Canadian doughnut store chain Tim Hortons has set its sights on Delaware.
The Philadelphia Business Journal (subscription) reported the company wants to open franchise locations in northern and central Delaware in the coming years as part of a regional expansion. Tim Horton’s nearest stores are in southern New Jersey, with Delaware now listed as an existing market.
Tim Hortons, named after a Canadian hockey star, has expanded from its home ice to become a worldwide company.
It has more than 630 locations in the U.S. and more than 4,000 in Canada; a nation said to be the largest per capita consumer of doughnuts.
Hortons was owned for a time by the parent company of Wendy’s and is now owned by Restaurant Brands International, the parent of Burger King and Popeyes. Popeyes has been adding locations in northern and central Delaware, while the number of Burger Kings has declined from its peak.
In Delaware, Tim Hortons will compete with Dunkin, which has little direct competition as its franchises upgrade their store locations to offer a broader menu. Krispy Kreme has only one location in New Castle but also sells its doughnuts at big box and convenience stores. Duck Donuts closed its store in Newark a while back.
Competition is more intense in Sussex County, where the Fractured Prune and Sandy Pony stores serve beach areas.
Adding states like Delaware to a franchise map does not guarantee locations will materialize. Fast-growing franchises often announce plans to expand to the region, only to not find suitable sites or operators. Hortons and other chains have minimum net worth, experience, and other requirements.
