In July, Tim Hortons opened its first innovation café in downtown Toronto. The unique concept is a modern interpretation of the Tim Hortons brand and is a space to test new menu items and technology initiatives.

Tim Hortons 130 King is open 24-hours a day, serving the brand’s signature Original Blend coffee alongside an all new lineup of new and delicious donuts, Timbits donut holes, coffee, and beverages.

“At Tim Hortons 130 King we are showcasing our coffee expertise with seven different brewing methods and signature drinks like our silky and delicious Tim Hortons draft latte. Our passion for baked goods is highlighted with our 12 Dream Donuts – each handcrafted by bakers in house,” says Axel Schwan, Global CMO, Tim Hortons. “We celebrate our expertise and passion in a space inspired by our founder – Tim Horton – with hockey-inspired design unique to this restaurant.”

The aforementioned Dream Donuts feature new flavor combinations prepared on-site. Among them are:

  • A crème brûlée donut with a vanilla bean custard-style filling
  • A dulce de leche-filled donut topped with cinnamon sugar
  • A maple bacon donut dipped in icing made from Canadian maple syrup and topped with candied bacon
  • A Froot Loops donut dipped in pink icing and topped with frosted Froot Loops and a white drizzle
  • A confetti donut idipped in pink icing and finished with a confetti buttercream swirl and sprinkles
  • A PB&J donut with a raspberry jam filled donut topped with peanut butter icing and crushed peanuts
  • A blueberry hibiscus donut dipped in a hibiscus flower icing and topped with dried blueberries
  • A brown butter and sea salt donut covered in a house-made brown butter icing and topped with sea salt flakes
  • A hazelnut buttercream donut with a chocolate base featuring buttercream with hazelnut spread that is topped with roasted hazelnuts and dark chocolate curls
  • A cranberry orange donut with a sour cream cake base and dipped in an orange zest icing and topped with a candied orange peel and chopped cranberries
  • A Tim Hortons original glaze donut mixed with vanilla to create the new vanilla bean dip donut
  • A praline donut with a dark chocolate crust, praline almond spread, and toasted coconut topping

Additionally, there are four new flavors of Timbits, including Coffee Cake, Chocolate Truffle, Birthday Explosion, and Cookies N’ Cream. The café also serves a variety of gourmet breakfast items, soups, and sandwiches.

One of the highlights of the innovation café is Tim Hortons 130 King Brew Bar. Skilled baristas work on a selection of beverages, including the all-new Tim Hortons draft latte (a nitro-infused cold brew coffee layered with milk for a silky and smooth texture), americanos, lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, cortados, macchiatos, and new tea beverages.

There are seven coffee brewing methods for baristas to brew up guests' coffee:

  • Tim Hortons Original Blend beans are cold-steeped for 16 hours to create cold brew made by cold-steeping
  • Pour over for one or two uses coffee extracted from freshly ground beans for a classic coffee experience, including AeroPress coffee press
  • Manual press coffee is steeped and then pushed through a filter for a unique flavor
  • Nitrogen gas is applied to select beverages on tap to deliver a silky-smooth Nitro coffee beverage
  • Espresso brewing with two state-of-the-art espresso machines delivers a range of espresso beverages
  • Tim Hortons FreshBrewer provides even more consistency for drip brewing Tim Hortons signature Original Blend and Dark Roast coffee

Sustainability will also be key at Tim Hortons 130 King. The café will test sustainability initiatives that could be scaled to roll out to its other restaurants, such as a coffee cup made with 30 percent post-consumer recycled material; a strawless cold cup lid, paper straws and wooden stir sticks to help reduce single-use plastics; guest dining will be served with china and glassware; and, take-out packaging will be fully recyclable, including cutlery that is 100 percent compostable.

“We want Tim Hortons 130 King to become a must-visit destination for Torontonians and for guests from other cities not just throughout Canada, but around the world. This restaurant offers guests a new and innovative experience from the second they walk in the door,” says Alex Macedo, President, Tim Hortons. “From wireless charging and the flexibility to order at a kiosk or through our app to sustainability initiatives, this is a first-of-a-kind location.”