Some snacks from Tims brand new location.
Avery Belisle|Marlin Chronicle
Canadian quality and hockey heritage have arrived in Norfolk with the opening of a brand-new Tim Hortons café. Tim Hortons, named after its co-founder, hockey legend Tim Horton, is the largest fast-food restaurant chain in Canada and has been expanding into the United States since 1984. Now Norfolk hosts Virginia’s very first location.
Tim Hortons was originally founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario by Tim Horton and businessman Jim Charade, with a focus on providing affordable coffee and simple baked goods to Canadians. Initially, the business struggled as Horton had to find a way to balance hockey and business, but with the help of Ron Joyce, former police officer turned businessman, Tim Hortons underwent a series of internal reforms. These reforms shaped Tim Hortons into the business it is today: one focused on consistency, quality and affordability for all customers. Brand loyalty spread quickly throughout Ontario in the late 1960s, and Tim Hortons was poised for great success. Tragically, Horton died in a car accident leaving his wife, Lori Horton, his share of the company, which was later sold to Joyce. Joyce oversaw a rapid expansion of Tim Hortons throughout the rest of Canada and, eventually, around the world.
Despite the international expansion of Tim Hortons, it has proudly embraced its Canadian roots. The Norfolk location especially has showcased a strong connection to Canadian identity, sporting Canadian iconography both inside and outside of the restaurant. Outside of the restaurant, there are two large maple leaf-shaped signs, a clear reference to the centerpiece of the Canadian national flag. To enter the restaurant, customers pull open doors with hockey stick-shaped door handles and are immediately greeted by a life size mural of Tim Horton in his Buffalo Sabres uniform, alongside a short biography of the hockey icon. The spacious café has a variety of different seating options, from couch-like lounge chairs and coffee tables to high-top wooden stools. Windows on nearly every wall provide copious amounts of natural light, highlighting the light white and grey walls and the sandy-colored wood finishing of the interior. The walls are peppered with references to Canada’s famous nature and wildlife, such as posters of picturesque mountain ranges and a series of comical images of Canadian geese in costumes, drinking Tim Hortons coffee.
The menu features various breakfast items and a large selection of flavored drinks. Customers can choose from donuts, pastries (Tim Hortons is known for their apple fritters) and the famous bite-sized “Timbits” (which are Tim Hortons-style donut holes with unique flavors). For those who are craving something more savory, there are also plenty of options, ranging from breakfast sandwiches to breakfast burritos and a couple savory pastries. Drink options naturally include coffee, both iced and hot, but also extend into chai and matcha lattes and “Iced Capps,” a frozen coffee beverage known for its sweet and interesting flavors. Tim Hortons also regularly features specialty promotions, the current one being Nutella-themed. Guests can indulge in a Nutella-infused cold foam on top of their beverage or a flaky croissant filled with Nutella and topped with whipped cream.
Sophomore Avery Belisle happily tries Tim’s Strawberry-Coconut Refresher at Norfolk’s new Canadian café.
Thomas Ferlet|Courtesy
“I was very excited to go to a new spot here in VA. I love trying new things, especially when it’s with my friends. I didn’t know what I was expecting when I got there, but I’m glad that I didn’t. I was fighting with myself to make a decision, but the Breakfast Burrito and Refresher at Tim Hortons was just what I needed. It was so delicious and refreshing; pun intended. I highly recommend this spot for anyone else in the Virginia Beach area,” first-time Tim Hortons customer and sophomore Marquez Glover said.
“The Honey Cruller was sweet, airy and delicious. It was my first time trying it: now I’ll have to go to Tim Hortons to get more for myself,” sophomore Jaylin Diggs, another first-time customer, said.
Whether one is driving past in Norfolk, Virginia or Hamilton, Ontario, the sight of the bright red maple leaf sporting “Tims” means good prices, great food and fantastic drinks.
By Avery Belisle
agbelisle@vwu.edu
