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Tim Hortons opens its first LEED certified restaurant

April 23, 2013

Tim Hortons opened its first LEED certified restaurant this week in Hamilton, Ontario. Two years ago, the location was a parking lot. Now it will serve as a learning environment for potential sustainable building and design innovations in other Tim Hortons units throughout Canada, according to the company.

Tim Hortons' goal is to register 30 projects for LEED certification by the end of 2016.

"At Tim Hortons we acknowledge we have an environmental impact in the communities we serve and we are committed to continuously improving our restaurant footprint, from how we source material, to how we use energy, to how we design our restaurants and manage our waste," said Paulo Ferreira, senior director, International Strategic Design and Building Standards, Tim Hortons. "Our first LEED certified restaurant in Hamilton represents a significant achievement for us in our sustainability journey."

LEED certified buildings meet one of the highest environmental performance standards in the world, assessed by site development, water efficiency, energy efficiency, material selection, indoor air quality and innovation in design.

A LEED certified restaurant benefits from an estimated 23 percent cost reduction in regulated energy which translates to thousands of dollars in annual savings in operating costs.

The Hamilton restaurant is owned by franchisee Sharon Kennish.

"Not only does environmentally friendly design result in a significant bottom-line savings over time, but it helps create a greener community, supports local suppliers and encourages individuals to make simple greener choices, like taking advantage of the priority carpool parking spots available or using our bike racks," Kennish said.

Other sustainable features include:

• The parking lot surface itself was crushed and reused as granular fill. And, a total of 99 percent of construction waste materials were diverted from landfill through recycling and salvage efforts.
• A white roof to reduce heat island effect of the building, keeping the interior temperature cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
• LED interior and exterior signage lighting to reduce energy consumption by more than 18 percent.
• Use of low "E" glazed windows across the building to increase insulation, thereby reducing energy consumption and maximizing the amount of natural light coming in.
• Use of locally manufactured millwork using Forest Stewardship Council Certified wood.
• Use of local drought-resistant plant species for the exterior landscape, which don't require an irrigation system to maintain, reducing water consumption.

In 2012, Tim Hortons registered four restaurants for LEED certification in Toronto, Ancaster and Nepean, Ontario, and Syracuse, N.Y., with five additional restaurants in the process of being registered in Scarborough, Ontario, Vancouver, Surrey and Langley, B.C., and Syracuse, N.Y.

Read more about sustainability efforts.