Tim Hortons, a Canadian coffee and fast-food chain that debuted with its first store in Delhi two years ago, on Friday said India was one of the fastest growing markets for the brand that has seen a “phenomenal” growth in the country.
“India is one of the fastest growing markets for Tim Hortons internationally. For people like us who entered two years back, there is a huge wide space. Our growth numbers are obviously much higher,” Tarun Jain, CEO of Tim Hortons, India, told businessline on the launch of the brand’s first store in Gujarat on Friday.
Tim Hortons which opened its first store in August 2022, is now present in 14 cities across India. “We are looking to add 30-40 new stores every year in India. The revenues have been good. Wherever we have gone, people have loved the brand and taken it well. We had huge queues everywhere where we opened. People were familiar with the brand. They had experienced it when they travelled outside the country --- in Canada, Dubai or Singapore. I remember when we opened stores in Bandra and Lokhandwala, we had queues for almost a month. The response has been phenomenal,” he added.
When asked if the brand is looking to achieve 120 stores in India by 2026, Jain said, “We are conscious about selecting the right store, so that we get the right revenue, its profitable and its value to the brand. Rather than chasing a number, we are kind of building it up.” Jain said cafe business in India was seeing double digit growth.
The Tim Hortons store that opened outside the domestic arrivals at Ahmedabad airport will remain open round the clock. “This is the first store that we are launching with vegetarian Timbits. These are small pieces of desserts which will be 100 per cent egg-less. We have both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food options,” Jain added.