Tim Hortons Faces Trouble
By Michelle Armstead
An unaware student population may be the reason why the new Tim Hortons location on Trowbridge Road is not doing as well as was hoped.
An informal poll posted via Facebook asked MSU students whether they preferred Biggby or Tim Hortons, two stores that are located primarily in the Midwest.
About 57 percent of the 21 responders preferred Tim Hortons as their favorite, but when asked about it later many were unaware of the new East Lansing location.
“It was the place where I had my first cappuccino,” said Cutrina Burse, a senior at MSU, during a later interview. “After that first sip I was in love. I almost didn’t want to drink anything else.”
The management of the newer location in East Lansing hoped business would be better in a college community because of the amount of students living on campus.
The new location opened on Dec. 28, 2011, near MSU on the corner of Trowbridge Road and Harrison Avenue near South Complex.
The management of the new store hoped that there would be better business from students.
Compared to the older Tim Hortons located on Coleman Road that opened four years ago, the new location is not doing as well in both sales and attracting new customers.
Dustin Smith, an employee at the Trowbridge location, said that business has been “hit and miss” with items sold, which totaled to about $100-$200 a day. The older location sees business throughout the day with mornings being the busier shift.
Darcy Sutherland, assistant manager at the Coleman Road location, stated that their location makes about $200 more than the Trowbridge location on weekdays and about $500 or so on the weekends.
Even though the store posted advertisement in The State News the store is still having a hard time attracting new customers, Ronald Unkel said.
“We get the same customers two-to-three times a day,” Unkel said.
The older and much more successful Tim Hortons store is located in the middle of Chandler Crossings where many off-campus students live and are aware of the store.
This store has been more successful mainly because it is surrounded by student housing, stated Travis Stratton, supervisor at the Coleman Road store.
Hopefully with more attracting advertisements the new store will gain customers, Unkel stated.
“It can only get better,” Smith stated.