Tim Hortons Eyeing 2 Bradenton-Area Locations In FL Expansion: Reports

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons is planning two Manatee County locations as it eyes an expansion into Florida, according to multiple reports.

The company filed preliminary paperwork with Manatee County for a 1,700-square-foot Tim Hortons in Ellenton last fall, the Bradenton Herald reported in November.

Now, the chain has filed a new application with the county to build a second 1,611-square-foot storefront at 7935 State Road 64 E., the Herald said. This would be located just east of the Marketplace at Heritage Harbour.

These would be the first Tim Hortons in Florida as the chain looks to move into the state, a move that has been in the works for years, the company said.

“We are excited for our recent expansion into new markets in the U.S. and are prioritizing growth in the South Florida market,” Ryan Ferranti, head of business development for Tim Hortons, US, told the Miami Herald in a 2023 email. “While we are targeting growth in multiple territories within the state of Florida, Miami-Dade and Broward counties are of particular interest given the significant Canadian presence and tourism in South Florida.”

Ferranti indicated that Tim Hortons was looking to open storefronts in areas frequented by Canadian snowbirds.

Initially called Tim Horton Do-nut, Toronto Maple Leaf defenseman Tim Horton, who died in a car crash at age 44, and his business partner, Jim Charade, founded the brand in Ontario in 1964.

Tim Hortons previously operated coffee shops in Florida, opening them in the 1980s, though all were closed by the early 1990s, reports said.