A Trip Down Tim Hortons Memory Lane

I love Tim Hortons but having moved to Canada as an adult, I don’t have a long term reference for Timmies.  Today while shopping in Hamilton, we drove by the original Tim Hortons which they recently turned into a museum and decided to check it out.

As a frugalista, I remember a few Tim Hortons price increases, each one with a promise to spend less money there that never happens.  The Tim Hortons museum has an original counter with prices.  I have a receipt from Tim Hortons in my scrapbook from 2003, probably one of my first trips there and our drinks were $1.07 plus tax for a medium (and to confuse things even more, a medium is now a small).    Back in 1964 when the first Tim Hortons opened, a medium coffee was $0.45 (and there was no price difference in the cup sizes for tea) so for those who think Timmies is getting expensive, inflation would make that medium cup over $3 now!

Remember the come-back contest to bring back an old Tim Horton’s favourite?  The Tim Hortons museum has some of the old ones on display, but sadly not for sale.  Notice there are no cookies?  Tim Hortons started selling them in 1984 after croissants, who would have thought that croissants came before cookies?

Some items from 1960s Tim Hortons stores including mugs, uniforms and a Timbit cutter

While things had changed by the 1990s, Tim Hortons has modernized a lot since.  Check out these old gift certificates and the introduction of the iced capp in 1999.

The 1990s also saw the introduction of bagels at Tim Hortons.  In 1996 when they were introduced, you could get a bagel with butter and a coffee for just $1.49 or $1.99 with cream cheese.  They did not have the huge selection of specialty bagels they sell now though, to think, I used to love a whole wheat, now I sulk if they don’t have sundried tomato bagels.

They also showed the uniforms throughout the years, I don’t think their current uniforms are all that comfy or nice looking personally but they are a definite improvement on the older ones.  I do like the future of Tim Hortons uniform, although it looks like some Target employees would be right at home in current uniforms.

We took a stroll down Roll Up The Rim Memory Lane and I won on my steeped tea too.  Why does it say coffee or dark roast when you can choose any regular hot drink anyway?

I kinda like the 1991 cup with the stars!  I remember these cups though:

What is the lowest price you remember paying for Tim Hortons?  What is the biggest Roll Up The Rim win you have rolled?