Tim Hortons To Hire 10,000 Local Workers.

USPA NEWS - Tim Hortons is introducing a new recruitment campaign as the number of temporary foreign workers in its restaurants continues to drop. The company indicates that around 4,000 of its 110,000 employees are currently hired through the TFW program, representing about 3.6% of restaurant roles. It indicates that this number has been declining since 2024.

Tim Hortons operates about 4,000 restaurants in Canada through approximately 1,500 franchise owners.

Tim Hortons reveals its strategy to minimize reliance on the Temporary Foreign Worker program while undertaking a nationwide hiring campaign to recruit 10,000 local employees across Canada.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tim Hortons supported expanded access to the program due to severe labour shortages affecting restaurants across the country. However, the company claims that current economic conditions, including rising youth unemployment, negate the need for additional lobbying for expanded foreign worker access.

Tim Hortons has embarked on a hiring campaign shortly after announcing plans to establish 80 new restaurants in Canada and renovate 400 existing locations.

Many are scrutinizing the timing of this endeavor, questioning whether the recent announcement that Dunkin' Donuts will be returning to Canada with a significant presence and some good old fashioned competition has prompted Tim Hortons to feel apprehensive.

I spoke with a tenured Tim Hortons employee, who wished to have his identity hidden for fear of repercussions to his employment. He told me that customer service, quality of food and drink and general café cleanliness is declining. He was quick to say that this trend is not caused by any specific employees, but rather a lack of support, guidance, and cost cutting tactics by management. He was also quick to say that the number of Foreign Workes are much higher than the Tim Hortons statistics mentioned above.

This employee has worked at various locations in the last number years. He said that these trends are not unique to one particular location. Customers are tired of the lack of quality control by supervisors. There is even location which has a safe needle receptacle and homeless that spend hours in the café. That same location has a security guard on the premises as well. For myself, I do not feel comfortable being in a coffee shop where there are gross unsanitary conditions and a security guard that sits and plays on his phone for the majority of his shift.

Hopefully, Tim Hortons will recognize that it is the loyal coffee-loving Canadians who have been instrumental in building the brand. Similar to the Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds, Tim Hortons is also a beloved national institution, but the Tim Hortons image needs some revitalization.