Canada's Favourite Cup Celebrates with Photo Contest

OAKVILLE, ON, September 26, 2012 - This Saturday, September 29th, Tim Hortons invites Canadians to celebrate National Coffee Day with a cup of the nation's favourite coffee, and starting next week, a chance to win a $5,000 trip.

Beginning October 1st, Tim Hortons is launching Tims Tour, an online photo sharing contest giving Canadian coffee lovers a chance to win free coffee for a year or the grand prize of a $5,000 trip. To enter, Canadians are asked to share a photo of themselves with their cup of Tim Hortons coffee in a setting that is unique to their hometown.  Twenty-one regional winners will win free coffee for a year and there will also be a random draw for all eligible entries for the  grand prize.  For more details on the contest, please visit www.everycup.ca beginning October 1st.

"At Tim Hortons we serve coffee to millions of guests every day and we know how much they look forward to that first sip in the morning," said Dave McKay, Director of Brand Marketing for Beverages, Tim Hortons. "Whether it's a traditional double-double, a flavoured latte or a café mocha, from East to West we are proud to serve Canada's favourite coffee exactly the way our guests like it, each and every time."

Tim Hortons' coffee heritage began in 1964 when company founder Tim Horton brewed his first pot in Hamilton, Ontario. Today, the restaurant chain serves eight out of every ten cups of coffee sold at quick service restaurants in Canada.

Here are some more fun facts about coffee drinking habits in Canada:  (*data provided by NPD Group)

• Coffee is important to Canadians, with 73% of the population consuming coffee on a weekly basis.*
• The average Canadian coffee drinker consumes approximately 13 cups of coffee per week, or two cups per day. *
• Freshness (59%) and quick service (52%) are the top two visit drivers reported by out-of-home coffee drinkers. Tim Hortons is the leader in both of these categories.*
• Tim Hortons has their very own Roasting facility in Ancaster, Ontario where Tim Hortons exclusive blend is made under the careful watch of their Coffee Masters.
• Only three people in the world know the exact blend and roasting "fingerprint" of Tim Hortons coffee.
• Tim Hortons team of Coffee Masters taste-test, or "cup", more than 75,000 cups of coffee annually to ensure the company's quality and consistency standards.
• There are more than 1,000 different aroma and flavour "notes" that Tim Hortons Coffee Masters use to describe the smell or taste of coffee as part of their quality testing and tasting process.

Other Little Known Coffee Facts:

• The coffee bean comes from a fruit tree
• The coffee bean is actually the pit of a coffee cherry
• More than 70 countries grow coffee
• Espresso coffee has less caffeine than regular coffee
• There are zero calories in a black coffee

About Tim Hortons Inc

Tim Hortons is one of the largest publicly-traded restaurant chains in North America based on market capitalization, and the largest in Canada. Operating in the quick service segment of the restaurant industry, Tim Hortons appeals to a broad range of consumer tastes, with a menu that includes premium coffee, espresso-based hot and cold specialty drinks including lattes, cappuccinos and espresso shots, specialty teas, fruit smoothies, home-style soups, fresh Panini and classic sandwiches, wraps, hot breakfast sandwiches and fresh baked goods, including our trademark donuts. As of July 1st, 2012, Tim Hortons had 4,071 systemwide restaurants, including 3,326 in Canada, 734 in the United States and 11 in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Michelle Robichaud
robichaud_michelle@timhortons.com
905-339-5047

Lorena Cordoba
lorena.cordoba@highroad.com
416-644-2260