Tim Hortons. In Dublin. For real.
This is again not a serious post about law and technology and Important Stuff. It’s much more important than that.
Tim Hortons is the biggest coffee and donut store in Canadia. But it’s so much more than that - it’s a true Canadian icon, and the subject of PhDs, newspaper articles, and lots of conversations (usually conducted over coffee and Timbits). It’s hard to explain its appeal, but it definitely has *something*. The company merged with Wendy’s (hamburgers, US-based) in the 1990s but still does the vast majority of its business in Canada. There are a few stores in the US, mainly in New York State and near to the Canuckistani border.
Last year, a small number of shops here in Dublin started selling Tim Hortons donuts, or perhaps doughnuts. This was a natural enough progression, as IAWS/Cuisine de France, an Irish-based company, was involved in setting up a large warehouse-type operation in Ontario to supply bread-type products to TH stores around Canada, as part of the expansion of sandwich options. And we were very glad, and grateful. Someone even blogged with delight about it. But where was the coffee?
A hint came with expansion plans from Spar (convenience store chain), announced earlier this year, which included a mention of Tim Hortons as part of their new ‘food strategy’.
Anyway. Right beside the Jervis Luas stop, outside the Jervis Shopping Centre, there is a branch of Spar. And a blessed, happy branch it is. For inside it, you find a mini-Tim Hortons store, complete with lots of donuts and Timbits, and a counter. Behind the counter lives a staff member, a machine for various fancy coffees, and a real filter-with- coffee-pot setup. And it’s even reasonably priced (€2 for a large coffee). And there is a video screen with interesting ‘facts’ about the company and its founder (Tim Horton himself. Don’t ask me about the missing apostrophe, otherwise I’m going to have to explain Quebec language laws, and you don’t want that).
They even give you proper cups, like everything else direct from Canada (right down to the bilingualism). There is a God.
Comments
Comment from Craig
Time: October 21, 2006, 11:24 pm
In addition, Canadians might be interested to know they can watch Hockey Night in Canada LIVE on Saturday nights at mid-night on Sentana Sports! Pick yourself up a Tim’s Coffee and tune in! Go Leafs Go! 
Comment from Deborah
Time: March 21, 2007, 12:04 am
Thanks for the great post!
I’m a Canadian, currently living in France, who just visited Dublin for St.Patty’s Day.
I (unfortunately) saw an empty Tim Horton’s cup littered on a Dublin street and soon realized that there must be Tim Horton’s somewhere in the city. . .
Your blog was one of the first hits on Google to reveal “Tim Hortons+Dublin” and led me to a wonderful taste of home.
Thanks again!
Comment from Daithí
Time: March 23, 2007, 2:04 pm
A further Timmy-sighting: this one at DCU, a university a few miles north of the city centre. Inside a Spar branch, they have an odd setup with an automatic machine (using beans, and offering coffee, cappuchino and latte), alongside a few donuts (about four or five types were on display, no Timbits). You have to pay in advance and collect your cup (a genuine TH one, mind you) at the main counter (utterly pointless, are students out there that bad???) and then go and use the machine.
Now if we could only find someone prepared to offer cream or half-and-half…
Comment from Daithí
Time: May 19, 2007, 1:07 am
Some other comments lost and recovered in an upgrade:
Comment by Ken McGuire — January 21, 2007 @ 9:47 am
I got out to Toronto in December for around 10 days and while the white mochas at Starbucks were great, you gotta love Tim Hortons for coffee. Much to my delight and surprise I discovered them at one of the bigger Spar shops in Kilkenny and while its not as good as it was in Canada (maybe its the sense of just not being in Canada) its nice to know the coffee is available here and so close by
Pingback by Damien Mulley » Blog Archive » Auto-pilot engages in 5, 4, 3, 2 … | 400k visits — April 11, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
[…] shout. By shout I mean text or ring me as email is probably not going to be checked. Must visit the Spar near Jervis for Hortons and see what this fuss is […]
Comment by Paul Browne — April 12, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
Happened to be talking to a Tim Horton’s Rep (from the company , not the franchisee) when this opened about 2 years back.
At the time they had mad take over the country ideas of expansion, but I heard nothing of it since.
Maybe it’s because the coffee isn’t as good / addictive as in Canada.
Paul
Comment by Daithí — April 12, 2007 @ 12:25 pm
I also have a theory that if they gave us PROPER Tim Hortons (with cream or half-and-half rather than this milk nonsense.
The traditional TH coffee is served ‘double double’ (two shots of cream, two bits of sugar). It’s fabulous.
Comment from Keith
Time: August 22, 2007, 9:25 am
Another Tim Horton’s spotting…
The new Texaco petrol station on the Rathfarnham road (just north of the Yellow House) has a Tim Horton’s inside. I was in a rush, so didn’t take a careful look, but it’s there alright. I didn’t see any seating, and didn’t get a look to see what “bits” were available.
Next time 
Comment from Keith
Time: October 3, 2007, 9:09 am
Update:
The Texaco on Rathfarnham Road has a machine that dispenses sort-of-okay-ish Tim Horton’s branded coffee, and also has a range of donuts (about six types, I think). No other “bits”.
Comment from Ross Wynne
Time: December 8, 2007, 2:06 pm
Don’t forget the TH in Dublin Zoo!
Pingback from Lex Ferenda » Donut call
Time: January 19, 2008, 5:22 pm
[…] a related note, Facebook types may wish to give virtual donuts and coffee to their (virtual) friends with this application. We Love Tim Hortons. « THE […]
Comment from pr
Time: February 10, 2008, 5:24 am
This post is too funny, Daithí. I wonder if their branching out has anything to do with the Canadian-Irish network returning home to Ireland over the years? Hopefully you’ll come back to visit here soon and we can enjoy a cup or two! Or, I’ll just have to come over there and see if the coffee taste survives overseas travel…
Pingback from Lex Ferenda » Pick Me(me)!
Time: February 15, 2008, 8:32 am
[…] and I’m only doing it because he’s from Toronto and I need him to bring me for good coffee and donuts the next time I’m in […]
Comment from Keith
Time: March 19, 2008, 9:48 am
The Tim Horton’s coffee in Dublin Zoo doesn’t taste like real Tim Horton’s coffee…
But they are selling TH ‘bits’ (donuts specifically) in Tesco Stillorgan now.
Comment from bob sullivan
Time: April 2, 2008, 11:23 pm
hey, I am irish and worked in toronto st george station last year for tim hortons!was a good job, free coffee and doughnuts, timbits and bagels. they are cheap and good and are a great opponent for the rotten rip off o briens mega expensive shit coffee chain here. they also give loads of money to charity. if people throw their cups on the ground then they are rotten dogs who should be fined and just bad people. bring timmys to ireland full time please!!!!
Comment from Mark Doran
Time: July 8, 2006, 1:54 pm
Was in Canada earlier this year and discovered Tim Hortons near Whitby on the outskirts of Toronto.MMMMM fine coffee and the donuts were soo tasty.Hopefully Dublin will enjoy Tim Hortons enough for them to branch out a bit so like in Canda theres one on every corner!!!!