TORONTO - As Tim Hortons turns 60, many are considering where growth in the fast-food chain's future lies.
The company already has 58-hundred stores across 19 countries and is beloved for its breakfast items, but Tims' president of Canadian and U-S operations says it has room to grow later in the day.
Axel Schwan says the company is working to lure in more afternoon and evening diners with menu items like flatbread pizzas and Oreo and Caramilk iced capps.
Bank of America analyst Sara Senatore says the later-day customers can be lucrative because they tend to spend more, but they don't always dine at the same place day after day like morning customers do.
Afternoon and evening diners also have a lot more options because Canada's fast food market is crowded and only set to intensify when Shake Shack and Jimmy John's move into the country later this year.
Despite the competition, Bernstein analyst Danilo Gargiulo thinks Tims has potential to rival McDonald's in Canada because it has a fiercely loyal customer base and has spent a lot of time innovating with food.