The success of Tim Hortons in the Middle East is serving as a model for a global rollout of the coffee-and-doughnuts chain, says its president.
“It’s been definitely a good test,” Elias Diaz Sese said this week. “That provides us more confidence, great confidence, that this concept, with the right partners, will be successful all over the world.”
Asked what countries might be targeted, he declined to be specific but said “we are studying that as we speak”.
However, he noted that the chain could light the fuse in China. “What happens if I open in China?”, he asked, and then simulated the sound of an explosion.
Tims had 4,776 outlets worldwide at the end of June. Most are in its home base of Canada, plus several hundred in the United States, a few dozen kiosks in Ireland and now 71 stores in the Middle East, including 53 in the UAE.
Even as the chain is casting an eye towards global growth, it continues to keep up a brisk schedule of ribbon-cuttings in the Middle East.
When Tims arrived in the region in September 2011, with a branch on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, the plan was to have 120 Middle East outlets within five years.
Mr Diaz’s ambitions make that goal outdated. He said the chain – under new ownership since the Brazilian investment group 3G Capital took charge in December – would pick up the pace as it works in tandem with its GCC partner, the Dubai-based Apparel Group.
“We are accelerating an aggressive expansion of Tim Hortons in the region,” Mr Diaz said.
He declined to attach numbers to the plan, saying it was so early in the process that to try to do so would be “stupid”.
Mr Diaz, who was born in Madrid and is a lawyer by training, has been running Tim Hortons since January. His four-day visit to the UAE this week was his first in his new role. He met Apparel Group executives, explored possible alliances and inspected Tims outlets and those of rivals in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
He summarised the secret of Tim Hortons’ success as: “Fresh products – fresh and great products – at an affordable price with a great service”.
As he said this from a seat at the Tim Hortons outlet on the lower ground floor of The Dubai Mall, the shop was indeed crammed with customers. Queues moved briskly and a worker was offering samples of the chain’s newish dark-roast blend to passing shoppers.
rmckenzie@thenational.ae
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