Reverse From Expected.

Tim Hortons dominates the take out coffee business in Canada.  There are more than 3500 outlets in Canada, and that number continues to grow.  So it's kind of odd to think of one shutting down, but that's exactly what happened to one of Saskatoon's Hortons.  Driving by on the weekend I noticed that the sign had been removed from the front of the store at 8th Street and Acadia Drive.  A visit this morning proved my suspicions were correct.  A small sign announced it was permanently closed as of December 1st, and there was someone who was removing chairs from the restaurant. 

This was one of the oldest Hortons locations in Saskatoon.  I'm not sure if it was the first, but it was definitely amongst the first.  In a way it's surprising it stayed around this long, as another Hortons is a short walk away at 8th Street and Moss.  The store was renovated a few years ago, but apparently that wasn't enough.  One of the disadvantages it had was that it had no drive through, unlike other stand alone Hortons.  The one on Moss Avenue does, meaning it generates a lot more revenue.  On the other hand I could imagine a Hortons kiosk going into the nearby Centre mall at some point, as it would be unlikely to steal customers from the 8th and Moss outlet.

At the moment the Tim Hortons website lists 26 Saskatoon stores, but one of those is the one that just closed.