Tim Hortons plans U.K. growth, creating 2,000 new jobs

Tim Hortons, the Canadian fast food franchise with more than 4,900 locations globally, is planning a considerable expansion of its U.K. footprint which could generate more than 2,000 new jobs, the BBC reports.

The brand first opened in the U.K. in 2017, and now operates 23 locations throughout the country. With the next opening currently planned for Milton Keynes in December, Tim Hortons is experiencing continuous demand; the brand saw a 37 per cent increase in year-on-year sales in the U.K. and Ireland in the most recent quarter.

“Despite challenging times for the sector, our drive-thru and flagship locations have delivered exceptional performance and our model is proving to be well attuned to the evolving needs of customers at this time,” said chief commercial officer Kevin Hydes.

Globally, however, Tim Hortons is seeing the same challenges that all food and beverage brands have encountered this year, which has resulted in a sales drop of more than 30 per cent. This aligns with the sales of the brand’s parent company, Restaurant Brands International (RBI), which have fallen more than 20 per cent in the three months to July.

RBI also owns restaurant franchises like Burger King and Popeye’s Chicken, with a global footprint of more than 27,000 locations. In August, chief executive Jose Cil said that his organization remained committed to continued global growth, despite the challenges of the pandemic.

“We cannot predict exactly when the dust will settle, but we’re confident that we will be well-positioned to capitalize on opportunities for growth as we emerge from the crisis and continue toward the 40,000 restaurant goal we talked about last year.”