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Cindy Leask Scugog likes its coffee, no doubt about that! With coffee available from dozen’s of stores in and around the town, literally hundreds of gallons of the hot, black liquid (or choco- late brown Hryous jake cream and sugar) are poured into our systems. each and every d And ‘although 5 you can get a good cup of coffee in any number of local restaurants, the main source of this “addictive” liquid comes. down to two local chains, Country Style and Tim Hortons. And of these two chain coffee shops, Tim Hortons seems to have the edge in popularity and consumption. Now it could be said, in Port Perry it's because Tim's has two locations with drive-thru facilities and Country Style doesn't, but it goes deeper than that. From the deepest part of the night, as shift workers use the elixir to keep awake on the way home — to the early morning office workers and commuters, struggling to keep their eyelids open as they head for the grind, there’s always a coffee in hand. Drive by a Tim's almost any time night or day, and you'll see long lines of cars and trucks sitting in line, puffing out exhaust, while they wait to place their order. At one local take-out it’s not unusual to see a dozen or more cars winding out onto the street, patiently waiting for their morning fix. The question one has to ask is, why? Why has Tim's become the choice brew for commuters, office workers, truckers and students? There's lots of other good cof- fee outlets in town. Hank's, the Pantry Shelf, Red Ribbon and the Burger Chalet are just a few that come to mind. It's apparent a vast majority of the public feel strongly about Tim's being their coffee of choice. So is it our imagination, or is it possible that Tim's coffee recipe really is better than the others? On the surface it would appear as if Tim Hortons has spawned a whole new “coffee cult” and we the coffee drinking public have become it’s loyal followers. Some published reports suggest that Tim’s adds nicotine to their coffee. But results of various investigations, tests and chemical analysis of the brew, prove these to be unfounded. The company has released statements denying the use of additives of any kind. Spokespersons insist their brew is made only from a blend of the highest quality, premium Arabica beans from several different coffee growing countries. Okay, so maybe Tim Hortons has developed the “ultimate” cof- fee and the public is responding because it's just a great brew. So to find out we went to the streets, to ask Tim ‘junkies’ why the coffee in the brown paper cup is their brew of choice. focus@observerpub.ca The Tim Hortons phenomenon Cindy Leask, pictured left, works at Co-operators Insurance in Port Perry and she picks up an extra large coffee every morning before heading for the office. And although she says she likes Country Style as well, she feels Tim's has more caffeine and helps keep her awake all day. “It's a good cup of coffee and | enjoy the taste,” Cindy says. Rick McCoshen, who operates Rick's Barber Shop on Water St. says he drinks five or six medium cups of coffee a day from Tim's because he likes the taste. “The staff are great, they get it right every time,” he says, point- ing out there's nothing worse than after waiting in line, driving off only to find you've been given the wrong coffee. Marg and David Waite, are not particularly fond of Tim's coffee. In fact Marg has switched to tea, but they still go to the Hwy. 7A location two or three times a week. “For us it’s a social thing. We meet with friends at Tim Hortons and enjoy a visit,” Marg says. David says he find Tim's coffee too strong and often bitter. “I like Hank's coffee better,” he said. So there you have it! Some swear by Tim’s brew... others don't. But if you were to sit outside a Tim Hortons any day or night of the week, you'd swear it was the only place in town to get coffee. Like it or not... wouldn't you love to have a franchise? By J. Peter Hvidsten igese0 tps oue CELINE a 905-985-3655 TAYLOR FORD joetn rt itine eter atom) LAKERIDGE TREE SERVICE HEALTHY TREES App VALUE To Your PROPERTY THE SKILLED PROFESSIONALS AT LakermGe Tree Service SPECIALIZE IN? 4 PRUNING FORTIGHT PENETRATION Ys REMOVAL OF DEAD WOOD AND HAZARDOUS LIMBS * CoMPLETE REMOVALS * PTANTINGS = Mure HING * Fern iN ( FOCUS -JULY2006 21