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The seemingly terminal decline of Tim Hortons

I tried the new "freshly cracked egg" breakfast sandwich at Horton's recently.........Disgusting! It may have been freshly cracked in store, but the egg patties are dumped into a warming drawer, where they sit for god knows how long, drying out and going all rubbery. Leave it to Horton's to screw up a simple breakfast sandwich. Go to either A & W or Mcdonalds if you want a made to order fresh breakfast sandwich.

The new dark roast is better than the last dark roast they had, but still not great, it's a step up from the regular blend, which is basically just sewer water. 🤮
 
Yes, They could use cup/glass/can/bottle return machines that print out store credit or cash. Why Ontario doesn't do deposits on non alcoholic bottles/cans..etc like the rest of the modern world is beyond me.



This is what Tim’s needs https://loopstore.ca/. Not to reuse cups, but to ensure they’re collected, diverted and when possible recycled. Queens Park could easily enact this with legislation, make it effective March 1, 2022.
 
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Sales at Tim Hortons in 2020 fell to the lowest level since the company merged with Burger King, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt morning routines and lockdowns kept customers at home.

Comparable sales, a key metric in the retail industry, fell 15.7 per cent at Tim Hortons in 2020, according to financial results reported by parent company Restaurant Brands International (QSR)(QSR.TO) on Thursday. The drop marks the biggest among RBI’s three chains, a trend that has persisted through 2020. Burger King saw comparable sales fall 7.9 per cent in 2020, while Popeyes grew 13.8 per cent. System-wide sales at the coffee and doughnut chain also fell, from US$6.7 billion in 2019 to $5.5 billion, in the 12-month period ending Dec. 31.

Duncan Fulton, RBI’s chief corporate officer, attributes the sales decline to the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption of morning routines – a critical segment for Tim Hortons – as well as the lockdown restrictions put in place throughout the year.

“Our traffic is highly tied to daily routines,” he said in an interview. “As those routines come back to normal, we’re going to recapture that traffic and we believe capture a new generation of guests because of the investments we’ve been making.”

Tim Hortons embarked on a back-to-basics approach focused on coffee, doughnuts and breakfast in 2020 after comparable sales had fallen 1.5 per cent in 2019. Over the last year, the chain has installed fresh brewer technology that is intended to improve the consistency of its coffee, relaunched its dark roast coffee blend, and recently changed its breakfast sandwiches to feature freshly cracked eggs. In 2021, Fulton said customers should expect more innovations focused on sandwiches and cold beverages.

While sales are still down, they did appear to improve near the end of the year. RBI chief executive Jose Cil said on a conference call with analysts Thursday that there were “encouraging signs” for Tim Hortons in December, as comparable sales declined to high negative single digits – the best figure at the brand since March 2020.
 


Sales at Tim Hortons in 2020 fell to the lowest level since the company merged with Burger King, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt morning routines and lockdowns kept customers at home.

Comparable sales, a key metric in the retail industry, fell 15.7 per cent at Tim Hortons in 2020, according to financial results reported by parent company Restaurant Brands International (QSR)(QSR.TO) on Thursday. The drop marks the biggest among RBI’s three chains, a trend that has persisted through 2020. Burger King saw comparable sales fall 7.9 per cent in 2020, while Popeyes grew 13.8 per cent. System-wide sales at the coffee and doughnut chain also fell, from US$6.7 billion in 2019 to $5.5 billion, in the 12-month period ending Dec. 31.

Duncan Fulton, RBI’s chief corporate officer, attributes the sales decline to the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption of morning routines – a critical segment for Tim Hortons – as well as the lockdown restrictions put in place throughout the year.

“Our traffic is highly tied to daily routines,” he said in an interview. “As those routines come back to normal, we’re going to recapture that traffic and we believe capture a new generation of guests because of the investments we’ve been making.”

Tim Hortons embarked on a back-to-basics approach focused on coffee, doughnuts and breakfast in 2020 after comparable sales had fallen 1.5 per cent in 2019. Over the last year, the chain has installed fresh brewer technology that is intended to improve the consistency of its coffee, relaunched its dark roast coffee blend, and recently changed its breakfast sandwiches to feature freshly cracked eggs. In 2021, Fulton said customers should expect more innovations focused on sandwiches and cold beverages.

While sales are still down, they did appear to improve near the end of the year. RBI chief executive Jose Cil said on a conference call with analysts Thursday that there were “encouraging signs” for Tim Hortons in December, as comparable sales declined to high negative single digits – the best figure at the brand since March 2020.

As has been said on here many times before they need a better product and they need to get rid of their prepared foods like their chicken strips, soups, etc.

Starbucks has it right in that all their food items are pre-packaged and reheated. They have a limited selection of items but nobody goes there for lunch, breakfast or dinner. You can get your egg sandwich or wrap but they have quality ingredients not just mozzarella and roast beef. Starbucks also has gourmet snack items as opposed to stale donuts and timbits.

I would rather have a brownie or lemon loaf from Starbucks with a freshly made espresso over a stale donut and a 20 minute old coffee from Tims. That is the issue I do believe and one that can not be easily rectified. For decades ever since Ron Joyce sold the business the quality has gone from Tim Hortons in favor of it becoming a fast food outlet akin to Dunkin Donuts.

At least with Starbucks you get quality items and that is what their whole philosophy is about but with Tims you get generic food and people who have no clue what they are doing.
 
I haven't seen a long snake of cars at my local Horton's drive thru since the pandemic hit.

From what i hear from my friends in California, Dutch Bros Coffee is the new Starbucks. From what they say it's the best tasting fast food coffee. Hopefully they eventually come to Canada. That small footprint type of store would definitely work here.


 
Starbucks has it right in that all their food items are pre-packaged and reheated.
There's nothing "right" about that.

They have a limited selection of items but nobody goes there for lunch, breakfast or dinner. You can get your egg sandwich or wrap but they have quality ingredients...
No they don't.

Starbucks also has gourmet snack items as opposed to stale donuts and timbits.
"Gourmet" maybe. There is nothing better or decent about the food or snacks at Starbucks, but I see their marketing has worked on you.


I would rather have a brownie or lemon loaf from Starbucks with a freshly made espresso over a stale donut and a 20 minute old coffee from Tims.
Strabucks coffee out of the carafe is just as "stale" as the Tim's one. There's nothing stale about 20 minute old coffe anyway. Are you one of those dickheads who gets to the front of the queue and then moans when they say they're going to have to make a fresh pot and it might take 5 minutes? Just asking.


That is the issue I do believe and one that can not be easily rectified. For decades ever since Ron Joyce sold the business the quality has gone from Tim Hortons in favor of it becoming a fast food outlet akin to Dunkin Donuts.
Tim Hortons never had quality.

At least with Starbucks you get quality items and that is what their whole philosophy is about but with Tims you get generic food ...
Starbucks is not and never has been quality food.

...and people who have no clue what they are doing.
If I said this I'd be called out for being racist. Blame the hiring of foreigners who you don't seem to be able to communicate with efficiently.
 
Strabucks coffee out of the carafe is just as "stale" as the Tim's one. There's nothing stale about 20 minute old coffe anyway. Are you one of those dickheads who gets to the front of the queue and then moans when they say they're going to have to make a fresh pot and it might take 5 minutes? Just asking.

Actually I get espresso. Freshly made, no carafe.

No they don't

Quality compared to Tims.

If I said this I'd be called out for being racist. Blame the hiring of foreigners who you don't seem to be able to communicate with efficiently.

I just find everytime I go to Tims I get a dumbfounded look and it takes forever to make something simple.

My local Tims is so bad that the staff have a full on conversation in their language while I stand and wait to order.
 
Actually I get espresso. Freshly made, no carafe.
Right, and you compared that to coffee from a pot. Ergo, your comparison doesn't hold.

Quality compared to Tims.
No, the ingredients are quite the same sort of processed food rubbish.

I just find everytime I go to Tims I get a dumbfounded look and it takes forever to make something simple.
As I said, check my previous comment on this issue. I agree, the language barrier is a problem. Tim's is known for hiring temporary foreign workers, for example.
I remember my application for employment there during my university days....I was overqualified and didn't even get a response at multiple locations.
I think they figured I was too high maintenance and not easy enough to push about because I stupidly included my experience working for the commercial attache of an EU government's embassy in Ottawa on my application, at the time thinking it made me seem more capable. Lol, wrong. Made me seem more expensive.

My local Tims is so bad that the staff have a full on conversation in their language while I stand and wait to order.
I would be slandered as being racist if I said something like this here.

I'm not calling you out....nothing you said on this topic is wrong, I'm just calling out the double standards prevalent here.
 
I just find everytime I go to Tims I get a dumbfounded look and it takes forever to make something simple.
My tip for dealing with Tim Hortons is to order in the app. I once, while in line for the cashier, downloaded the app, created an account, entered payment information, selected my order, placed it and had my name called at the pickup counter before I had even made it halfway through the line. Rather than dealing with the interminable drivethrough, I have had some success with parking, ordering in the app, waiting a minute or two, and immediately grabbing my order and leaving.

Of course, this is with a small sample of my infrequent trips to Tim Hortons. I half wonder if these retailers are pushing us to use the app by understaffing and undertraining their cashier staff.
 

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