Coffee coffee everywhere.....

So I am developing issues with Tim Horton's. It is not NEARLY as great as most Hamiltonians make it out to be. The thing is, they almost have a monopoly on the Hamilton business; don't mistake that for having the citizenry over a barrel. We do that ourselves.

It used to be that Tim Horton's made a good cup of coffee, at a good price, and they had some yummy doughnuts. The drive through was a rare novelty. Owners had some independence in their decision making (ie size of doughnuts) and the way their product was made and presented. Some bakers would make their doughnuts much larger than others and therefore earn the gratitude and the cult like following from fatties like myself.

Over the past few years, Tim Horton's has had their prices go up, and their quality go down. They are sacrificing what made them great for the sake of diversity. Now instead of a dozen different menu options, their are dozens. Soups, sandwiches (which keep getting smaller), chili, coffee's, teas, cappachino's, and the list goes on ad nauseum. Their doughnuts are now made on an assembly line, flash frozen and then shipped to the receiving stores (and I don't care what they tell you, there IS a taste difference). They are smaller now too, although head office only repeats the "standard size" mantra.

Working downtown, I know there are still places to get a really good cup of coffee; Tim Horton's is not one of them. Granted, many can't distinguish taste because they load the coffee up with cream and sugar whereas I drink mine black. I assure you, a difference exists and my tastebuds scream the difference to me. Now from Tim Horton's, I drink only tea and sometimes hot chocolate; and not often at that.

So how did this particular rant come about? Thanks for asking and I'm glad you did. I was on my way to work last night (overtime - WOOHOO!) and I stopped to get gas at the ESSO beside the firestation across the street from McMaster. It used to have a McDonald's in there but they have changed it to a Tim Hortons, where they recently added a drive through.

I was the ONLY customer at the counter (which isn't very big) and there were two girls behind the counter; and one drive through window. I waited 3 MINUTES for my presence to be officially acknowledged. In that time they served two drive through customers, almost a third. Know how I know I waited three minutes? There's a counter by the drive through window because (I assume) head office HATES making drive through customers wait.

I even asked the girls behind the counter why I waited three minutes while the two of them served the one window before I got a "hello". I even specifically asked "What's the rationale behind making the counter customer wait while you both race to serve the drive through?" Know what one of them said? I'll tell you and I am NOT making this up.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand the question. Do you want to come back when the manager is here?" No thanks, but luckily this is the last gift certificate I have.

The point I am trying to get at (albeit very roundabout like) is this. We as citizens have granted Tim Horton's a monopoly and we have not held them to the standards we came to expect in their meteoric rise to power. Instead of making a cup of coffee at home and bringing it with us, we HAVE to have our Timmy's in the morning and during the day; even when we KNOW it isn't a great cup of joe and usually isn't even a good one. I for one don't bother with them anymore.

I leave coffee at work and I make a pot at the beginning of each shift. I'm even going to let you in on a coffee secret that was shared to me by a worker of the former Bay Side Cafe (best coffee anywhere - closed because there are too many Tim Horton's around). She told me that if your coffee pot is clean, and your water is good, it doesn't make much difference what beans you put in, you will have a good cup of coffee. Too good to be true? It isn't.

I don't know why all these changes happened. Likely to increase the profit margin, once the masses were hooked. Like a pusher, they give the good stuff for cheap and once you're hooked, you keep buying whatever they sell.

Not me.

Not anymore.

So that concludes my rant about what is grinding my gears today. Thanks for reading and if you fins a place that makes a good cup o'joe, lemme know! I'm all ears. Just don't try and tell me it's a Tim Horton's.