for the bag kind even though the price has gone up), or the decaf coffee, oh and the bagels everyonce in a while, or the sandwiches for lunch, oh and the timbits when you're heading somewhere and need to bring a peace offering....

it's just Tim's...I don't know how to explain it!

(although before there was a Krispy Kreme in Kitchener, my family had been known to make a special 45 minute roadtrip to Mavis Rd and wait in the 30 minute drive-thru line to buy 6 dozen or so original glazed to share and pass around at workplaces...so I'd have to say there's something in them thar donuts as well....)

Tracey

 

[diz karen]

I do not know if this is true or just urban legend but someone told me that they saw on a news show that the major coffee places add nicotine to their coffee. They only add a little so they do not have to inform people. Tim Horton's supposedly adds the most allowed making it the most addictive.

 

[wenabre]

re Tim's coffee.....the " urban legend" or stupid false statement of Tim Horton's putting nicotine in their coffee is just that....a stupid false statement!! Its also the sort of thing that people hear and repeat and can cause damage to the good reputation of a business. The information is available at http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/timhortons.asp.

to jersey shark, maybe the reason that you
"can't identify anything extraordinary about it"
is because ...Tim Horton's coffee just isn't your 'cup of tea'.
I for one can't figure out why some people go crazy over certain items so I just think its a case of personal taste and those who don't like Timmy's have none!

Wenabre

 

[Grumbo]

I think alot of it is the convenience, and the constant quality. They are clean, and there is quality control. Country Style has good coffee imho, but I avoid them like the plauge because one may be fine and the next looks like the crew from Animal House live and work there
At Tim's it doesn't matter if you go to Kakebaka Falls, Pembroke, Windsor or Barrie you are going to have the same menu, generally the same quality with a few exceptions, and I agree we usually stop off at Tim's for a coffee and tea at the drive thru just outside of Pearson for our drive up the 400 when we come back from trips out of the country.

Cheers,
Grumbo

 

[MommaBear]

IT'S THE COFFEE!!!

I love it so much that I've switched eveyone at the office to Timmy's. I only buy Tim's ground coffee with our coffee fund money at work and that's what we drink all day long.

Now that I think about it I will have to pick up a large can to take with us next year. I know they have TH in Ohio but once you get further south they are gone and that's what my DH missed the most on our last Trip to WDW.

Nothing beats a Timmy's in the a.m!

 

[filet1970]

Not addicted to their regular coffee but know a couple of people who are! In my case it's the Ice cappuccinos! Tried it this summer and I'm hooked! Think I'll be getting some even in the middle of summer!

NB the rumor is an urband legend....not so long ago they tested different coffees from differents shops...turns out that there is no nicotine and............there is less cafeine in Tim's coffee!!! so go figure why people are so hooked!

 

[bunnyfoo]

I like Tim's because it's so convenient ... there's always one no matter where I am in the city. I like their tea (I haven't tried the steaped teas yet) ... I don't care much for their coffee or donuts. I have to say that I'm a fan of Krispy Kreme donuts and Timothy's coffee (which is owned by Tim Horton's I've heard).

 

[jersey shark]

Thks for your responses everyone.

I've actually had pretty negative experiences at Tim Horton's...(although as a very frequent business traveler I notice EVERYTHING) ....how do you all feel about

* cash only - not accepting credit cards (even very minor purchases in US like at an airport newstand can be made with credit cards today so I expected that of Tim's)

* attendants who don't wear gloves when handling bagels, sandwhiches etc....yuck!

* chairs "bolted" to the floor (a no-no in 2004 in my books)

* afternoon donuts unfortunately stale (they don't bake all day??)

* agreed, coffee is very good....but to avoid morning lines why not a bigger vat of coffee for the morning rush instead of the 10 cup pot we'd use at home???? It's pretty comical to watch the poor way the Tim's staff handles a crowd

* the no refill policy is pretty bad....(I need at least 3 large coffees in the am...no problem at Dunkin Donuts to do the refill thing!!)

Just reporting my experiences here, have any of you noticed and are miffed by any of the above??

Jersey Shark

 

[Tiger926]

I have to say that I don't think that Tim Horton's coffee is very good, and if I hear the phrase, "Double, double" again, I'm going to scream! As well, I'm almost crashed into every morning on my way to work by Tim Horton customers who drive recklessly on their way into the parking lot to get their morning coffee. Like with any addictions (smoking, gambling, etc...), I don't think there is one thing that Tim Horton's fans can pinpoint as their reason for going, except that they just go because they need to satisfy their craving!

I also have to agree with Jerseyshark on several of the last posted points.

- not using gloves to handle food is nasty
- only accepting cash is absolutely ridiculous (besides the fact that I think that their coffee & donuts aren't very good, I refuse to patronize for this reason)
- we pick-up donuts for our students everyday (at risk high school population) and their donuts always seem to be stale, even when fresh baked!

I would also add that neither staff, nor customers are very friendly, the atmosphere leaves something to be desired, and their prices are very high! Lastly, the Tim Horton's trash that litters my city streets and parks really upsets me - I don't understand why people can't throw their cups into garbage cans!

All that being said, the whole Tim Horton's craze is very interesting to me, and as an educator I would love to study it more!

Fun thread, Jersey Shark! Tiger

 

[filet1970]

I don't really eat Tim's food so I don't have an issue with some of what Jersey Shark's problems, I must admit that I'm often pissed by Tim's employees lack of habilities in dealing with customers. And not only at rush hour....
I'm sorry but when there's 3 customers waiting and 6 employees behind the counter ....and drive-thru is soooooo slow! I've actually gone inside to go to the bathroom and ordered my Ice Cap and gone out to see that car that were in line when I went in were still there??? But I do have to get my Ice Cap so I endure the torture!

 

[Pretzel]

I am a tims addict, it is my one splurge that I never justify(Spend probably 80 bucks on coffee in a month, but that buys me about 60 coffees).

I can see that some people don't like that Tim's doesn't have credit/debit cards, but there is a reason. If your customers regularily only spend about 1.40(Large coffee), then it is going to get expensive to have the machines. Second, OMG the wait would be horrendous in the drive thrus if they did that. I think Tim's would end up losing business because it isn't as convient. We have another coffee shop just a half block from from the Tim's I frequent, and the line moves a lot slower because they take those cards.

With those ten cup pots, you usually have 4 or 5 on at one time, so it usually balances out.

The only places around here that have free refils are resturants, and usually only one cup is enough -yech-

Tim's is a Canadian institution, if you don't go there for the coffee, then it is the iced caps, or the hot chocolate, or the apple cider or the timbits...

<MMMMMMm timbits!