Tim Hortons opens first Dubai shop, begins new era of coffee and doughnut colonialism
After fulfilling its mission to open three stores for every library in Canada, this weekend Tim Hortons went ahead and set up shop in Dubai. According to a story in The National, Canadian expats swarmed the “Tim Hortons Café and Bake Shop” on opening day, rejoicing that the coffee and doughnuts taste exactly the same—which is not surprising, coming from the company with the infamous finely tuned par-bake then freeze process. The Dubai location has the same menu we’re used to—sadly no fun McArabia Kofta equivalent—and the staff has been fully educated on what that whole “double double” thing means.
Of course the franchise can’t sustain themselves on Canucks in the United Arab Emirates forever, which is why they’re banking on their cheaper “value-priced” fare to keep them solvent in a mature coffee market. Tim Hortons has self-serve kiosks in Ireland and an extensive presence in the States, but this outpost stands as the company’s first true overseas export. The plan is to open 120 locations in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman over the next five years. Apologies to the Middle East, but resistance is futile.
• Tim Hortons outlet in Dubai mobbed by Canadian expats [The National]
Uhh maybe the lack of snow has something to do with it. I once had a Timmy’s coffee from an Irish gas station, it just wasnt the same.
We went down there last night to try out what every Canadian we have met have raved about….
You can read my quick review at
http://sangrywords.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-feel-half-canadian-this-evening.html
I have never understood why they targeted Ireland (my beloved homeland). UAE makes more sense with the number of expats, I suppose. Irish people generally drink coffee, usually with a drop of milk, rather than bury it in dozens of calories worth of cream and sugar to turn it into a warm milkshake. Will be interesting to see if the locals in Dubai are like us, or take to the godawful double doubles.
NIce western style coffee shop! Better to make an app for that! People will flock more!
Tim Horton’s is horrible but Tim Horton and Canada= Starbucks and USA. As a canadian I can tell you lots of us don’t like Tim Hortons but sometimes its the only coffee shop in the city, which is ridicuios.
Any idea how the tim hortons products get to Ireland. Is there a Tim Horton’s manufacturing plant in Ireland or is it all shipped in on boat?