Tim Hortons concept store: coffee-flavoured beer, digital menus

If a pint of coffee-flavoured beer gets you salivating, then Tim Hortons has a few other ideas that could change how youthink about the restaurant chain.

Executives have lifted the curtain on a new concept store, burieddeep inside the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, as part of an invite-only convention this week for store owners and suppliers thatis essentially a visual brainstormingsession.

The full-scale model offered the clearest idea yet of where TimHortonsis headed and how it thinks Canadian tastes will
evolve, including expecting more than just coffee, doughnuts andsandwiches.

"It's not your dad's Tim Hortons, so to speak," said chiefoperating officer David Clanachan as he looked around the store.

"Our franchise partners are all going to be here. We want themto think outside the box, along with us, to say 'What if...' and'What could we be?"'

Certainly there were plenty of ideas to chew on some evencontroversial.

Coffee- and strawberry-flavoured beer

Consider the beer taps that pour brews inspired by Tim Hortons'trademark coffee flavour and a strawberry lager for the sweetertooths. Or how about a unisex washroom that centres around a communal sink.

And there's even a conceptual design for a new Tim Hortons logothat's features only a bright red coffee bean.

Some of the ideas will never see the light of day, Clanachanadmits, while others are certain to land inside your neighbourhoodstores only years from now.

Tim Hortons first showcased digital menu boards at its previousmodel store concept seven years ago and only recently have theybecome part of the store design.

Redefining itself in the highly competitive food servicesindustry will be a challenge for a mainstay brand like Tim Hortons,but as more companies try to encroach on its dominant position inthe Canadian coffee market it's not like there's much of a choicebut to find ways to be different.

"The consumer is much more savvy today than they have ever beenin the past," Clanachan said.

"They have opinions on what they're looking for, and they havehigh expectations."

Companies like Starbucks have raised the bar for the local coffeeshop, while McDonald's has lowered the price of a cup of coffee andeven gives it away for free several times a year.

Tim Hortons executives say that where they can excel is providing something different a combination of convenience and creativity.

Some of the more immediate changes could be in menu options.

The concept store offers a variety of omlettes, breakfast crepes,cupcakes and decadent cookies that could all be ordered from atouchscreen menu installed in tabletops. Once ordered, a Tim Hortonsemployee brings the food to you, Clanachan said.

Personalized experience

Meanwhile, customers who are registered with a future version ofthe Timmy Me smartphone app would be able to opt for a morepersonalized experience.

The app will remember their name and their favourite food items,which in theory will significantly reduce the time it takes to orderboth in the store and the drive-thru.

Customers in a rush can also swing by a grab-and-go section offood that ranges from sandwiches and salads to hot food items.

Other changes are obvious at first glace, including the entirestructure of the building, which is made of glass and wood panels toprovide a heightened level of transparency to everything inside,including the kitchen area. The lighting is bright and adjusts tothe time of day for a different ambience.

Employees are dressed in white uniforms with a red-trimmedasymmetrical neckline that evokes the retro-futuristic garb of"Star Trek," accessorized with a visor.

Loyal Tim Hortons customers might start to notice at least someof these changes sooner than later, chief executive Marc Caira said.

"I envision a lot of what you see here being implemented not toofar down the road," he said.