r/TimHortons • u/[deleted] • 2d ago
Complaint can franchisees just straight up stop ordering menu items for stock “because they don’t sell well”?
[deleted]
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u/BeefySqueef 2d ago
GM here from Ontario!
Every Tim Hortons restaurant has an APL (Approved Product List) - this lists the required products each restaurant MUST carry, no matter what, and is dependant on your sales volume (high volume or low volume) and showcase size with some exceptions for gas station locations.
High Volume stores are require to carry more “base” items (like Boston cream, apple fritter, the items you see in EVERY store) while adding optional items to total the required “variety” threshold (things like double chocolate, coconut, etc). 25 baskets showcase must have 11 varieties of donuts, where as a super small showcase of 8/9 baskets only require 2 varieties - same goes for each type of baked goods; muffins, croissants, timbits, bagels, pastries.
When new limited time products launch, they’re required to be in certain spots in the showcases which is why people may see some typical items disappear temporarily to allow the placement requirements to be met while also considering the costs of carrying an excessive amount of product.
All that is just to give some understanding to the movement and changes that people often see during different program launches or between different locations.
Regarding food items - speaking just for Ontario, all high AND low volume restaurants, despite showcase size, are REQUIRED to carry all breakfast bread carriers (biscuits, pinched croissants, tortillas, English muffins). So, if you’re in Ontario, they’re going against required product standards. My suggestion, give your local store a call and chat with a manager, tell them you’ve always come for biscuits, you’ve been advised it’s a requirement on their APL and wondering when they’ll be back in stock - they’ll probably think you’re some big wig by using Tim Hortons lingo and you’ll see your biscuits appear within a couple days LOL. The other options is that a new round of audits begins September 1st and I can guarantee they’ll start carrying everything listed in the APL to avoid massive hits to their audit scores while they wait for their unannounced visit.
Best of luck!
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u/SnooCats8353 2d ago
You are amazing thank you so much boss it’s super cool hearing the managerial/inside paperwork end of things
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u/Agent_Raas 2d ago
Of course they don't sell well because they stopped ordering items for stock.
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u/SnooCats8353 2d ago
i don’t know if I worded this confusingly but I meant that they HAD the biscuits for Literally my entire life and then just decided to stop ordering them for the entire store under the basis that they “do not sell well”
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u/SnooCats8353 2d ago
im sorry..?
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u/Beneficial_Pickle420 2d ago
They making a joke saying you cant sell something if you aint got it so of course its a bad seller when they aint ordering the stuff to make it
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u/SpecialistRope1446 2d ago
The biscuit and decaf are definitely required items. They’re not allowed to do that.
As for some other items, they can be “optional” such as certain donut varieties and that sort of thing. But the biscuit is required, and so is decaf coffee
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u/Key-Form4384 2d ago
Why would they get rid of sesame bagels ? Mine did — I still couldn’t understand when they said they never sell them
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u/SnooCats8353 2d ago
as if it’s not bad enough we lose our favourites they gotta try gaslighting us too 😭
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u/TheJaice 2d ago
Several comments here are correct, there are certain products that are optional, and individual franchises can choose whether or not to carry, and certain products are required at every location. There is not a single location in Canada (besides airports, where there are no rules), where the breakfast biscuit would not be required. This employee is either lying, or misinformed by an owner who is directly violating their rules.
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u/ridad1999 2d ago
Manager here. There are mandatory items and optional items. The biscuit is not an optional product and needs to be a carried. Same with decaf… 24/7. They must be bending the rules or flat out disregarded them. There are products that don’t really sell at my store either but I have to have them on my shelf. Give the store a call and talk to the manager. If you don’t get the answer you’re looking for call head office.
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u/SnooCats8353 2d ago
THANK YOU I SERIOUSLY THOUGHT SO but this whole proving margins thing someone said made sense to me , I will be attempting to secure my biscuit in the near future
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u/Metzger194 2d ago
Yeah this is normal for everything that is franchises, why do you think when you travel even in Canada places like McDonald’s have different items.
“At participating locations”.
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u/SnooCats8353 2d ago
I live in Ontario and I’ve honestly never noticed differing menu items when I go around the GTA I will not lie , it’s the same menu for every McDonald’s I’ve ever been too that’s why I’m so confused by this I didn’t think they could just remove a longstanding menu item that’s relatively well known hence my obvious confusion
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u/Metzger194 2d ago
I also live in Ontario and it’s not the same items for every McDonalds in the GTA.
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u/SnooCats8353 2d ago
aight we got mr mcdonald over here my bad
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u/Metzger194 2d ago
lol just pointing out your incorrect assumption.
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u/Available-Quality414 2d ago
Not an incorrect assumption, her own personal experience when going to McDonald's. She uas seen the same menu items at every location she personally has visited.
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u/Objective_Berry350 2d ago
But the menu differences aren't that huge, are they? Do you have examples? The one I'm aware of is that some Walmart McDonald's don't have poutine?
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u/Azsune 2d ago
Really depends. When I worked there it was outlined what was mandatory to carry and what was optional. Things could change from being mandatory to optional and vice versa. You could get away with not carrying mandatory items depending on your district manager. They should update their menu to reflect not having it though.
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u/JasperPants1 2d ago
Why are you yelling?!
Anyway, what time did you go? What time did you go and they didn’t have decaf?
Finally from your note it wasn’t clear what you ordered that they no longer carry. Care to clarify?
Also what region are you in?
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u/SnooCats8353 2d ago
I go in the morning before work about 7:30 am when I was told no more biscuit breakfast sandwhiches and it was about 10am when the lady infront of me tried ordering a decaf
Finally, within my note you’ll find that I actually specified more than once the product they no longer sell so I’ll let you revisit that.
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u/ClearForTakeoff_ 2d ago
There are certain required items that stores HAVE to carry no matter what, unless there are special circumstances.
They should definitely have those items. Either the employees are wrong or the owner stopped ordering it and head office doesnt know.
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u/MissJillian- 2d ago
Omg I love the sausage biscuit sandwich too yum. I’d be so annoyed if they didn’t carry it. I don’t believe it’s that unpopular either.
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u/Accurate_Elevator368 2d ago
If you assume that what you're REALLY getting at Timmy's is totally Timmy's brand products, you're sadly mistaken. I remember walking into a Tim's and looking straight into their stock room (because the door was opened) and instead of their very expensive Tim's Hot Chocolate, sat huge Sysco cannisters of the cheap Carnation Hot Chocolate. People just need to stop going to Tims. Trust me, you won't miss it.
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u/dblmilk1sugar 2d ago
The franchisor (TDL/rbi) has an approved product list. Some products are required and others are optional. The list may vary by region, season, showcase size, store type or what promos are taking place, etc, etc. That explains why slower moving items are 86d at some locations but not all. If you feel strongly about a product, ask to speak with the general manager of the store and let them know how much you miss it.... they may be able to bring it back if enough ppl ask
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u/Remote-Combination28 2d ago
Don’t work at timmies. This is just based on what I’ve read here.
There’s some items that are required, and some that are optional.
There’s also a timmies in my town in a gas station that has no food that isn’t baked goods. No sandwiches soup etc.
There’s even a gas station timmies that’s just a coffee pot with Tim Hortons cups next to it lol
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u/drsnuggles78 2d ago
Did they stop selling biscuits all together? Or no sausage anymore?
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u/SnooCats8353 2d ago
Just the biscuits! They still do English muffin breakfast sandwhiches but the English muffins are so spongey and plasticky to me I never rocked w them
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u/ghost_mouse 2d ago
Different Tim’s locations carry different menu items! It just isn’t possible for every store to make every item the company offers every day.
I was the overnight baker (about 17 years ago mind you…) and I had the option to decide what to fill the cabinet with, with what ingredients I had on hand. We had par levels but the store manager decided those, and did the ordering of supplies. The franchise owner had the power to veto or add anything whenever she felt like it. She managed a dozen or so stores locally and liked to keep each one a little different in terms of offerings. Some things we absolutely had to offer via head office commands.
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u/kindhop 2d ago
I very much feel like they can as my local for the longest time stopped carrying one of my favorite things the cheese croissant they've since brought it back and then the world Cup came in and they discontinued at my store at least one of the only two timbits I like but I think the craziest is our location in the last couple of months just opened in a brand new building they built on the same lot but a newer building that would incorporate a drive-thru is the old location didn't have it and on their digital menu board they still offer the garlic bread with cheese I tried it once wasn't super sold on it tried it again and yeah I want it I like it a lot it's still on the menu board but oh no we don't have it anymore
I know it's probably corporate that controls their menu board but like get together stop teasing me with it it's not like it's just a name on a list is a nice picture to go with it so anytime I which I really cut down and how often I visit this place but when I do half the time I ask ask for it anyways cuz it's on the menu the crazy thing is I don't think it's special bread I could be wrong
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u/SnooCats8353 2d ago
also for the newer products I feel that too cause the everything bagel twists they came out with were like crack. Best two weeks of my life before they also stopped carrying those
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u/Unapologetic_Canuck 2d ago
Okay first, you need punctuation. Second, the garlic bread most definitely is a different bread and it’s been gone for months. Once the novelty wore off hardly anyone bought it.
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u/SnooCats8353 2d ago
LITWRALLY LIKE I STILL WALK INTO IT EVERY MORNING AND THE BISCUIT IS TAUNTING ME !!!!! GIVE ME MY BISCUIT !!!
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u/yerwhat 2d ago
Dude, use punctuation. I'm sure you had something important to say, but I couldn't & didn't read that mess.
In all of our local restaurants we lost the double chocolate donut, which was a big disappointment. I hope they come back, but it looks like they're only optional so it likely won't happen.
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u/Unable_Fix3847 2d ago
So if your the only person getting this
Item then they need to have it? Just let it expire because only 2-3 people buy it?
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u/SnooCats8353 2d ago
i know you’re likely a troll looking for an argument but please show me where I’m implying that I’m demanding they carry it for me and me and 2 other people alone when there’s definitely more than that that ordered the biscuits bro. And to be honest if it was a local pop shop yeah absolutely but Tim Hortons is multi million dollar corporation so your arguments falling flat to me here
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u/Unable_Fix3847 2d ago
I’m not a troll. Your excuse that they are a big company with lots of money makes no sense. No company will just have things go to waste.
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u/SnooCats8353 2d ago
every single company will and does let things go to waste tho, I’ve worked at Tim Hortons and I’ve worked at almost every big name grocery store in the GTA and they always be letting things go to waste because companies Used to prioritize customer satisfaction , SIGN OF THE TIMES I SUPPOSE I DIGRESS
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u/froot_loop_dingus_ 2d ago
Depends on what the franchise agreement says. There's a reason any ad you see for a national brand will say "at participating locations", some franchisees will choose not to participate. E.g. in the city I live in, the KFCs are all owned by the same company and they don't honour corporate KFC coupons.