Why does Tim Hortons in Seoul remind Karel Kym of her father and childhood in Quebec?

Kym associates the chain with family routines in Quebec, including her father’s daily coffee stops, summer trips for iced cappuccinos, and coffee breaks during family travel. Seeing Tim Hortons in Seoul brings those memories back and makes her think of the childhood she shared with her family.

How does Karel Kym describe the difference between Tim Hortons in Canada and in Korea?

In Canada, Kym remembers Tim Hortons as a simple place to pick up coffee and a sandwich with her family, whether starting the day or traveling. In Korea, she describes the stores as a fuller experience, with distinctive decor and a rich menu that can make Koreans feel as if they are briefly visiting Canada.

What did seeing Tim Hortons in Seoul prompt Karel Kym to do?

The memories prompted Kym to call her parents and tell them she loves them, and to book a flight to Quebec for the winter. She describes this as a perk of living abroad: reminders of home can reconnect her with family and motivate a visit.

Tim Hortons, a letter to my father

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Summary

Karel Kym, a Quebec City native living in Seoul, says Tim Hortons brings back childhood memories of time with her family and father. In Canada, the coffee shop was part of everyday routines and family trips; in Korea, she describes it as an experience that evokes a brief visit to Canada. Seeing the chain in Seoul reminded her to call her parents and book a winter trip to Quebec.

Key Facts

Kym recalls her father’s daily coffee stops and summer outings for iced cappuccinos.
She says her family also shared coffee during trips around Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.
Kym is a master’s student in International Peace and Security at Korea University and a recipient of the Global Korea Scholarship.
She founded Québec2Korea, a project exploring and sharing people-to-people connections between Quebec and Korea.

By karel Kym

Published Nov 8, 2026 11:50 am KST

Having a whole business plan from Canada to succeed in Korea might seem simple, but it must have taken years of dedication for Korea to have so many Tim Hortons today.

The Tim Hortons here are so different from what I was used to back in Canada, yet they still feel the same.

They are different because in Canada it was always only about the simplicity of grabbing a coffee and a sandwich on the go with my family when starting the day or on a road trip somewhere in Quebec or elsewhere in Canada.

In Korea, Tim Hortons is a whole experience, from the decor to the very rich menu, helping Koreans feel as though they are visiting Canada for a brief moment.

They say the most indifferent people live abroad and the ones with the big hearts will stay close to their families. My problem is that I have the biggest heart but a head full of dreams.

I found myself, more times than I should, feeling homesick and sad that I have left my parents behind back in Quebec City.

Tim Hortons here has reminded me of that more than anything else, not because it is deeply connected to Quebec culture, but because it was a place I would go all the time with my family.

From my father’s daily coffee stops, to all the summer days we grabbed iced cappuccinos on the go to enjoy outside together at home, to all the family trips we took during which we enjoyed coffee time together.

Tim Hortons makes me think of my father, because he always wanted to stop there, and because deep down I always wanted to stop too, even if I never said anything. So it always made me happy when he pulled into a Tim Hortons parking lot.

Every time I walk by a Tim Hortons in the streets of Seoul, I am reminded of the time I spent with my family as a child. I am reminded of the life I have left behind back home and of the most precious and memorable childhood I had with my family, especially with my father.

For me, Tim Hortons carries all my childhood memories with my family, and it surely always will.

At 30 years old, I discovered that a dish can carry so many memories that just eating it could make you instantly cry.

Somehow, Tim Hortons has found its way back to me since it arrived in Korea.

It reminded me to call my parents and tell them how much I love them, and to book that flight to Quebec for the winter. And this is the perk of living abroad.

Karel Kym is a master’s student in International Peace and Security at Korea University and a recipient of the Global Korea Scholarship. Originally from Quebec City, she is also the founder of Québec2Korea, a project dedicated to exploring and sharing the people-to-people connections between Quebec and Korea.

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