Yeah, I stopped at a Tims last year for the first time....it wasn't at all what I expected. Kinda like a Canadian Starbucks....
Tim Horton's seems to have some regional variation in franchise quality. In Ontario and Alberta, they used to be damn good donut shops. Good coffee, and donuts so good that Krispy Kreme actually copied them, I'm told. We had Timbits (donut holes) and coffee in Banff last summer and they were as delicious as I remembered.
Nother thing that's different is what they call different brands of beers. Rickards Red used to be one of my favorites, but Big Rock Traditional (Trad) ruled the roost in southern Alberta. Labatt's Blue is called "Pil" everywhere but Alberta, where "Pil" was reserved for Lethbridge Pilsner, a label that Molson's took over. Canadian is called Canadian everywhere. And O'Keefe's Extra Old stock (7% alcohol) was always Hi-Test. Dunno what they call anything nowadays, though. You guys still livin' nort' of the Medicine Line will have to weigh in here.
