Typical Robin's Donuts chain.Robin's started off from a humble beginning in 1975. They owned one retail store in my home town of Thunder Bay Ontario. Through a little hard work they expanded to almost a dozen locations across the city. Robin's was so popular in the eighties to the nineties they amassed 130 stores across Canada!
Unlike Tim Horton, who tried several business ventures before succeeding in coffee, Robin's founders had it right. Offer a fresh baked doughnut, and a great cup of coffee for an affordable price. The main difference between Robin's and Timmies was, that the latter offered re-heated doughnuts. Thus, sealing Robin's market share in fresh foods. This is why Robin's stores are much larger in comparison to Tim Horton's. They have full in-store baking facilities.
Robin's interior.Most stores offered a full deli selection, numerous different desserts, frozen coffee, cappuccino, and their trademark Robin's Eggs (like timbits).
By the 1990's Canada's per-capita ratio of doughnut shops surpassed those of all other countries. Due to the fact of Tim Horton's rapid expansion, to hopefully kill Robin's. And they almost succeeded.
When Robin's changed hands in the new millennium, the new owners slowly ran the franchise into the ground. They just couldn't compete with the big market hog: Tim Horton's. And in 2006, after permanently closing many stores, the franchise was sold to Coffee Time for an undisclosed amount.
Even though the franchise has changed hands numerous times, they have still managed fulfill a truly Canadian desire. A fresh doughnut, and a delicious cup of coffee free of nicotine. All at a great price.
Jarrett
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Have you considered writing food review section for some lifestyle magazine (even though on a voluntary basis)?
ReplyDeleteThis was really well written.
I mean the way you developed my interest as a reader was amazing. Slightly journalistic with the use of short sentences and 2-3 line para's.
Nice.
I mean if I ever visit Canada, I would surely love to try a cuppa and a dough nut at Coffee Time.. And maybe even at Tim Horton's just to see how they are.
:)
Thank you! No, I've never thought about such things but I do consider myself an okay writer.
ReplyDeleteTim Horton's has an interesting story as well, and I should probably make another Project Canadiana segment for it.
The nicotine thing at the end of the article was a references to Tim Horton's. They were accused of lacing their coffee with it to really get people coming back!