OAKVILLE, Ont. — Tim Hortons has announced its revitalized restaurant design. Together with restaurant owners, Tim Hortons will invest $700 million to bring the Welcome Image to a majority of Canadian locations over the next four years.
As part of the new image, the restaurant exterior will be designed with natural-looking, lighter and more inviting materials. Inside, locations will be decorated with artwork reflecting Tim Hortons’ values and history — including a commissioned portrait of Tim Horton, a mosaic of iconic brand images and a photo wall featuring Tim Hortons’ unique coffee-sourcing and proprietary blending process. Guests will also enjoy upgraded, open-concept seating.
“We know Tim Hortons is a fundamental part of Canadian culture and we’ve worked hard with our restaurant owners to ensure we’re delivering exactly what our guests have come to expect from their favourite local coffee shop — we want Tim Hortons to always be their home away from home,” says Alex Macedo, president of the Tim Hortons brand. “Throughout the creative process, we conducted extensive market testing that revealed our new Welcome Image is not only approved, but loved by our guests across the country.”
Macedo says consumer expectations are evolving and “as Canada’s most iconic brand, so must we.”
The Great White North Franchisee Association (GWNFA) has voiced opposition to the revitalization plans and advised its members — approximately half of all Canadian Tim Hortons franchisees — not to sign or agree to anything until more details are released. According to the Financial Post, the GWNFA has expressed doubts about the impact renovations will have on same-store sales given that a high percentage of the brand’s traffic is attributed to drive-thru sales.
