10 Things You Didn’t Know About Tim Hortons
Updated: Oct. 03, 2018To mark National Donut Day on June 1, we’re highlighting 10 fascinating facts about the iconic brand that landed “Double Double” in the Canadian Oxford Dictionary.
1. This is how much a donut originally cost at Tim Hortons
When Tim Hortons first opened its doors in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, a donut would set you back a dime. The first Tim Hortons donuts ever made were classic Canadian favourites, including the Dutchie and the Apple Fritter (above). Here are 10 more must-try Canadian classics—and where to find them.
2. Some Tim Hortons donuts are harder to track down than others
How common is your favourite donut? The rarest varieties at Tim Hortons tend to be Maple Cruller, Maple Swirl, Chocolate Snow, Chocolate Éclair and Long Johns. If your local serves up those hard-to-find delicacies, count yourself lucky! Don’t miss these 10 Canadian delicacies that Americans need to discover!
3. This is the donut-eating capital of Canada
If there was an award for the donut capital of Canada, it would likely go to Lloydminster, Alberta, where you’ll find the most donuts consumed per capita. (This sounds like a challenge to us…)
4. A towering achievement
In 2017, Canadians ate so many Tim Hortons donuts that if you were to stack them horizontally on top of one another, it would reach the height of the CN Tower. You may never look at the Toronto skyline the same way again…
5. These are the two most donut-obsessed countries on Earth
Canada is the number one donut consumer in the world at around 1-billion annually, followed by Japan in a close second. (Here are 12 more fascinating things you didn’t know about Japan.)
6. A whopping 43-million donuts are served per month in Canada
In case you don’t have your calculator handy, that’s 10 million per week, and 1.4 million per day. Although we definitely love our donuts, these other stereotypes about Canadians aren’t necessarily 100 per cent true…
7. The Timbit is 42 years old.
The Timbit celebrates its 42nd birthday in 2018, making it the same age as fellow Canadian Ryan Reynolds. If you lined up every Timbit ever eaten, the string of bite-sized deliciousness would stretch to the moon and back—five times.
8. There’s a secret meaning behind the original Tim Hortons logo
Founder Tim Horton had four daughters, represented by the four donuts in the company’s original logo. Don’t miss these quirky secret messages in other company logos you see all the time.
9. Everyone knows donuts are round, right?
Well, not really. Technically, the shape of a donut is referred to as “toroid.”
10. There’s such a thing as a “Priestley” donut—and yes, it’s named in honour of Canadian actor Jason Priestley
After the Beverly Hills 90210-alumnus stuffed a chocolate Timbit into a strawberry filled donut on an episode of How I Met Your Mother and named it “The Priestley,” Tim Hortons decided to actually make a batch. Cobie Smulders was so envious of her co-star’s eponymous treat that Tim Hortons granted her a donut of her own—the “Robin Sparkles.” Don’t miss these other quirky facts you didn’t know about the origins of your favourite foods.