Tim Hortons Stakes The Maple Leaf In China

When Tim Hortons opened its first restaurant in China on Feb. 26, the chain made clear its Canadian-ness.

The store in Shanghai’s People’s Square is distinguished by a hockey stick door handle, red and plaid décor, and maple leaves reproduced on floor tiles and cups and dusted on the tops of lattes.

The Shanghai unit is the first of an expected 1,500 locations to open in China over the next decade under an exclusive master franchise joint agreement signed last year with the Cartesian Capital Group, the same private-equity firm opening Burger King stores for Tim Hortons’ parent, Restaurant Brands Int’l.

Tim Hortons has more than 4,800 restaurants in Canada, the United States and 14 other countries.

Want to be the first to know the latest news and trends in the foodservice equipment industry?

SIGN UP for FER Newsletters