Canadian coffee house Tim Hortons perks up Cayman market

Popular Canadian café and coffee brand Tim Hortons is set to enter the Cayman market with its first local franchise in Red Bay.

On Tuesday, banners heralding the arrival of the flagship Canadian brand were revealed at the soon-to-be opened location near the Chrissie Tomlinson roundabout.

Mark Anthony, who is the franchise holder for Tim Hortons as well as Burger King and Popeye’s in Cayman, said it was personally thrilling to welcome the addition of the globally known brand to the local landscape.

“It’s a testament to 40 years of operational excellence, customer satisfaction that really has existed at Burger King and Popeye’s brands that in large part is what enabled us to convince Tim Hortons to open in the Caribbean. We’re the first in the Caribbean and we’re certainly excited about it,” Anthony said in a telephone interview Wednesday.

Tim Hortons, he said, has been seeing amazing success in the UK, throughout Asia and Mexico.

“It’s been impressive to see what I’ve known my entire life as a brand that started in small- town Canada become such an international success,” he said.

Anthony said the entry of Tim Hortons into the local market has been two years in the making, from securing the brand to selecting the most suitable location.

“As an organisation we’re focused on building standalone or freestanding drive-thru restaurants because we see that’s what people in Cayman want. They want that mobility and the ability to drive in and drive out. We’re doing the first double drive-thru that you will see on this island,” he said.

Anthony said those who know and love Tim Hortons can expect the traditional menu with donuts, freshly baked croissants and breakfast sandwiches.

“We will have a pretty large espresso-based drink platform, lots of cold drinks, Iced Capps (iced cappuccinos) and what we call the Quenchers, which are naturally fruit-flavoured drinks,” he said.

Anthony said there will be some items unique to Cayman’s Tim Hortons as the store will be serving fresh sliced deli sandwiches, a first for the brand.

The aim is to have the store ready for an early 2024 opening, subject to planning approvals and supply chain deliveries.

He added he is also looking forward to the soon-to be opened Popeye’s location in Red Bay.

He said choosing the Red Bay community for Tim Hortons was easy as it is the fastest growing and busiest part of the island.

“This is the Cayman Islands and there are people who have not ever tried or maybe are not even familiar with the brand. So I wanted to start building some brand recognition, getting people familiar with it and there’s no busier place on the island,” he said.

Anthony said the location is the first of several planned for Cayman.

The Cayman Compass understands further development is planned in the vicinity of the Tim Hortons, including a supermarket and home-supply store.