Coffee culture in India is not new. Coorg and Chikmagalur regions in Karnataka are known for producing some of the finest coffee beans in the country. Additionally, we have seen home-grown brands such as Café Coffee Day and Hatti Kaapi, to name a few, doing good numbers before the arrival of global chains like Costa Coffee and Starbucks. The newest entrant is Canada’s largest coffee chain, Tim Hortons®, which is set to sizzle coffee lovers with its distinctive coffee, prepared-to-order food, iconic beverages and baked delights.

Tim Hortons had entered the Indian market in August 2022 as part of an exclusive agreement with a joint venture entity owned by Apparel Group and Gateway Partners. AG Café International Management Ltd is the master franchisee of the Tim Hortons brand in India. Canada’s largest quick-service restaurant chain established in 1964, Tim Hortons has more than 5,300 restaurants across 13 countries, including the Middle East, China, UK, Mexico, Spain, Thailand and Philippines.

Excerpts from the interview:

Why so late for India as we have seen brands like Costa Coffee and Starbucks already doing good numbers in India?

Who doesn’t want to venture into India? The country has an amazing market, which is filled with aspirational consumers. We had a phenomenal start in India, and were well received. We always knew that India had great potential, and not coming here for anybody would be a mistake.

How is the response so far?

I am very grateful at the reception we have had. If you go to some of our busier store - Select CityWalk in New Delhi, or Cyber Hub in Gurugram, you will see people waiting outside, even after months of opening. We couldn’t have expected better response.

With the growing digitization, there is an increase of technology. How are you making most of it?

Technology is great, it’s an absolute necessity for everybody but it has to enhance the customer experience. So, we are in the production of an app where people will be able to order online, pay on the phone, and have it delivered to their doorstep. Currently, we are also developing partnerships with different vendors. Even if you are not using our app, you’ll be able to order from your phone. Our first objective is to open the get stores and serve wonderful coffee, food and other beverages, and the technology will be rolled out in the next couple of months.

With the online trend growing, how do you think the offline stores will continue to create more business?

I think the human connection will never go away. We are already online, and a good percentage of the business comes through Swiggy and Zomato, because convenience plays a big role. However, it is at the physical location that we create a brand. That’s why people come and meet Tim Mates, which is what our employees are called, so they can feel the warmth and the care that the brand offers worldwide.

Any new trends that you are witnessing in the industry as a global café player?

As I said, the coffee trend is not new and it has been there for over a decade, at least. Relatively new is the strength for global experiences today. There was a time when something that you experienced in the West 20 years ago finally made its way to India. Take the example of a burger or a pizza. It took a long time for India to adopt burger and pizza, but when it comes to certain types of beverages or foods in the recent times, the transitioning in India phase is faster. It is because of social media that has played a big role and made the world a global village.

What’s your expansion plan?

Ee are opening stores and a lot of restaurants. In the first three years of our operation, we’ll open in 120 locations which is pretty quick. It is what’s going to drive our growth and we’ll continue to build physical stores wherever our customers are stationed. Not all our cafés or restaurants are going to be big 2,000 sq ft or 3,000 sq ft, there will be some smaller abbreviated stores as well.

Where can we expect to see these new stores?

Currently we are focused in the northern belt, especially the Punjabi speaking region because of the strong bond that this brand has with the Punjabi community. Mumbai and the western part of India is on the cards in early summer or spring. You'll see restaurants opening in Mumbai, Pune, Surat and Ahmedabad in the coming months.