Tim Hortons has launched in New York City. My question is why? New York City is certainly not lacking coffee shops; therefore Tim’s is certainly not filling a void. They may be a Canadian institution, for reasons that I have yet to figure out, but that rarely translates to our friends to the south.

Here are some Tim Hortons facts:

• There are almost 3,500 locations in North America
• There are approximately 500 locations currently operating in the U.S.
• They sell about two billion cups of coffee annually

All of the 13 Tim Hortons locations were originally Dunkin’ Donuts stores that have been converted. Nine of the ten locations in Manhattan are now open and they are in great locations in the heart of the city including Penn Plaza, Broadway, and Madison Square Garden. Two locations will open in Brooklyn. Here is the complete list of Tim Hortons locations in New York City. The company plans to open three other locations in Manhattan next month in existing Cold Stone Creamery outlets as part of a co-branding test of up to 100 U.S. stores.

The unanswered question is how will Tim’s market to New Yorkers and how effective will that marketing be? The one thing that can be guaranteed is that Canadian tourists will undoubtedly flock to Tim Hortons when they see one, but what about New Yorkers? They are a sophisticated bunch with an abundance of coffee shops to choose from. What is so special about Tim Hortons that will make them switch from their regular place? There is no doubt that Tim Horton had a strong connection to the U.S. while he played hockey for the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres. However, he passed away in 1974, so I don’t know if that is going to be much of an enticement to try his coffee. Tim Hortons opened its first U.S. store in Tonawanda, New York in 1984 and the company’s coffee bean roasting plant is based in Rochester, New York, but Tonawanda and Rochester are well beyond the scope of interest of Manhattanites.

It will be interesting to see how they do. Do you think that Tim Hortons will be a New York City success story? If you were in New York would you go into Tim Hortons for a coffee?