A Tim Horton's is coming to Detroit!

A Tim Horton's will be moving into the old Starbucks building across from Belle Isle on Jefferson. My wife and I spotted the 'coming soon' sign last night. I maintain a big reason that Starbucks failed in that location is that the coffee is so expensive and they have little to offer in food choices. Those should not be issues at Tim Horton's. The area has limited foot traffic, but the building has a drive-through built in, so I can see many people stopping by on their way downtown for work or before they go to chill at Belle Isle. My only question now is if the new T-Ho's will be open 24 hours or not.

Actually, this will be the second Tim Hortons. We've had a Tim Hortons in the Millender Center for about a year now.

Now that the franchiser[[s) has shown the company they can operate profitable locations in an untapped market like Detrot, TH may just go through a reasonable expansion when/if the economy picks up.

The first Detroit Tim Horton's also happened to be their 500th U.S. store.
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Just a bit of trivia. The Tim Horton's in the Millender Center is owned by Derrick Coleman. He opened it at the urging of Dave Bing who has been his mentor of sorts for over 20 years. I wonder if he's going to own the one across from Belle Isle?

I know everyone will skewer me for this, but it's a sad day when opening a Tim Horton's makes headlines.

Their food is so plain and uninteresting, how they've made it so far is amazing to me.

I am happy for the jobs it will create, and that's about it.

For pete's sake, nobody's saying it's high end dining. But it's a great coffee chain that offers affordable -- and pretty good -- food. That's a better fit for not only Detroit but most of our 'burbs. Plus there's the "Hockey Night in Canada" angle, that makes it a natural here.

BTW, I also heard a rumor Tim Hortons is going to open inside the Rosa Parks Transit Center & at the old Starbucks location in the Buhl Building [[I'm not sure how true this is).

TH is my favorite quickie coffee spot.
I'm not a big fan of their sandwiches, but just about everything else I've had there is pretty good. The soups are very good.

How is Biggby Coffee doing downtown? Someone told me that a suburban east side location closed. There's one by my house that doesn't appear to be doing very well.

I have to say, I patronize the Biggby Coffee on Evergreen between 10 & 11 frequently, and they have the nicest people working there. It's busier during the week when city hall and the offices around there are open, but even on weekends they are so upbeat and I really like the coffee selection.

Tim Horton's is still bland and overrated.

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Originally Posted by rjk

Someone told me that a suburban east side location closed.

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There's one in Roseville [[11 mile & Gratiot) that has supposedly been "temporarily closed for re-modeling". However, the signage and everything is still up, so I can't say the location is closed. Plus it's listed on Biggby's website as "coming soon". So the franchise owner is probably just having financial problems right now.

TH's is a decent little stop for coffee, donuts, or some soup or something light. And is sure priced quite a bit better than the truly overrated Starbuck's [[and TH's donuts are better than 'Buck's excerable pastries). Yeah, it's a chain, and gourmet it definitely ain't, but it's better than any number of other chains that could have gone in that spot. And it's unquestionably good to have a closed Detroit business reopen for once.

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Originally Posted by Lorax

I know everyone will skewer me for this, but it's a sad day when opening a Tim Horton's makes headlines.

Their food is so plain and uninteresting, how they've made it so far is amazing to me.

I am happy for the jobs it will create, and that's about it.

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I agree , coffee and donuts are good. The rest of the food is mediocre. Chili is pretty decent though.

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Originally Posted by rjk

TH is my favorite quickie coffee spot.
I'm not a big fan of their sandwiches, but just about everything else I've had there is pretty good. The soups are very good.

How is Biggby Coffee doing downtown? Someone told me that a suburban east side location closed. There's one by my house that doesn't appear to be doing very well.

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There was location that opened on Woodward just south of 13 that was in a former Wendys, stayed open for about 2 years then closed.

Mediocre donuts and bland coffee. I can get essentially the same stuff at Dunkin' Donuts or even a Speedway station. What's the big deal?

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Originally Posted by Fury13

Mediocre donuts and bland coffee. I can get essentially the same stuff at Dunkin' Donuts or even a Speedway station. What's the big deal?

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There's only one Speedway Station and Dunkin Donuts in Detroit, while there could potentially be four [[or more) Tim Hortons in the city.

In other words, it's the fact a national/international chain actually considers Detroit a good investment.

It's good coffee, good prices and an empty drive-through building at the foot of the bridge to Belle Isle will be full again, that's all.

I really don't go to this place.. what does Tim Horton's serve, besides coffee?

they have really good breakfast sandwiches, donuts, muffins, etc.

for lunch, they have turkey sandwiches, BLTs, soups, chili, etc.

I'm waiting for a Red Robin or a Friday's or an Applebee's in downtown Detroit. Now, that's REAL food... yeah... :p

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Originally Posted by Fury13

I'm waiting for a Red Robin or a Friday's or an Applebee's in downtown Detroit. Now, that's REAL food... yeah... :p

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We must take baby steps [[especially in this economy). :[[

With all the back tracking that's been happening [[in terms of economic investment as of late), I'll celebrate when McDonalds finally opens its first downtown location or Wal-Mart opens in the city. :cool:

It's a coffee shop for pete's sake...and yes, the coffee is good.

Wait, wait, wait i thought chain stores were horrible for Detroit.

You are all the same people who hated the Staples on Jefferson and the Home Depot on 7 Mile.

Make up your minds.

I for one welcome any business in the city.

I just hope D.C. washes his hands before serving.

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Originally Posted by 2blocksaway

Wait, wait, wait i thought chain stores were horrible fore Detroit.

You are all the same people who hated the Staples on Jefferson and the Home Depot on 7 Mile.

Make up your minds.

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Actually, I'm in favor of more chain stores. A diverse mix of chain/independent shops shows that city has a heathy retail environment.

I think Tim Horton Heard a Who. :eek:

I love Tim's as far as chains go, but that's because I can stand the overly sweet donuts of the other chains. Krispy Kremes give me the heaves. What some people call bland I consider that they are what people should be eating, anyway. Oh, the the Tim's I go to have service that is second-to-none. They've always been super-friendly [[but not fake) and they actually seem to enjoy what they are doing. Some people don't care about service one way or the other, but it's a huge sticking point, for me. If you're going to act annoyed or pissed or dazed when I'm patronizing your business, don't expect me back.

now that ah Tim's is open I can Stawp on the way to Hawckey and get some cawffee and crullers eh?

chitaku- from North Windsor

I think it's important and exciting that a viable business is going in there. We patronized Starbucks many times when visiting The Island, and will do so again at Tim Horton's.

Perfect, a new place to patronize on my way in to Rivertown! :)

I've always like Dunkin Donuts better [[managed a store for them for years) but Hortons is good too. Glad to hear they're coming to Belle Isle. That will be great.

Tim Horton's coffee is shit. I'm sorry that this swill is being forced upon our neighbours to the north.

You gotta love it, people will find any way to piss on a good thing. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Lorax

I have to say, I patronize the Biggby Coffee on Evergreen between 10 & 11 frequently, and they have the nicest people working there. It's busier during the week when city hall and the offices around there are open, but even on weekends they are so upbeat and I really like the coffee selection.

Tim Horton's is still bland and overrated.

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funny i am there daily :)

I happen to prefer Tim Horton's coffee over both Dunkin Donuts and especially Starbucks. Not all of us like a weeks worth of caffiene in one cup of coffee. If you think it's bland, so be it. But I'd rather drink three cups of Tim's coffee than one of Stabucks - and it would still cost less!
:cool:

someone asked about the success that the Biggbys in Midtown Detroit was having. I go there every once in a while, but I pass by it more often and it's usually busy, if not busy then about half full. They are doing well, and they should because Midtown Detroit has a population of over 200,000 people, plus it's in the middle of College country. I'm not sure how the Biggby's at the DMC is doing. I'd assume pretty well, lots of employees who are paid very well. Midtown Detroit, even with all of the wonderful retail/restaurant locations that are already here, is still underserved. It could support more businesses. Over the past 2 years, a good 15 businesses have opened up, but since the recession deepened it has slowed but hasn't stopped.

The document says "population" which most likely includes commuting workforce

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Originally Posted by dcmorrison12

someone asked about the success that the Biggbys in Midtown Detroit was having. I go there every once in a while, but I pass by it more often and it's usually busy, if not busy then about half full. They are doing well, and they should because Midtown Detroit has over 200,000 residents, plus it's in the middle of College country. I'm not sure how the Biggby's at the DMC is doing. I'd assume pretty well, lots of employees who are paid very well. Midtown Detroit, even with all of the wonderful retail/restaurant locations that are already here, is still underserved. It could support more businesses. Over the past 2 years, a good 15 businesses have opened up, but since the recession deepened it has slowed but hasn't stopped.

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200k??? What are you counting as Midtown? I'd be surprised of there was 200k living inside the Blvd.

I'm counting Zip-Codes 48201 and 48202. This encompasses most of Midtown [[but not all) and bits that lay just outside of Midtown - essentially making up for the sections that do not include Midtown. I actually rounded down - If you were to combine the two zipcodes, you will have a population over 200,000. I've done the research - I came across documents [[thanks to the help of the UCCA) from the Center for Urban Studies at WSU. The estimates are very strong - I spoke in person with the chair of the Geography and Urban planning department who verified it for me.

I came across this data for some research I am doing in the Business Services department at WSU.

There is indeed a population of 200,000 people in Midtown - this estimate most likely includes commuting work force.

200,000? No way! Try 50,000 with a capacity of around 150,000. Are you counting the daytime work force? Midtown and Downtown Detroit have a massive commuting work force and entertainment crowd, but there are only about 75,000 residents in the greater downtown area.

Source: http://www.tcaup.umich.edu/charrette...workshop07.pdf, page five, second paragraph.

I don't know about daily workforce, but according to the 2000 U.S. Census, 15,080 people live in 48201 and 21,870 in 48202.

The Web site City Data reprints the Census figures and gives 2007 estimates of 14,628 for 48201 and 21,215 for 48202.

http://www.city-data.com/zips/48201.html
http://www.city-data.com/zips/48202.html

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Originally Posted by Wintersmommy

funny i am there daily :)

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We've probably ordered coffee at the same time and didn't even know it.

I'm just happy I have somewhere to buy doughnuts for the office. I work on Franklin near Rivertown. And it's funny that there is nowhere to buy doughnuts near my work.

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Originally Posted by Lorax

I know everyone will skewer me for this, but it's a sad day when opening a Tim Horton's makes headlines.

Their food is so plain and uninteresting, how they've made it so far is amazing to me.

I am happy for the jobs it will create, and that's about it.

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Actually, their breakfast sandwiches are really good. The coffee is pretty good too but Dunkin Donuts is on the top of my list.

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Originally Posted by Lorax

We've probably ordered coffee at the same time and didn't even know it.

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small world ! I work in the travels Tower just up the road

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Originally Posted by Single Malt

I'm just happy I have somewhere to buy doughnuts for the office. I work on Franklin near Rivertown. And it's funny that there is nowhere to buy doughnuts near my work.

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I don't eat doughnuts, but it would be nice to be able to get a good bagel downtown for breakfast or lunch. Every bagel I've seen in the CBD is one of those huge, soft, puffy, bready, Einstein-like abominations. New York Bagel in Ferndale is, as far as I know, making the most authentic bagel that's close to downtown.

As for coffee, the little place in the Dime Building is good. They usually have a rich, flavorful roast going. I haven't been there in awhile, though... hope they're still open. You never know, with this economy.

I suppose I used the wrong word. The actual word used on the data sheet I was given is "population" which very well may contain commuting workforce. Either way, there's over 200,000 people in Midtown and parts of the outskirts in a work day.

Drinking my first of many Iced Capps from the new Tim Hortons at Jefferson and E. Grand. The store's official opening is today. If you stop by, bring cash the CC machine is down.

I may have skimmed the thread too quickly, but in all the talk about Biggby, no one mentioned its a rare Michigan business success story? Founded and HQ'd in East Lansing/Lansing. It's funny that there is a thread dedicated to the opening of a extraordinarily bland Canadian donut shop, but a pretty great Michigan chain opening a few stores in Detroit to add to a 100 nationwide barely gets a mention. I understand it's not a Cheesecake Factory, but c'mon.... with all the obsessing around here about supporting local business, one would think someone would at least mention it. But I suppose it's a Lansing business thus equal to Tims in the view around here of what 'local" is.

Supporting local businesses? HAHAHAHAHA

It's all about "ME and MY."

I love "Tim Horton's". It is too bad that I was forced to boycott them.

Is this why you're boycotting ejames?

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Doughnut Chain Tim Hortons Violates Its Own Policy, Sponsors NOM Antigay Fund-Raiser

Canadian coffee and doughnut chain Tim Hortons is sponsoring the National Organization for Marriage’s antigay cookout and worship service on behalf of heterosexual-only marriage Aug. 16 at Aldrich Mansion in suburban Providence. Rhode Island is the last state in New England to oppose marriage equality.

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YAY Detroit's first Tim Hortons!

No, I once bought sandwiches & coffee and they charged my debit card $112.00 instead of $12.00. Then they took around ten days to issue credit.

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Originally Posted by bailey

Is this why you're boycotting ejames?

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Sounds great. I'll be heading that way today.

Quote: "Mediocre donuts and bland coffee."

Those chocolate cheese danishes they have are worth the stop [[or were). The one by me they leave the drive-thru window open and it's like a fruit fly hatchery. Any one from Tim Horton's reading this thread you need to issue a memo.

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Originally Posted by Danny

YAY Detroit's first Tim Hortons!

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wrong-o, its the second

About 5 years ago I ordered a toasted bagel and a little container of jelly [[the kind that is on every restaurant table and is free.) The cashier wanted to charge me $.25 for the jelly. I told her to keep the bagel and the jelly. I've never gone back.

Do all of them charge for jelly?

Who needs these Canucks stealing American Jobs? In the old days only the shitty jobs went over sees. Take Union Carbide for example. They knew how to protect American workers. They sent that crap to Bhopal where it belonged. That stuff could have happened here, where it matters. Nowadays we've got Canucks forcing Americans to work for slave wages pouring steaming hot coffee and serving fat, salt, and sugar filled junk to already obese Americans. Who's looking out for the average joe who doesn't want to die of heart disease? Especially if his money is going over the border with every god damned shandy he orders?

Is coffee so dear, or donut so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me Mercury Coffee Bar or give me death!"

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jobs went over sees.

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Or overseas even.

Union Carbide [[now owned by Dow) is still paying for that little mistake. I believe I just heard that an Indian court has issued an arrest warrant for the company exec in charge at the time.

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Originally Posted by Meddle

Or overseas even.

Union Carbide [[now owned by Dow) is still paying for that little mistake. I believe I just heard that an Indian court has issued an arrest warrant for the company exec in charge at the time.

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HAH! Kangaroo court is more like it! They only have clothes because of the British. Now I can't run my microwave without a foriegner calling me and telling me what I did wrong. It's really too much today. I can't stand it. And you apologize for them. Sorry if I'm a patriot.

I haven't eaten @ a TH for awhile, but the fact that we're havin' one located outside of Belle Isle is a convenience. At least the old SB bldg will still have some use. I remember when I used to work on Belle Isle, I would always get the shortbread cookies as well as a tall coffee.

Now I can order a nice sandwich with the coffee and doughnut! I'll be there when it opens to the public.