Canadian Coffee Chain Tim Hortons Plans 15 Stores in Georgia 

Ubiquitous in Canada but so far limited in its American presence, the iconic coffee and snack chain Tim Hortons is making a foray into Georgia, arguably the top hub for franchising in the United States.  

Toronto-based parent company Restaurant Brands International, or RBI, announced an agreement with a local franchisee to open 15 stores in Atlanta and Columbus, Ga., over the next five years.  

The brand selected Abid Khutliwala and business partner Saleem Lakhani as franchisees, partly due to the duo’s experience working with existing brands around the metro Atlanta area and Columbus, including one that is already part of RBI. Mr. Khutliwala is an existing franchisee for Popeyes Chicken, which was once based in Atlanta but was acquired by RBI a few years ago. He and Mr. Lakhani also operate Checkers drivethrus and Moe’s Southwest Grill locations, according to their LinkedIn profiles.  

Mr. Khutliwala said in a release that he’s excited to introduce Georgians to a household name in Canada that accounts for two-thirds of all quick-service coffee servings in that country yet is still unknown to many here. Most Tim Hortons locations in the U.S. are in the northeast, though the brand announced recently its arrival in Texas via a 30-unit deal in the Houston area. The vast majority of its 5,100 stores are located in Canada.  

“The emphasis Tim Hortons places on quality, convenience and value for morning commuters will be a driving factor in winning over a crucial and still-growing segment of (quick-service restaurant) business,” said Mr. Khutliwala, who immigrated to Georgia from Mumbai, India, in 2000.  

Founded in 1964, Tim Hortons is known for its coffee, breakfast sandwiches, lunch wraps and baked goods like chocolate croissants, doughnuts and Timbits (doughnut holes). Driving down a Canadian highway, as a Global Atlanta reporter did last week, Tim’s seems as constant a presence as McDonald’s or Subway on American roads — perhaps even more so.  

The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reported that the first Tim Hortons location will be in the west Georgia city, where Mr. Khutliwala reportedly already has four Popeyes and two Checkers locations. He is set to build the Tim Hortons on a Veterans Parkway plot that will also house a new Popeyes, the newspaper said.