CHESTERMERE – Frequent visitors to the local Tim Hortons location will have already noticed that it has undergone a few changes, as last week, a quick day-and-a-half’s worth of renovations resulted in the revealing of some new upgrades.
An accent rock wall, a fireplace, a television and some comfier chairs are now a part of the busy coffee joint. The change is part of a development plan that will eventually effect most new Tim Hortons locations.
“Tim Hortons across our chain is opening up or renovating our restaurants with upgraded features,” said Andrew Marriot, franchisee of the Chestermere Tims. “It is the sign of the times and I wholeheartedly believe it had a place in our Chestermere Tim Hortons, well before I am due to renovate my restaurant further.
“The location of the specialty seating area has a perfect view of the lake; our guests now can appreciate the quieter side of our restaurant.”
Besides making the place look a little more like a café, Tim Hortons has also been making changes to their menu to accompany that atmosphere.
“Tim Hortons has been very progressive with the recent introduction of Lattes, Cappuccinos and Espresso’s;” Marriot said. “I wanted to re-invest in my business so that my guests have a pleasurable atmosphere to enjoy our new beverages.”
Marriot said that the Chestermere location is the first one in Western Canada to get this upgrade, and said that he didn’t hesitate when he was offered the chance for his restaurant to undergo the changes.
“When our corporate office was offering up this opportunity to improve our guest service, I immediately saw this as a great fit in our community and realized that our guests would enjoy this upgrade in our restaurant,” he said. “We are looking forward to further enhance guest experience with Wi-Fi, which we will have in restaurant in the coming months.”
Although most Tims locations will receive the upgrade eventually, one part of the change will remain uniquely Chestermere, as some historical photos of the lake have been hung on the wall.
“I wanted personalize this area with vintage pictures of Chestermere in the 1920’s,” Marriot said. “The pictures on our walls in this area are from the Glenbow Museum in Calgary and show the bare landscapes of our community back in our early days.”
Marriot admits that they are down a few sets of tables and chairs with the change, but said that that corner was one of the quieter areas where seating was typically underutilized. He said that he hopes that the changes will mean that corner will become a more frequent spot for visitors.
