Coffee chain boycott? - Page 3

Dwils01 · #41 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 7:17 AM**

I'm curious for people who regularly visit coffee shops think about this.
Could you be fined for going to Timmie's?
http://www.sootoday.com/content/news...ls.asp?c=88346
People in the comments are mostly blaming the city and Tim's for not giving them enough room for their vehicles to fit on the property and the service being too slow.
Thoughts?

Black Star · #42 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 8:00 AM**

If you are so hard up for a coffee from Tim's or their food, and are willing to break road laws to get it. Well you deserve whats coming to you!

Who waits in lines....I mean Really!

esquire · #43 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 11:50 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Star

^ I find them polar opposites. MacDonald's I find more full bodied. Not as watered down as Tim's.

That's what McDonald's advertising implies, but the reality is far from the truth. I expected something more along the lines of say, Starbucks True North or Second Cup Paradiso but it's much closer to Tim Horton's Regular Blend. It's not a bad cup for what it's worth, and McDonald's charges a decent price and doesn't typically have the morning lines that Tim's gets.

north 42 · #44 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 11:59 AM**

Tim Hortons dark roast and McDonald's coffee are fine with me when that's all that's available. Many indie places are better, but I'm not that picky really.

MolsonExport · #45 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 1:08 PM**

Local neighbourhood coffee shop > The small BC-based chains > Starbucks > McDonald's > Timmy's > Motor Oil> Ammonia> Gas station Coffee

kwoldtimer · #46 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 1:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Star

If you are so hard up for a coffee from Tim's or their food, and are willing to break road laws to get it. Well you deserve whats coming to you!

Who waits in lines....I mean Really!

There is a Timmies here in Kitchener where the drive-through lane can not only extend out into the street, it also prevents cars from turning left or right into the parking lot. The traffic is basically blocked in both directions as cars wait to join the drive-through queue! And this can happen when parking spaces are available in the lot. Ridiculous!

speedog · #47 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 2:47 PM**

A Timmies certainly can cause traffic issues - just this morning a few blocks from my house I saw in my rear view mirror while stopped at a set of lights, two vehicles attempting to turn right into a Timmies - one from the right parking lane and one from the left through lane which effectively blocked traffic. I just don't get it - I don't think Timmies is that good but in the case of this Timmies location on 40th Avenue and Centre Street in Calgary, one could see that there would be traffic issues right away on 40th Avenue. Drives me crazy when I'm sitting in traffic trying to go straight through on 40th Ave EB and people will leave a gap so WB Timmies customers can make a left hand turn across traffic to get into Timmies - problem is that almost every time a left turning Timmies customer will invariably block the EB traffic for one cycle of the lights at Centre Street.

Cities/towns need to look at businesses that generate abnormal traffic spikes and grant them an approval on a proposed location only if traffic can be managed effectively - Peter's Drive-In in Calgary would be another great example as their traffic base can cause a lot of traffic issues in their immediate area. Now one can't fault Peter's on this because their business has grown so much over the years, but every city/town should be well aware that a Timmies will generate abnormal traffic flows - it's a given.

Surrealplaces · #48 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 2:54 PM**

I generally avoid Tim's and Starbuck's. I don't really care for Tim's, and Starbuck's is okay, but is inconsistent, especially here in Calgary where half of the time some 16 year old is operating the espresso machine.

That said, if the coffee is good, I'm not concerned if it's a chain. Two of my favourite places are Phil and Sebastian's and Caffe Artigiano. Both are chains...not large chains but chains nonetheless.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Here in Victoria I have decided to stop buying a coffee at either Tim Horton's, Starbucks, Seattle's Best or Second Cup. I have decided to only buy a coffee from local coffee houses (I don't give a shit about organic or fair trade) and will go out of my way to support local ownership.

I'm wondering if this idea is a norm across Canada or if most of you are indifferent to who is the owner of the store that feeds your caffeine habit.

1overcosc · #49 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 3:00 PM**

I avoid Tims for the most part now, entirely on part of customer service being crap.

The Tims in my area of Ottawa all have staff that can speak barely a word of English and not a single word of French. I have to repeat my order like five times before they get it and when they ask a question it's almost impossible to tell what they're saying.

Tims in Kingston are just slow and bad at their job, except for the ones on Queen's campus which are well run, but they have poor hours generally closed on evenings and weekends.

kwoldtimer · #50 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 3:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

I avoid Tims for the most part now, entirely on part of customer service being crap.

The Tims in my area of Ottawa all have staff that can speak barely a word of English and not a single word of French. I have to repeat my order like five times before they get it and when they ask a question it's almost impossible to tell what they're saying.

Tims in Kingston are just slow and bad at their job, except for the ones on Queen's campus which are well run, but they have poor hours generally closed on evenings and weekends.

I haven't noticed any language issues here in K-W, but I have noticed that the staff often seem to have trouble getting the order right. At that level, I don't expect to be served by rocket scientists, but I have wondered whether there isn't a problem in the way they train their staff that they seem to have so much more trouble that other places in getting the order right.

esquire · #51 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 3:19 PM**

I can't say I've noticed any problems getting orders processed at Tims or any other fast food outlet, but then, my orders are always for standard things.

Asking for any kinds of customized orders at a fast food restaurant is just asking for trouble... my mother in law does this all the time and she always ends up getting frustrated by screwups.

manny_santos · #52 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 3:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

I can't say I've noticed any problems getting orders processed at Tims or any other fast food outlet, but then, my orders are always for standard things.

Asking for any kinds of customized orders at a fast food restaurant is just asking for trouble... my mother in law does this all the time and she always ends up getting frustrated by screwups.

Seriously though, how hard is it to not put cheese on a burger? That's probably the most frequent screw-up I see.

esquire · #53 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 3:33 PM**

Not hard when you're cooking at home, but in a restaurant when there is a smoothly running system in place and someone makes a request that throws it off, it can be tricky. Leave the made to order requests for restaurants with actual chefs, otherwise just take the pickles off yourself!!!

artvandelay · #54 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 5:40 PM**

Nothing beats a cup of Tim Hortons coffee as far as I'm concerned!

hipster duck · #55 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 6:25 PM**

I don't know how much Tim Horton's is a fixture in Quebec, but I'm willing to bet that Vancouver probably has the lowest density of Timmie's of any major city in Canada. Donuts are just not a thing here.

On top of that, we have a good selection of quality independents and even high end local chains (eg. JJ Bean) that serve French Press coffee as their basic product for $2. When you consider the distribution of these places, and the fact that their coffee costs about 50-75 cents more than a Tim's cup (and almost the same as Starbucks), it's hard to understand why anyone would go to Tim's.

Steveston · #56 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 6:45 PM**

Prefer to buy whole beans, grind and brew my own cup at home. Current preference is Kicking Horse.

If I have to go out, I prefer one-off local places or small local chains (Steveston Coffee or Caffe Artigiano). Unfortunately, many times, the choice isn't mine (out with friends or at a business meeting), and we end up at SB. Their drip coffee is horrible, but the Americano is passable.

Otherwise, if I have no other choice, I'll go for McDonalds. Timmy's is almost undrinkable.

Marty_Mcfly · #57 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 7:04 PM**

If I'm uptown here in St. John's I'll go to Starbucks for espresso based drinks, or McDonalds for just a regular coffee. But if I'm downtown, I'll pass over the big chains for a local coffee shop, my favorite being Coffee & Co. (great coffee, espresso, and really nice staff), Fixed (a bit hipster/pretentious but still pretty decent), or Rocket Bakery (if I plan on sitting down for a coffee and a sandwich).

Jumping Bean is a local coffee chain that's starting to expand around the city, but I don't find their coffee to be overly great. Definitely not bad by any stretch of the imagination (I'm looking at you, Tims), but could be better.

esquire · #58 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 7:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipster duck

I don't know how much Tim Horton's is a fixture in Quebec, but I'm willing to bet that Vancouver probably has the lowest density of Timmie's of any major city in Canada. Donuts are just not a thing here.

On top of that, we have a good selection of quality independents and even high end local chains (eg. JJ Bean) that serve French Press coffee as their basic product for $2. When you consider the distribution of these places, and the fact that their coffee costs about 50-75 cents more than a Tim's cup (and almost the same as Starbucks), it's hard to understand why anyone would go to Tim's.

I don't think Van even really had Tims outlets in a serious way (i.e. more than just a few locations) until around 2000 or so. By the time the chain had expanded that far west, there was already a well established coffee culture on the West Coast.

I'd wager that if the rest of Canada had Vancouver's coffee selection, Tim's would be in serious trouble.

Daveography · #59 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 7:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steveston

Prefer to buy whole beans, grind and brew my own cup at home. Current preference is Kicking Horse.

Same, even at work. Love Kicking Horse.

I don't purposefully "boycott" coffee chains, but do prefer to support smaller local shops where possible - of which there is a fantastic selection in Edmonton's downtown core. My go-to is a little kiosk called "Burrow" in Central LRT station, which is just below my office, or Credo if I'm up for a bit more of a walk. Or sometimes I'll go to Remedy on 103 St. for their amazing Chai Lattes.

I don't care for Tim's but will drink it in a pinch. I never go to McDonalds. Second Cup and Starbucks are ok.

So I guess for me it's:
Home grind/brew > Burrow > Credo > [Most other independents] > Starbucks / Second Cup (tied) > Tim's

kwoldtimer · #60 Posted **Mar 19, 2015, 8:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

I don't think Van even really had Tims outlets in a serious way (i.e. more than just a few locations) until around 2000 or so. By the time the chain had expanded that far west, there was already a well established coffee culture on the West Coast.

I'd wager that if the rest of Canada had Vancouver's coffee selection, Tim's would be in serious trouble.

I really don't think so - I've always thought that Timmie Nation doesn't actually care for coffee, hence the success of their brew. If it weren't for Tim Hortons, I suspect many of them would still be drinking instant.