Tim Hortons to expand in the UK
Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the Ontario-based parent company behind the chain, said Wednesday it will launch stores in England, Scotland and Wales under franchise with a UK investor.
It is the first European agreement of its kind for the Canadian brand, which was bought by Burger King for $11.4bn in 2014.
"This deal is part of our growth plan to take the iconic Tim Hortons brand around the world," said Daniel Schwartz, CEO of RBI.
"Great Britain is an attractive QSR market with a strong and growing coffee culture so it is a natural fit for the brand."
Though RBI declined to reveal the number of sites planned, Bloomberg reported that the first stores could open as early as 2017.
Tim Hortons has previously operated smaller outlets at Spar stores in the UK, but the new openings will be the first full-service restaurants to launch across the country.
It is the latest global expansion push for the brand, which announced plans to open in the Philippines last month.
Tim Horton's was founded by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton in 1964, and now serves its coffee and doughnuts at 4,464 sites across Canada, the United States and the Middle East.
