Remembering the Brief Flirtation of Tim Horton’s in Connecticut

Fifteen years ago in the Summer of 2009 in Connecticut, a friendly neighbor from the Great White North dared to flirt with the Tri-State area stronghold of Dunkin', and got their Canadian asses handed to them. Do you remember Tim Horton's brief flirtation with Connecticut?

In the mid 2000's while I was working in Farmington, I noticed a new restaurant/coffee shop had taken over the intersection of 372 and Route 10 in Plainville. It was the first time I'd ever laid eyes on a Tim Horton's. Tim Horton's was/is a coffeehouse/restaurant chain based out of Toronto, Canada, it was founded in 1964 by a popular Canadian hockey player who unfortunately passed away in a car crash in 1974. Today in 2024, Tim Horton's is owned by Restaurant Brands International, and there are over 5,700 locations.

At one moment in time, Tim Horton's had 10 locations across Connecticut, mostly inland, I remember going to the Plainville, Rocky Hill, Meriden, Norwich, Vernon, and Groton locations, and I ordered the same thing at every one of them - The Bagel B.E.L.T. Oh God, it was a Bacon, Egg, Lettuce, and Tomato breakfast sandwich, and I was so angry that I'd never thought about putting eggs on my BLT's.

What happened to Tim Horton's? New England is Dunkin' territory kid. Tim Horton's folded up their all of their locations throughout Connecticut in November 2010, never to be heard from again. I get a thrill when I go into New York City and see one of their signs

Why New York, but no Rhode Island, Connecticut, or Massachusetts? I want my Bagel B.E.L.T back.