Tim Hortons announces plans for global domination (also: panini)

Yesterday, Tim Hortons announced a new expansion that sounds so aggressive you may want to make sure there isn’t one popping up in your living room right now. The Star reports that the company’s CEO is pushing for 700 more locations across Canada, including between 155 and 175 this year alone. There are currently 3,295 existing locations, but CEO Paul House thinks there’s room in the market for as many as 4,000. Also in the coffee empire’s sights: 80 to 100 new spots in the United States this year, and, if all goes according to plan, 120 in places like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait in five years (you might remember the enthusiastic reception that the first Dubai location received). Yes, some day you may be able to find the same questionable lattes no matter where you are in the world. If mere domination of the “value” end of the coffee market were not enough, it looks like Timmies will be entering the red-hot flat sandwich business as well. The Star reports that House “hinted that panini sandwiches, which were test-marketed in the U.S. last year with great early success, may make Canadian menus.” If they keep nabbing potential customers away from competitors, they might just need another 4,000 locations before long. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »