The Letter T

T is for Tim Hortons and Timbits

You know you are Canadian when you tell someone you are going to Timmies and they don’t ask “Timmie who?”

Tim Hortons is a coffee house best known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3,000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in hamburger restaurants. In 1967 Horton partnered with investor Ron Joyce, who assumed control over operations after Tim Horton died in 1974, and expanded the chain into a multi-million dollar franchise. Tim Hortons franchises spread rapidly and eventually overtook McDonald's as Canada's largest food service operator. The company opened twice as many Canadian outlets as McDonald's. As of July 1st 2012, Tim Hortons has 4,071 restaurants, including 3,355 in Canada, 745 in the United States, 20 in United Arab Countries and 3 in Oman in the Middle East.

 



Stands up and looks around, clears my throat and says….Hi, my name is Dawn Marie and I’m a coffee addict, especially when it comes to Tim Hortons. It’s been rumoured that Tim Hortons adds an addictive ingredient into their coffee, and although I’m 99.999% positive they don’t, one never knows now-a-days.  Maybe it’s all in my mind but there is something inside me that screams out stop whenever I pass by a Tim Hortons Coffee Shop. I used to get a large coffee with 2 milk, but since they changed the size of their cups I now get a medium with 2 milk. Another rumor that was going around was that it was the creamer they add into the coffee that makes it addictive. Well, I put that rumor to bed so to speak when I changed from creamer to milk and found that I was still addicted! I have come to the realization that Tim Hortons must have a secret ingredient (much like Colonel Sanders had with his Kentucky Fried Chicken) that goes into each pot of coffee that is served at the counters of Tim Hortons. I figured out that even though I bought the Tim Hortons coffee it’s self it just does not have that same taste as it does when you order a coffee from a Timmies.

 

 

 

Now for the Timbits from Tim Hortons. I can say nothing bad about them except they are not big enough. Yet on the flip side of that if you wanted big you order a donut. Timbits are the brand name of doughnut holes sold at the Canadian Tim Hortons. Timbits were introduced in April 1976 and are now available in various flavours that differ from store to store. Flavours include chocolate, jelly-filled, dutchie, honey dip, sour cream glazed, old fashion plain, old fashion glazed, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, lemon and apple fritter. The "bit" in the word Timbit is an acronym for Big In Taste, which was half of the slogan for the original 1976 ad campaign "Big In Taste, Small In Size". It is also a play on the word "tidbit" (a delicate bit or morsel of food). Other doughnut chains in Canada and the United States sell virtually identical products, often called "doughnut holes". I don’t have a favourite flavour for Timbits since you can buy them in boxes of 10, 20 or 40 and have them all one flavour or an assortment of flavours. Since I can never choose just ONE flavour, I always go with a box of 10 assorted. I have to admit that those Timbits are very delicious and when I stop to get a coffee, if I don’t feel like having a donut or Timbits, I still purchase 4 single plain Timbits for Bentley too. Yes, I have addicted my dog to the taste of Timbits!

Bentley waiting to devour his Timbit!