horton hears a houston
Iconic Canadian coffee and doughnut shop rolls out big plans for Houston
The cheers echoing across Houston on Sunday, December 12 didn't just come from Seahawks fans celebrating the drubbing their team gave the Texans. Canadian expats joined the chorus at the news that their favorite place for coffee and doughnuts is heading to the Bayou City.
Tim Hortons announced that it will open its first Texas location in Houston by summer 2022 (Editor’s note: Yay, eh!) during a commercial that aired during Sunday's Texans game. While an exact location has yet to be revealed, it will be the first of many under a franchise agreement the Canadian company signed with Houston's CSM Group, which operates Popeye's locations in Texas, Kansas, and Missouri.
“When determining where to bring our coffee shops next, Houston proved to show significant growth opportunity,” Ricardo Azevedo, regional president of Tim Hortons U.S., said in a statement. “Texas is one of the fastest growing out-of-home coffee markets in the U.S. and is still under-penetrated. Most importantly, we chose to put down roots in Houston because we love this city’s friendly hospitality, unique culture and strong sense of community.”
Founded in 1964 by NHL legend Tim Horton, the company has expanded across Canada with more than 600 U.S. outlets in Ohio, Michigan, and New York. The restaurant serves coffee, doughnuts, and breakfast sandwiches but is best known for its Timbits doughnut holes that are available in a range of flavors. Tim Horton's recently partnered with superstar musician Justin Bieber on three new Timbits flavors along with associated merchandise.
Each location will offer both dine-in and drive-thru service —many with double drive-thrus for faster ordering — along with mobile pre-ordering and a rewards program for frequent customers.
“Houston is our home. This meant assuring we partnered with a brand that aligned with our values, which is why we’re so excited to bring the Tim Hortons experience to our city,” CSM Group CEO Ali Lakhany added. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring Tims to Houston, and we’ll soon look to expand into surrounding metropolitan cities.”