Tim Hortons Inc. has opened its first location at a U.S. military base, a 24-hour restaurant at the iconic U.S. army facility Ft. Knox in Kentucky.
Tim Hortons has a long-established connection with military personnel, as it serves signature coffee and baked goods on seven Canadian military bases and at a restaurant in Kandahar, Afghanistan, which has served American, Canadian and British troops since 2006.
"Our long-standing relationship with troops is expanding to include other international forces in Afghanistan, as well as American soldiers who already know Tim Hortons from their hometowns," said David Clanachan, chief operations officer of U.S. and international Tim Hortons Inc., in a news release. "We're excited to be working with AAFES (Army & Air Force Exchange Services) and look forward to strengthening our affiliation."
Tim Hortons operates nearly 3,500 locations worldwide, with more than 500 in the United States, and serves about 2 billion cups of coffee a year. The 1,500-square-foot location at Fort Knox will service nearly 30,000 soldiers, family members and civilians who work and live on the base.
Tim Hortons believes in getting involved in the communities where it serves, including the military. The company sponsors numerous events involving soldiers, conducts an annual coffee donation program called Operation Santa Claus and directs individuals to several military family support organizations for additional donations. It also produces a special Afghanistan edition of its popular Roll Up the Rim rewards program where soldiers can win free coffee, computers, cash and other prizes.
"Fort Knox is a great fit for us," Clanachan said. "It adds to our other restaurants in Kentucky and is not far from the Tim Horton Children's Foundation camp in Campbellsville, which provides underprivileged children with a once-in-a-lifetime camp experience. And from a business perspective, it fits our strategy of expanding into contiguous markets through strategic alliances."
