Latest News

Tim Hortons to Implement "Slight" Price Increase on August 2

Tim Hortons to Implement "Slight" Price Increase on August 2

By Simon Hung

August 1 update: A reliable source has provided us with a list of all menu items affected by the price increase. Hot beverages include coffee (all sizes), coffee mocha (formerly café mocha, all sizes), specialty tea (all sizes) and steeped orange tea (all sizes). Breakfast items (standalone or in a meal) include the bacon breakfast sandwich, croissant breakfast sandwich, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich, grilled bagel breakfast sandwich, grilled breakfast wraps and sausage breakfast sandwich. In addition, bottled pop will now be subject to an additional surcharge when added to a meal and half paninis will be discontinued.

---

Your morning coffee will soon be a little pricier, because Tim Hortons will be increasing the prices of some hot beverages and breakfast menu items as of Wednesday, August 2.

Signage spotted in Ottawa alerting customers of the price increase (via Reddit).

As seen on signage posted in some restaurants, the price increase will be “slight” and the coffee chain cites rising operational costs as the reason behind the price hike. The exact amount is not specified and the affected menu items are unknown. It’s also unclear if the change will affect all locations nationwide, but signage has been spotted in restaurants in Ottawa and Toronto.

One way you can identify the price changes is to track the differences between now and August 2 with the new Tim Hortons app. The app supports mobile ordering and prices are identical to restaurant pricing, but itemized pricing isn’t visible until you assemble an order. We had positive first impressions of the new app in our day-one review and utilizing it to track pricing is the easiest way to spot any changes without visiting a location.

According to a report from Yahoo Finance Editor Tori Floyd, this will be the second price increase in the past three years, as Tim Hortons had previously raised the prices for hot beverages and breakfast sandwiches in November 2014 by approximately $0.10 and it's not unreasonable to expect a similar increase come August 2.

Showing 40 Most Recent Comments

View all
Not a member? Register for free!
  • MonctonMan
    • I'm glad you mentioned Loblaws though, because too many people assume that the their coffee & Doughnut section is selling President's choice coffee.
      That's not true at all...unless Lavazza is only at select locations: (?)
      Lavazza pays Loblaws, Air Canada et al to sell/promote their coffee. Dito McDonald’s with WestJet. A darker roast, especially in our climate where we drink a lot of coffee, doesn’t equal better coffee. In fact you can use cheaper beans and even throw in some robusta. Fine for 1950s Italy with supply issues but this is 2019 Canada and high elevation Colombia is nearby with plenty of quality alternatives if they have a bad year.

      Anyway, drink what you want but don’t fall for marketing nonsense.
    • Report Post
  • Frank311
    • That's great for the average shopper, but not great for someone who wants a drive through.

      I'm glad you mentioned Loblaws though, because too many people assume that the their coffee & Doughnut section is selling President's choice coffee.
      That's not true at all...unless Lavazza is only at select locations: (?)
      Sadly, I don't think any place with a drive-thru carries quality donuts anymore. If the donuts are really good though, I'd rather go inside and check them out anyways.
    • Report Post
  • playnicee1
    • The Loblaws in Richmond Hill makes their own donuts now (not sure how long they've been doing this) and they're actually pretty good. They're in the bakery area with the self-serve baked goods. 100 times better than Tim's, hopefully more grocery stores follow suit.
      That's great for the average shopper, but not great for someone who wants a drive through.

      I'm glad you mentioned Loblaws though, because too many people assume that the their coffee & Doughnut section is selling President's choice coffee.
      That's not true at all...unless Lavazza is only at select locations: (?)

      Image
    • Report Post
  • TorontoTrashPanda
    • He or she said almost never
      That's a very fair point.
    • Report Post
  • brobinsoncc
    • ??
      He or she said almost never
    • Report Post
  • Frank311
    • The Loblaws in Richmond Hill makes their own donuts now (not sure how long they've been doing this) and they're actually pretty good. They're in the bakery area with the self-serve baked goods. 100 times better than Tim's, hopefully more grocery stores follow suit.
    • Report Post
  • TorontoTrashPanda
    • I almost never buy coffee at any chain. If you work out the cost of doing that all the time, the yearly cost is huge. My coffee is much better than any I can buy.

      I do like TH coffee when in a pinch and I need the taste of coffee. I liked them better when they had fresh donuts. Now they taste flash baked from frozen and most of the time are stale.
      ??
    • Report Post
  • Guest9338487
    • I know I'm just adding to the chorus but when it comes to first wave coffee, Tim's is now the bottom of the barrel. McDonald's is way better.
    • Report Post
  • StatsGuy
    • Well to be fair, they are really not just a coffee shop anymore. They sell smoothies, donuts, pastries sandwiches, poutines and a whole slew of other stuff that is not "coffee"

      But yes, their quality has taken a nosedive
      Yet A&W same store sales were up by 10% during same time as this bad weather lol
    • Report Post
  • HghSsociety
    • Apparantly (according to the higher ups at Tims) Canada's "cold weather" is to blame for the decline of sales.

      Nothing to do with the quality. Nope. Nothing to do with your competitors being better and cheaper. Nope.

      But... the cold weather.... for a coffee shop.
      Well to be fair, they are really not just a coffee shop anymore. They sell smoothies, donuts, pastries sandwiches, poutines and a whole slew of other stuff that is not "coffee"

      But yes, their quality has taken a nosedive
    • Report Post
  • Retrodude
    • Apparantly (according to the higher ups at Tims) Canada's "cold weather" is to blame for the decline of sales.

      Nothing to do with the quality. Nope. Nothing to do with your competitors being better and cheaper. Nope.

      But... the cold weather.... for a coffee shop.
    • Report Post
  • sprung
  • eonibm
    • I almost never buy coffee at any chain. If you work out the cost of doing that all the time, the yearly cost is huge. My coffee is much better than any I can buy.

      I do like TH coffee when in a pinch and I need the taste of coffee. I liked them better when they had fresh donuts. Now they taste flash baked from frozen and most of the time are stale.
    • Report Post
  • apnayloags
    • Stop wasting money @ this chain.
      Seems even a donut is now a speciality in Canada since its hard to get good/decent ones anywhere locally.
    • Report Post
  • summerss
    • This joke of a company is now selling a basic chocolate dip donut as a specialty donut now LOL... you just gotta laugh at this point.
      Glad i'm not the only one thinking this. They come out with "new " donuts all the time and i'm just like "wut? you just changed the color." Worse part is, i was intrested in trying their cheescake muffin and it was never, ever ready. Not sold out, but not ready.
    • Report Post
  • Strafe1
    • Why can't they hike quality instead
      Tim's execs after seeing this comment collectively: 😂😝😄
    • Report Post
  • HammerJoe
    • A person goes to a country in Europe and goes to a coffee shop and drools over all the pastry available and comes back and goes to Tims and all we want to do is cry with the choices... :(
    • Report Post
  • death_hawk
    • Why can't they hike quality instead
    • Report Post
  • oroku1983
    • This joke of a company is now selling a basic chocolate dip donut as a specialty donut now LOL... you just gotta laugh at this point.
    • Report Post
  • fattyburger11
    • I'm still amazed that the free cup of coffee also comes with a sticker @ McDonald's.
      They even offer the stickers during free coffee events.

      At Tim Hortons, they make sure not to give you the regular cups during rollup to win events if you want to double cup a hot drink. They have crap cups prepared for that when you ask for double cupping.
    • Report Post
  • playnicee1
    • Plus you can save up all the stickers and redeem for free when it's back to normal price. I also notice all my local Mcdonalds have signs offering free refills which is something I never saw before. So I really question why people would still go to Tims unless it's the whole place around.
      I'm still amazed that the free cup of coffee also comes with a sticker @ McDonald's.
    • Report Post
  • funcanuck
    • McDonald's always steals the competition when they run the promo regardless of what their competition does or doesn't do. $1 for extra large morning go juice is hard to beat people will make concessions.
      Plus you can save up all the stickers and redeem for free when it's back to normal price. I also notice all my local Mcdonalds have signs offering free refills which is something I never saw before. So I really question why people would still go to Tims unless it's the whole place around.
    • Report Post
  • HghSsociety
    • Dude, you don't even know what you're talking about. Nobody deep freezes fresh potatoes. It will go black. That's just dumb and reveals everything about your lack of knowledge in this area.

      McDonalds can freeze the fries because they are first cooked after cutting to denature the protein tyrosinase which is what causes melanin formation causing potatos to go black after reacting with starch released in the potatoes. They also pre-cook the fries because they are the suppliers for their franchisees and it helps in distribution and product consistency, as well as the fact double fried chips are crispier as an end product.

      You don't even know what you're talking about.
      My bad. I wasn't precise

      Technically you are right, they are not frozen but they are kept so close to the freezing temperature they might as well be. I should have been more clear. The potatoes need to be brought up to a warmer temp before they are served if they are being served as fresh cut fries. This process takes about 14 days other wise the sugar and starch ratios are off and produce brown fries.

      Obviously I am the one who touched a nerve with you because I wasn't being a smartass at all, just pointing out the obvious, that answers from people like yourself who obviously don't run or never have run a business have all the easy answers such as your comment "manage costs elsewhere", like it's not already being done.
    • Report Post
  • fattyburger11
    • It will go on as for as long as they feel they can absorb the cost increase. At some point the cost increase has to get passed onto consumers, at least a % of it anyways. Perhaps it never will go up in combo meal. There are many ways to pass the cost increase along to consumers without jacking up the price of everything.

      For example, they can keep the combo meal the same price but increase the price of hash browns ordered as a stand alone like they have done with coffee. They already know how much the increase in food costs will cost them and how to recoup that cost. So they may decide they can break even on the increase by charging more for coffee and keeping combo meals the same

      As far as potatoes are concerned, the effects will probably be felt in 3-4 months is my best guess. The potatoes that everyone is using currently are from crops harvested about 5-6 months ago. Farmers harvest them and deep freeze them and take them out of storage as needed. This goes for frozen fries as well as fresh cut fries. Any restaurant using fresh cut fries (our 8 locations included) is using 6 month old potatoes that were put in deep freeze by farmers. The exception to this is 2x a year when the new crops come out and the farmers switch over to a different potato. You have about a 4 week period 2x a year where any restaurant using fresh cut fries is using potatoes right out of the ground.

      That's one of the reasons why fresh cut fries can have severe consistency issues and places like McDonalds use frozen. Frozen never have consistency issues like fresh cut fries do. Ever go to a place and have amazing fresh cut fries and then next time they were not so great? The sugar/starch ratios can be way off depending on how long they were stored for and how long they were brought out to warm.

      There's an entire procedure that has to be followed in order to make sure fresh cut fries are consistent. And changes have to be made on the fly in regards to blanching and cooking times and temps to get a constant tasting potato in regards to both texture and taste hence the reason why fast food places do frozen. They can't make those changes on the fly when everything is automated.

      Anyways I got off topic a bit, but I would expect to see a price increase in potatoes in the next 4 months, give or take.
      Dude, you don't even know what you're talking about. Nobody deep freezes fresh potatoes. It will go black. That's just dumb and reveals everything about your lack of knowledge in this area.

      McDonalds can freeze the fries because they are first cooked after cutting to denature the protein tyrosinase which is what causes melanin formation causing potatos to go black after reacting with starch released in the potatoes. They also pre-cook the fries because they are the suppliers for their franchisees and it helps in distribution and product consistency, as well as the fact double fried chips are crispier as an end product.

      You don't even know what you're talking about.
    • Report Post
  • fattyburger11
    • You really think that businesses are not looking to manage costs everywhere all the time? That the only place they are looking is in food costs?

      As I said before, if a 10 cent price increase will get you to boycott a place then you probably shouldn't be eating there to begin with. Either A) you can't afford it to begin with or B) you are so frugal that eating out shouldn't be a priority to begin with.

      It's people like you that seem to know all the answers and snap off one liners like "manage costs elsewhere instead" like it's a solution and that it's not already being done. It's the ignorance of the statements like that that are just so lol worthy because every business owner that I know myself included is just in the back room, counting our stacks of cash and not giving a crap about minimizing costs in all aspects of our business until we feel like it. We just randomly decide to raise prices instead of cutting operating costs instead.

      No business wants to raise prices, they do it because they need to recoup costs. Raising prices is literally the last possible step
      Seems to have struck a nerve. You're whining just as much as the other side, that's the irony of it all.

      Yeah I can't afford McDonald's. It couldn't be because they don't taste great nor the fact they are not a value proposition. If for the same money spent I can get better value elsewhere, you bet your ass I will go elsewhere. Potatoes are also not a staple for everyone's diet so increasing cost of potatoes mean jack.

      Suddenly everyone with a corner store is a grandiose "business owner" (spoken with pride) like they are running some kind of technology startup. It's "business owners" like you that think your S don't stink. Then whine when your revenues dwindle after raising prices, shocked at the reality that independent thinking adults decide to change their spending patterns and go elsewhere. lol what a joke. Since you're such a smartarse, lets hope you never go out of business. You always know how to manage your business I'm sure. Knock on wood, right?

      Meanwhile you can continue to whine about customers whining about your business and shop elsewhere while you raise prices and give crappy service. But lets remind you that customers own you. They are the very reason for your existence and livelihoods. They put food on your table. So the next time you complain about a customer complaining about your higher costs, just remember the old saying that "the customer is always right".

      Wish you luck in your business!
    • Report Post
  • HghSsociety
    • People are allowed to complain when their cost of living goes up. The restaurant is free to charge whatever they want, and the customer is free to complain and boycott.

      Also, fries and McDonalds do not enjoy inelastic demand. I could easily go without eating potatoes or McDonald's. If increasing prices is their game, then I just won't go and I won't even sweat it. They need to provide value in order to lure me in as a customer. Maybe they can focus on managing costs elsewhere instead. Potatoes hardly make up their highest costs. Labor and utilities probably take the largest share of their operating costs. So start looking there while sparing the customers. If they can't think of innovative solutions, then by all means raise the price. But don't complain when customers complain and not show up.
      You really think that businesses are not looking to manage costs everywhere all the time? That the only place they are looking is in food costs?

      As I said before, if a 10 cent price increase will get you to boycott a place then you probably shouldn't be eating there to begin with. Either A) you can't afford it to begin with or B) you are so frugal that eating out shouldn't be a priority to begin with.

      It's people like you that seem to know all the answers and snap off one liners like "manage costs elsewhere instead" like it's a solution and that it's not already being done. It's the ignorance of the statements like that that are just so lol worthy because every business owner that I know myself included is just in the back room, counting our stacks of cash and not giving a crap about minimizing costs in all aspects of our business until we feel like it. We just randomly decide to raise prices instead of cutting operating costs instead.

      No business wants to raise prices, they do it because they need to recoup costs. Raising prices is literally the last possible step
    • Report Post
  • HghSsociety
    • Actually, I've noticed that while the price of coffee itself went up, the cost of a food combo at TH (ie breakfast combo) did not go up.
      How long will that last? Hash browns are potato, right?

      I still believe a quarter (at least) should come off the price when bringing a TH Thermous to TH, since it is the TH thermous and not just any cup.
      It will go on as for as long as they feel they can absorb the cost increase. At some point the cost increase has to get passed onto consumers, at least a % of it anyways. Perhaps it never will go up in combo meal. There are many ways to pass the cost increase along to consumers without jacking up the price of everything.

      For example, they can keep the combo meal the same price but increase the price of hash browns ordered as a stand alone like they have done with coffee. They already know how much the increase in food costs will cost them and how to recoup that cost. So they may decide they can break even on the increase by charging more for coffee and keeping combo meals the same

      As far as potatoes are concerned, the effects will probably be felt in 3-4 months is my best guess. The potatoes that everyone is using currently are from crops harvested about 5-6 months ago. Farmers harvest them and deep freeze them and take them out of storage as needed. This goes for frozen fries as well as fresh cut fries. Any restaurant using fresh cut fries (our 8 locations included) is using 6 month old potatoes that were put in deep freeze by farmers. The exception to this is 2x a year when the new crops come out and the farmers switch over to a different potato. You have about a 4 week period 2x a year where any restaurant using fresh cut fries is using potatoes right out of the ground.

      That's one of the reasons why fresh cut fries can have severe consistency issues and places like McDonalds use frozen. Frozen never have consistency issues like fresh cut fries do. Ever go to a place and have amazing fresh cut fries and then next time they were not so great? The sugar/starch ratios can be way off depending on how long they were stored for and how long they were brought out to warm.

      There's an entire procedure that has to be followed in order to make sure fresh cut fries are consistent. And changes have to be made on the fly in regards to blanching and cooking times and temps to get a constant tasting potato in regards to both texture and taste hence the reason why fast food places do frozen. They can't make those changes on the fly when everything is automated.

      Anyways I got off topic a bit, but I would expect to see a price increase in potatoes in the next 4 months, give or take.
    • Report Post
  • fattyburger11

    • FYI, world wide shortage of potatoes this season. Be prepared to pay more for fries soon. Going to get a good laugh reading about all the crybabies complaining that Mcdonalds increased the price of fries by 10 cents
      People are allowed to complain when their cost of living goes up. The restaurant is free to charge whatever they want, and the customer is free to complain and boycott.

      Also, fries and McDonalds do not enjoy inelastic demand. I could easily go without eating potatoes or McDonald's. If increasing prices is their game, then I just won't go and I won't even sweat it. They need to provide value in order to lure me in as a customer. Maybe they can focus on managing costs elsewhere instead. Potatoes hardly make up their highest costs. Labor and utilities probably take the largest share of their operating costs. So start looking there while sparing the customers. If they can't think of innovative solutions, then by all means raise the price. But don't complain when customers complain and not show up.
    • Report Post
  • playnicee1
    • Prices go up yes, but the entire cost of the price increase is not never shouldered by the consumer 100%. How about this, you shoulder 100% of the cost of the price increase and then you can reap 100% the benefits of bringing your own cup.
      FYI, world wide shortage of potatoes this season. Be prepared to pay more for fries soon. Going to get a good laugh reading about all the crybabies complaining that Mcdonalds increased the price of fries by 10 cents
      Actually, I've noticed that while the price of coffee itself went up, the cost of a food combo at TH (ie breakfast combo) did not go up.
      How long will that last? Hash browns are potato, right?

      I still believe a quarter (at least) should come off the price when bringing a TH Thermous to TH, since it is the TH thermous and not just any cup.
    • Report Post
  • HghSsociety
    • the same ten cents it was MANY years ago...price goes up, but the discount for bringing in your own cup stays the same.
      As someone who has been in the food service industry for over 20 years as an owner/operator I can tell you that the price increase is not due to the cost of the cups/containers increasing but due to the increasing cost of the food ingredients as well as things like hydro, staffing etc. The one item that has not really changed in prices that much over the years is containers/cups for the food.

      Prices go up yes, but the entire cost of the price increase is not never shouldered by the consumer 100%. How about this, you shoulder 100% of the cost of the price increase and then you can reap 100% the benefits of bringing your own cup.

      FYI, world wide shortage of potatoes this season. Be prepared to pay more for fries soon. Going to get a good laugh reading about all the crybabies complaining that Mcdonalds increased the price of fries by 10 cents
    • Report Post
  • playnicee1
    • lol, If a 5 cent increase is going to make you stop going, you shouldn't be going in the first place.
      Too bad 7 11 coffee isn't all that much better.
      50 cents when you bring your own cup (to 7 11) is a lot better than a pathetic ten cents off for bringing in your own cup...the same ten cents it was MANY years ago...price goes up, but the discount for bringing in your own cup stays the same.
      It's like, why bother?
    • Report Post
  • Supercooled
    • McDonalds $1 coffee. Perfect timing for them with Tim Hortons and Starbucks price increases.
      McDonald's always steals the competition when they run the promo regardless of what their competition does or doesn't do. $1 for extra large morning go juice is hard to beat people will make concessions.
    • Report Post
  • moulamou
    • I have always compared Tim Hortons to hospital food but at this point it's almost a compliment.
      So thats why Timmies is in all the hospitals ive been to. Get their food direct from the source.
    • Report Post
  • carmaster
    • McDonalds $1 coffee. Perfect timing for them with Tim Hortons and Starbucks price increases.
    • Report Post
  • Evil Baby
    • There is no way Tim Hortons can honestly think this is a good idea. I stopped going years ago when they started hiking the prices, the quality has gone to absolute crap. It's too bad for the smaller owners.
    • Report Post
  • HghSsociety
  • oroku1983
    • a "large" chicken noodle soup (of which you get nothing near what you would call "large") cost me $4.92 today. It had two small fragments of chicken in it.
      I have always compared Tim Hortons to hospital food but at this point it's almost a compliment.
    • Report Post
  • ilove
    • a "large" chicken noodle soup (of which you get nothing near what you would call "large") cost me $4.92 today. It had two small fragments of chicken in it.
    • Report Post
  • tk1000
  • playnicee1