Tim Horton's Goes Public

Now investors will be able to own a piece of their doughnut, and eat it too. Tim Horton's, a national icon of our coffee-guzzling, bagel cream-cheese spreading culture, went on the New York and Toronto Stock Exchange today as a publicly traded company.

If you've ever been to Canada, you'll know the coffee shop well. It's a place where you can go to get a nice warm beverage to buffer yourself against the harsh snowy climate, or bulk up on some chili, bagels and doughnuts. They are on every block, over 2000 of them! Connected to gas stations, basically cornering you wherever you go. Tim Horton's commercials glorify their connection to Canadianism, often featuring heart-warming stories about the little hockey players of the future or father and son bonding sessions, and this is what people appreciate. It's not just a cup of coffee, it's sentimental value. I've always hated the music they play on the commercials -accoustic guitar, somewhat reminiscent of the music you might hear on Corner Gas or Dr.Phil.

It's funny how Tim Horton's is a Canadian icon, but most of its investors will be Americans. Just recently, after much persuading by our soldiers in Afghanistan, Tim Horton's agreed to set itself up in Kandahar. The Americans got their Pizza Pizza and their Burger King in the land of jihad, Canadian soldiers wanted a little something of their own too. Talk about something familiar in the foreign. Will the Tim Horton diaspora dilute it's national identity? Will it help our peace keepers spread goodwill? Will turning it into a publicly traded company turn it into a faceless corporation? Will it just help the rich get richer? It's actually owned by Wendy's. Speaking of Wendy's, this happened last year: check out what this couple was willing do for some extra cash!
Once it was a modest burger joint, then that didn't work, so it switched over to coffee and doughnuts. There's an urban legend that they put trace amounts of nicotene to make the coffee addiction. I think the sugar's enough to do it. Near Christmas time, they still print the story on the cup about some couple met over a cup of coffee and lived happily ever after. That was the old days -the days when Tim Horton's was still run by Tim's folks, hockey player that made the name. When the American Krispy Kreme was introduced to Ontario this last year, it didn't do as well as expected. I guess you could say the market was a little saturated?

Some people like my dad, hate Tim Hortons with a seething passion. He says they are the biggest source of pollution around. It's true, when I go jogging, there are two things that line the roads: dead ground hogs, and Tim Horton's coffee cups! People admire Tim Horton's for their entrepreneurialship, others call it encroachment. Their support of the community is admirable -they sponsor kids to go to camp or teams to play hockey and soccer, but then there are always idling cars full of lazy arses waiting outside each Tim Horton's and when people are done chugging, they start chucking -wrappers, bags, cups UGH! An old friend who visited Canada from abroad was instantly sceptical or at least uncomfortably uncertain: "I don't know about all these Tim Horton's" she said.

Whatever you think about Tim Horton's, the business is growing, like a lochness monster stretching its tentacles around the globe. Perhaps it will inspire Afghanis to crave 'double doubles' or cause children to war over the 'rrrroll up the rim to win' prizes that they find routing through dumpsters for cups. Perhaps it will cheer the terror-torn hearts of our soldiers abroad with nationalistic nostalgia. Well, if I may, I'll put in my little timbit: investors shouldn't be too overenthusiastic about results. Rapid expansion can bring about instability. On the other hand, could this be the time to strike it rich off the coffee stocks? Only Timmy knows.

Filed under Opinions