Dear Tim Hortons, USA

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But the real pusher that got me to write this note is actually the greeting I receive in the drive through now. Gone is the "Welcome to Tim Hortons, This is can I take your order?" and in its place is the much shorter, more profit focused " speaking...” and that's it. Am I no longer welcome at Tim Hortons? Do you expect me to be bold and just demand what I want from you? Aren’t you going to be polite anymore and actually ask me what I would like? Or are you now so worried about profits that you have to shorten everything to try to push as many people - or perhaps cattle is a better term here... the picture of a cash-cow comes to mind - through your drive through services? I do actually love Americans; please don’t get me wrong here... I'm engaged to one and hoping to move to the US one day. This is not intended to be an anti-American letter. However, you need to understand that Tim Hortons is to Canadians, what Mom, apple pie, guns, and Football are to Americans. As Canadians, we have always struggled to identify ourselves. We’re more likely to tell you who we aren’t rather than who we are. But the experience of growing up with Tim Hortons in Canada, its connection to minor hockey life, and the history given its founding name sake, Tim Hortons has become an embodiment of who we are nationally. It would be dangerous to the company’s success in Canada to ‘tinker’ with any elements that touch this associative patriotic function. Perhaps that makes Canadians dysfunctional, I don’t know, but it is what it is regardless.

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I love Tim Hortons. The reason I’m writing is to plead with you to consider these concerns and to deal with them in a diplomatic and actionable manner. I know a lot of people have commented negatively to me about the new “American” feel of the Tim Hortons restaurants and some of this is simply an unfair association of any change at all with the new ownership. Canadians tend to be overly sensitive to any perceived threat to our national identity. I also believe though, by embracing the strange relationship Tim Hortons has with Canadians, that you could leverage the anomaly to even greater corporate success. After all, who knows how to touch the hearts of a people’s identity better than America? Disney owns that front, hands down. So, to that end you may consider the more difficult path – that of treating Canadian Tim Hortons restaurants with separate policies and decisions from the ones located in the USA. Obviously the Canadian connection would not make sense south of the border, and also, the clientele have different - albeit subtly different, cultural expectations and preferences. By treating each nation’s restaurants uniquely, you would not only honour Canadians, but you would honor Americans as well. I know this is a longer than usual letter but since this is so strong a passion for Canadians in general, not just myself, I felt the extra length and insight may serve to better relay our/my sentiments. Thank you, Larry Vander Schaaf is a licensed carpenter, Certified Network Engineer and is currently employed in the computer department at PepsiCo Canada. Larry is currently engaged to Wendy Zieres, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a proud father of 2 girls and 2 boys aged 24, 22, 20 and 18, and is looking forward to adopting Wendy’s 16-year-old son once they are married. His interests include Family, alternative energy, accelerated learning sciences, and he regularly participates as a worship leader in his local church. Larry@ManCalledLarry.com

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