Tim Horton's for the troops (en francais)

Sometimes a company just needs a little encouragement. For me personally, I think this is one of those times.

I realize that Tim's has very exacting standards and that is a cornerstone of their brand, but I really don't think that the military is looking for a full fledged store here. Some coffee and timbits would probably suffice.

Considering the dangers the military and their civilian support are facing in Afghanistan, the chance to order a 'Nato Standard' Tims seems small in comparison. A double/double would work wonders after 12 hours dressed in full combat gear and flak jacket, escorting a convoy.

The opportunity for a little piece of home when deployed is invaluable. It's really hard to put into words what this would mean for these troops.

Take a minute or two to let Tim Hortons' corporate office know how you feel.

Time to step up to the plate Tim Hortons. You're a part of Canadian culture now, don't let us down.

Java icon balks at franchise
No Tim Hortons for Canadian soldiers

CanWest News Service
Published: Saturday, January 28, 2006

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The Canadian Forces want to raise morale among troops deployed here by setting up the furthest flung coffee and doughnut franchise in the world: Tim Hortons Afghanistan.

But the iconic Canadian chain is balking at the idea of opening shop at Kandahar Air Field, where more than 2,000 Canadian soldiers are being deployed this month, saying it "is not part of our business model."

American soldiers serving in the sprawling Kandahar air field base have their own Burger King, Subway and Pizza Hut franchises and, with thousands of Canadian troops on their way to southern Afghanistan this month, senior Canadian officers have decided it just wouldn't be a Canadian base without a Tim Hortons.

Frank Cleyson, director of the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency for Task Force Afghanistan, says his agency is in negotiations with the iconic Canadian coffee chain to set up a franchise here, 10,000 kilometres and nine time zones from North America.

"It's still in discussions between (National Defence Headquarters in) Ottawa and Tim Hortons headquarters in Oakville," he said. "There hasn't been a decision yet ... (but) I understand the ball is in Tim Hortons court right now."

Greg Skinner, a spokesman for Tim Hortons, said in an e-mail interview that he was not aware of the most recent offer by the Canadian Forces, but said the company has turned down such offers in the past. "We are not setting up a fully functioning store," he said. "We are focusing on opening in Canada and the U.S. only. We have tight controls for our product and operations and these could not be maintained in Afghanistan."
© The Windsor Star 2006

Cross posted to Progressive Bloggers

Edit: I sent a copy of this post, along with my comments to the email provided in this blog. I'll post whatever response I receive.

Edit 2: I knew Tims was expanding the States, I just didn't realize how far they have gotten. With 288 locations, they are definitely making some inroads. Any Americans are welcome to join in and send Tims an email or two thousand.