Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons to add 2 new outlets in Korea

Canadian coffee brand Tim Hortons said Wednesday it will add two new outlets in Korea this month amid a strong response from local consumers since it began operations a month ago.

Tim Hortons opened the first and second stores in Sinnonhyeon and Seolleung, southern Seoul, on Dec. 14, 2023 and Dec. 28, 2023, respectively, with an aim to open 150 outlets here within five years.

The third and fourth outlets will open near Sungnyemun, or Namdaemun, in central Seoul and Seoul National University in southern Seoul next Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, the company said in a statement.

The first two outlets in Korea performed better than Tim Hortons stores in other Asian countries by selling more than 300,000 donuts and over 100,000 cups of coffee in the past month, a company spokesperson said.

Korea is the seventh Asian country to which the Canadian company advanced after China, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore, she said.

Tim Hortons said it decided to enter Korea due to its vibrant coffee culture, where coffee consumption per person is almost threefold the global average.

The Ontario-based coffee chain, founded in Canada in 1964, currently operates more than 5,700 stores in 17 countries around the world, including the United States. (Yonhap)