Tim Hortons
Key figures
| Initial franchise fee | $50,000 |
| Total investment (Item 7) | $988,000 – $3,312,500 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 4.5% of gross sales |
| Headquarters state | NY |
| Legal name (Item 1) | TIM HORTONS USA INC |
| Franchised units (Item 20) | 669 (Item 20, p.85) |
| Brand website | https://www.timhortons.com |
About Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons is a Canadian multinational fast food restaurant chain known for coffee, donuts, and breakfast sandwiches.
FDD-derived details (fees, outlets, ownership, sourcing)
Tim Hortons is a Canadian multinational fast food restaurant chain known for coffee, donuts, and breakfast sandwiches. MONEY FIGURES (Tim Hortons 2026 FDD, issued March 13, 2026): initial franchise fee $50,000 for a Standard Shop (Item 5, p27); total investment $988,000–$3,312,500 for a Standard Shop: New Model under a Franchise Agreement (Item 7, pp37–38); royalty 6% of Gross Sales (standard rate; FDD discloses 4.5% to 6%, generally 6% with property control) (Item 6, pp29,31); 693 outlets at year-end 2025 — 669 franchised + 24 company-owned (Item 20, pp85,87,88). Item 19: Tim Hortons makes financial performance representations — "Monthly Gross Sales, Costs of Goods Sold and Labor Expense" for 2025 Shops (585 franchised Standard Shops reporting at least 10 months of 2025 sales): average monthly Gross Sales $107,845, median $103,122; average monthly COGS 29% and average monthly labor 30% of Gross Sales; and states it makes "no representation to prospective operators about an operator's past or future financial performance, the past or future financial performance of company-owned outlets, [or] the future performance of our franchised shops". Source: MN CARDS filing 35506-202603-08, franchisor TIM HORTONS USA INC, Clean FDD, received 03/13/2026, issued March 13, 2026. TERRITORY (Item 12): this franchisor grants an exclusive territory as described in its FDD.
Due diligence dossier
Every figure below is as disclosed in this brand's own FDD, with its FDD citation. FranchiseKI adds no analysis and estimates nothing.
Risk & history facts
| Litigation matters disclosed (Item 3) | 15 (Item 3, p.19 of the FDD) |
| Bankruptcy (Item 4) | No bankruptcy disclosed (Item 4) (Item 4, p.26 of the FDD) |
Ownership & operations
Training: Instructional materials consist of the production manual, various online training modules, and subject-specific written materials prepared especially for the initial training program. (Item 11, p.56 of the FDD)
Company facts
| Headquarters | NY |
| Company-owned units | 24 (Item 20, p.85 of the FDD) |
Questions to ask the franchisor
Generated from what this brand's FDD data does not disclose — ask Tim Hortons directly:
- What liquid capital does the franchisor require of a new franchisee? It is not disclosed in the FDD data we hold for this brand.
- What minimum net worth does the franchisor require? It is not disclosed in the FDD data we hold for this brand.
- What does the brand's recent unit history show over the last three years (Item 20)? Ask about openings. Ask about closures. Ask about transfers. We have not extracted a unit-history table for this brand.
- How exactly is the territory defined and protected (Item 12)? Ask for the territory map and the reserved-rights carve-outs in writing.
Territory — what the FDD says (Item 12)
Under this brand's Item 12 rule, the franchisor grants an exclusive territory: while your agreement runs, the franchisor may not place another franchisee — or operate a competing company unit — inside your territory's boundaries (subject to the carve-outs in the FDD). Areas inside an existing franchisee's territory are therefore not available to a new buyer.
The FDD's own words (Item 12): “this franchisor grants an exclusive territory as described in its FDD.”
Where Tim Hortons operates today
Per the brand's FDD outlet table (Item 20, Table 3 — franchised outlets by state, latest fiscal year): 530 franchised units across 14 states.
Projected openings (Item 20, Table 5)
Franchise agreements the FDD projects for the next fiscal year:
Source: tim-hortons-fdd-2026-573c7e75.pdf, Item 20. Counts are the franchisor's own disclosures.
Why two unit counts? The Key figures above cite 669 franchised units (Item 20, p.85) — the franchisor's reported franchised-unit total. The map above sums Item 20, Table 3 (franchised outlets by state at fiscal year-end), which totals 530. The two Item 20 figures are compiled on different bases, so they need not match.
What is NOT available
Not available: any area inside an existing franchisee's exclusive territory while that agreement runs. Existing units sit in: DE, FL, GA, IN, KY, ME, MO, NJ, NY, OH, TN, TX, VA, WV — a specific address near an existing unit is governed by that territory's boundaries.
Only the franchisor can confirm availability.
Next steps with Tim Hortons
Put Tim Hortons on a shortlist. Compare it side by side with two other brands. Check it against your budget in the PerfectFit Quiz. Or talk it through with a vetted consultant. That conversation is free to buyers; call (385) 475-5319. Only the franchisor can confirm current terms. Only the franchisor can confirm territory availability.