Tim Hortons opened its first cafe in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, and is named after retired NHL hockey player.
WASHINGTON — Tim Hortons is a Canadian coffee franchise that started in the 1960s but now has thousands of locations in the U.S. and abroad.
The business was started by NHL star Tim Horton, who played with the Toronto Maple Leafs for two decades. Horton opened the first doughnut shop in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario.
Horton gained notoriety as one of the strongest players in hockey history and even gained the nickname “Superman” among his teammates, according to his bio in the NHL. Legend has it that Horton barricaded an intersection in Quebec as a prank by lifting barrels of cement, as reportedly witnessed by his former Leafs teammate Bob Baun.
Tim Hortons is a fast-food cafe, similar to Dunkin or Starbucks, that offers fresh-brewed coffee and other cafe beverages, as well as bakery items, soups, and more, with most locations offering drive-thru and seating options for customers.
The company is known to partner with charities and community organizations in Canada and abroad, including many with ties to its hockey origins.
The company started small but grew substantially after Tim Horton died in 1974, when the new owner looked to expand the business. At the time of his death, there were roughly 40 Tim Hortons locations. That number grew to more than 3,500 by the early 2000s, with locations across the U.S. and Canada.
In 2014, Tim Hortons merged with Restaurant Brands International, which also oversees Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs. According to RBI, Tim Hortons now has more than 6,000 locations.