Tim Hortons at 50: From corner shop to Canadian icon
Coffee and doughnut giant opened its first store on May 17, 1964
Before phrases like Iced Capp, Camp Day, “double-double” and Roll Up the Rim percolated into Canada’s national lexicon, there was Store No. 1.
Tim Hortons’ first-ever location opened its doors in Hamilton, Ont., 50 years ago on Saturday, in a converted garage on Ottawa Street North, under the shadows of the smokestacks on the city’s industrial waterfront.
Much has changed for Tim Hortons since May 17, 1964. A coffee and a honey dip doughnut no longer cost 10 cents each, the chain’s co-founder and namesake — longtime Toronto Maple Leaf Tim Horton — has been dead for 40 years, and the fast-good giant now boasts more than 4,000 restaurants worldwide.
To honour the anniversary, CBC Hamilton has assembled a collection of key milestones in Tim Hortons’ improbable rise from modest corner coffee shop to Canadian icon.
To view, click through the interactive timeline below.