My love hate relationship with Tim’s
When I added yet another facebook application called “I am Canadian”, one of the points to check off to prove your Canadian pride was “I go to Tim Horton’s every chance I get.” Made me go hmmmm...
Tim’s is a winter destination for me, especially since cutting back on their iced caps in the summer because of the unhealthy ingredients. And especially this winter since my students gave me a Timcard for Christmas. When I’m going through a mall to get to the subway, or walking down the busy streets, I notice I’m one of the rare Canadians that don’t start their workday lining up for Tim’s coffee. For my caffeine fix, I never choose Tim’s. When there’s nothing else, meaning, when I’m desperate, I’ll suffer through their coffee. I’m always disappointed with it - too bland, nothing in it to get me hooked - not like Starbuck’s rich frothy chocolatety concoctions. There’s something decadent about starting your day with a drinkable dessert. It takes away some of the dullness of winter. But I can’t afford to drink at Starbuck’s every day.
I prefer flavoured coffee - hazelnut, chocolate raspberry, & even Irish cream tastes better than plain coffee. So I was impressed when Tim’s added their cappuccino machines. But lately whenever I go to a Tim’s, any location, their machine is on the fritz. Come to think of it, Country Style & Coffee Time cappuccino machines are inconsistent too. Or, the only flavour “working” is French vanilla. Why is it all the affordable coffee shops only have French vanilla? Does English toffee flavour even exist anymore? Is head office not allowing them to remove the stickers? Is it just a prop, to make customers think they are in a sophisticated café with unusual flavour options? I’ll tell you who has decent coffee, it’s 7-11. Imagine a coffee bar stocked with syrups, toppings, flavoured creams & gourmet dessert cappuccinos - it exists people, & it’s utopia! Mix 1/2 almond amaretto coffee with 1/2 snickers caramel brownie cappuccino, grab a couple pumpkin spice creamers for the road, and I’m good to go. It was a sad sad day when the 7-11 at the end of my boulevard closed & was replaced with a “Food Store”. 
So now in an attempt to get some flavour, I’ve tried reducing the blahness of Tim’s coffee by ordering 1/2 coffee, 1/2 hot chocolate. Meh. It’ll have to do. 
Hard store bought cookies don’t do it for me, but soft warm homemade tasting ones are such a basic comfort food during our wild wind chill days. I dare you to challenge me on this: the tastiest & most affordable gourmet cookies in the city (with premium ingredients, they claim) are Tim’s chocolate caramel cookies. Peanut butter chocolate chunk are a close second. Back in the day I liked their fountain peach drink. If they made it in diet, I’d relapse. Also back then Tim’s was not the place it is now. Where I grew up, it was a skuzy high school hang out with 60¢ coffee served in ceramic mugs and basic donuts. It felt like a run down diner with waitresses, not counter employees. It was the meeting spot for a group of guys I hung out with/a couple I dated, and I never felt comfortable there. Being the lone quiet modest girl amongst a crew of 18 year old guys can be an obnoxious experience. I like Tim’s a lot more now.
If there’s one thing commonly Canadian, it’s to complain. And if there’s nothing more Canadian than Tim Horton’s, well then I’m one proud Canuck.
Tim’s is a winter destination for me, especially since cutting back on their iced caps in the summer because of the unhealthy ingredients. And especially this winter since my students gave me a Timcard for Christmas. When I’m going through a mall to get to the subway, or walking down the busy streets, I notice I’m one of the rare Canadians that don’t start their workday lining up for Tim’s coffee. For my caffeine fix, I never choose Tim’s. When there’s nothing else, meaning, when I’m desperate, I’ll suffer through their coffee. I’m always disappointed with it - too bland, nothing in it to get me hooked - not like Starbuck’s rich frothy chocolatety concoctions. There’s something decadent about starting your day with a drinkable dessert. It takes away some of the dullness of winter. But I can’t afford to drink at Starbuck’s every day.
I prefer flavoured coffee - hazelnut, chocolate raspberry, & even Irish cream tastes better than plain coffee. So I was impressed when Tim’s added their cappuccino machines. But lately whenever I go to a Tim’s, any location, their machine is on the fritz. Come to think of it, Country Style & Coffee Time cappuccino machines are inconsistent too. Or, the only flavour “working” is French vanilla. Why is it all the affordable coffee shops only have French vanilla? Does English toffee flavour even exist anymore? Is head office not allowing them to remove the stickers? Is it just a prop, to make customers think they are in a sophisticated café with unusual flavour options? I’ll tell you who has decent coffee, it’s 7-11. Imagine a coffee bar stocked with syrups, toppings, flavoured creams & gourmet dessert cappuccinos - it exists people, & it’s utopia! Mix 1/2 almond amaretto coffee with 1/2 snickers caramel brownie cappuccino, grab a couple pumpkin spice creamers for the road, and I’m good to go. It was a sad sad day when the 7-11 at the end of my boulevard closed & was replaced with a “Food Store”. So now in an attempt to get some flavour, I’ve tried reducing the blahness of Tim’s coffee by ordering 1/2 coffee, 1/2 hot chocolate. Meh. It’ll have to do. Hard store bought cookies don’t do it for me, but soft warm homemade tasting ones are such a basic comfort food during our wild wind chill days. I dare you to challenge me on this: the tastiest & most affordable gourmet cookies in the city (with premium ingredients, they claim) are Tim’s chocolate caramel cookies. Peanut butter chocolate chunk are a close second. Back in the day I liked their fountain peach drink. If they made it in diet, I’d relapse. Also back then Tim’s was not the place it is now. Where I grew up, it was a skuzy high school hang out with 60¢ coffee served in ceramic mugs and basic donuts. It felt like a run down diner with waitresses, not counter employees. It was the meeting spot for a group of guys I hung out with/a couple I dated, and I never felt comfortable there. Being the lone quiet modest girl amongst a crew of 18 year old guys can be an obnoxious experience. I like Tim’s a lot more now.
If there’s one thing commonly Canadian, it’s to complain. And if there’s nothing more Canadian than Tim Horton’s, well then I’m one proud Canuck.
