Any thoughts on a "Canadian Icon" getting bought?

[vid]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Starbucks gets their food from pretty far away. I don't know if this is the case across Canada, but in Vancouver I'm told at least some of the food is shipped from a plant in Texas.

But is it raw ingredients that have you be cooked/heated/prepared, or is it sandwiches already packaged, stuck on a shelf and labelled "made in store"?

Mississauga produces almost half of Canada's packaged food, so it's not uncommon to see it claimed as the location the food was made, but typically that food isn't something fresh and to be eaten shortly after it was made like an egg salad sandwich.

Originally Posted by SteelTown

In Hamilton we have Grandad Donuts that's basically taking over Tim Hortons donuts. The format is exactly like the old school Tim Hortons.


https://www.facebook.com/GrandadsDon...type=1&theater

Oh how I miss the sugar twist donuts.

This is what Robin's looks like today, pretty much, except up here, a Boston Creme is called a Bismarck. They're definitely not as into seasonal donuts as Tims.

Robin's has no need for that fancy shelving and digitally printed name tags that Tim Horton's uses, they're old skool. Some of the newer products at a few Robin's locations are labelled with pieces of cardboard with a label gun sticker on it.

Does the rest of Canada have Dutchies or is that another Robin's only thing? I don't recall ever seeing them at Tims. Edit: Just looked it up, with was one of the donuts they recently cancelled along with the walnut crunch. I had forgotten they'd cancelled it. Hard to make a walnut crunch when all your donuts are soggy. Robin's walnut crunches are rock hard around the edges, and full of grease. It's awesome.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by vid

But is it raw ingredients that have you be cooked/heated/prepared, or is it sandwiches already packaged, stuck on a shelf and labelled "made in store"?

Mississauga produces almost half of Canada's packaged food, so it's not uncommon to see it claimed as the location the food was made, but typically that food isn't something fresh and to be eaten shortly after it was made like an egg salad sandwich.

I don't know how it's done today, but as of 2009 within Ontario, food sold at Starbucks locations was mass-produced at a facility in the Toronto area, and shipped to each location, arriving overnight and ready to be put on the shelves before opening in the morning. What I don't know is how many days before sale the food was produced, or whether it was ever frozen.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

In Hamilton we have Grandad Donuts that's basically taking over Tim Hortons donuts. The format is exactly like the old school Tim Hortons.


https://www.facebook.com/GrandadsDon...type=1&theater

Oh how I miss the sugar twist donuts.

These look awesome. Reminds me of...Tim Horton's, back in the days of the apostrophe and all the baking was on site. When Tim's was a donut shop, first and foremost (they did have slices of pie, and some purple koolaid in one of those machines that recycles the beverage like a water filter in an aquarium). And the counter, where you could sit and be waited on (with free refills) of really-good coffee. The fucking great old days.

[MolsonExport]

Corporations know no loyalty. They are soulless, disembodied entities, despite their name.

[lio45]

I just had a Burger King value meal (I usually never eat junk food, but I had an opportunity)... replaced the soda by a coffee... I always drink my coffee black, so it's easier to compare -- a super sweet and super creamy coffee will always taste the same regardless of where it's from, and it won't taste like coffee anyway, IMO.

My observation: if Tim Horton's starts to get their coffee from the same supplier as Burger King currently does, thanks to this deal... then it's going to be an improvement for Tim's.

[big W]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I don't know how it's done today, but as of 2009 within Ontario, food sold at Starbucks locations was mass-produced at a facility in the Toronto area, and shipped to each location, arriving overnight and ready to be put on the shelves before opening in the morning. What I don't know is how many days before sale the food was produced, or whether it was ever frozen.

Here in Edmonton Starbucks pastries/food if you can call it that are usually stale and barely edible. So they are always a pass for me.

[Marty_Mcfly]

^I've never bought food from Starbucks as it generally looks bad. My girlfriend usually buys a cookie when were there, but it always looks/tastes like it's been sitting out for a week or so.

[SpongeG]

i love the cookies - the cookies are shipped to the store individually sealed, no idea where they are made, i do believe the vancouver ones are made somewhere in greater vancouver but you never know, all the starbucks food i have had is good, its limited to cookies and their banana loaf however

at walmart in washington state u can buy pre-made sandwiches, like most gas stations anywhere in canada, i have never seen the same kind at a walmart in canada, anyway the ones sold in washington state are made in virginia! they cannot be as fresh as they boast

[vid]

My favourite kind!!

[rousseau]

In defence of Tim Horton's, sort of:

The "parkbaked" centrally produced frozen donuts that the franchisees are forced to use are smaller than before, they don't taste anything like real donuts, and they cost twice as much as baking them from scratch on site, cutting into the franchisees' profits. Yes, Tim Horton's is a soulless corporate machine. Apparently those in the know claim the coffee isn't any good, though I wouldn't know, as I don't drink coffee. I do love their iced capps in the summertime, though that's probably an even worse heresy.

And yet, it's a dependable meeting place for all sorts of "regular" Canadians who either find it comfortable and comforting, or live in areas where there's nowhere else to go. We talk enough on this site about how hard it is to nail down the anglophone Canadian identity, but in Timmies you have a veritably concrete example of the concept.

Giving the term "Canadian icon" in quotes in the title to this thread is bog-standard Canadian uncertainty, and yet it's clear that in this case no quotes are needed. I think we can all agree that there's no ambiguity here when it comes to Tim Horton's iconic status. Everybody who comes to Canada notices their ubiquity immediately. It's now become something of a "thing" where people who've been to Canada will mention Tim Horton's to Canadians they meet as an easy way of making a small connection or getting a reaction during small talk.

It's kind of our equivalent of the Eiffel Tower, or the corner pub, or bull-fights, or cable cars, or sushi etc., except it's not quite at that level of renown, as only people who've been here would know about it. Like when you meet someone from Thailand and you say that you remember going around Bangkok on tuk-tuks. Never been to Thailand? Then you probably don't know what tuk-tuks are. Same thing with Tim Horton's.

As national icons go, Tim Horton's is positively dorky, but that only makes it all the more fitting for this country. I mean, c'mon...we have no gravitas. I'd imagine the Venn diagram for faithful consumers of Tim Horton's and fans of Red Green is probably a mostly 100% overlap. There is actually one Tim Horton's on Queen West, but how many hipsters in the vicinity would admit to frequenting it? Not many, I'm guessing.

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[kool maudit]

Originally Posted by rousseau

As national icons go, Tim Horton's is positively dorky, but that only makes it all the more fitting for this country.