Tim Horton’s scheduled for Surrey launch next semester

Workers at the Chartwell’s cafeteria and Grassroots Café  on the Surrey campus think the planned addition of a Tim Horton’s outlet may affect their business.

“It’s going to impact all of us,” said Belinda Kaplan, director of food services for the Surrey Chartwell’s. “[Students and staff are] probably going to have their morning coffee and their doughnut there instead of here.”

The Tim Horton’s, which is tentatively scheduled to open in February or March, will be built in room 1105 of G building. The room used to be used by faculty, but staff have since been moved to another room.

The project is currently at the drawing stage.

Student demand prompted the addition of the quick-service restaurant. An on-site franchise review by Chartwell’s and Tim Horton’s determined the student population is big enough to support three food services, according to Scott Gowen, director of materials management.

Jim Meschino of facilities management said, “There was a need to recognize that there should be multiple food services available on-site for both faculty staff and students, and there is a growing trend at other universities.”

Other post-secondary institutions such as Douglas College, Simon Fraser University and the British Columbia Institute of Technology have Tim Horton’s on their campuses, which are run by Chartwell’s.

“Basically, Tim Horton’s gives Chartwell’s a license agreement to run the Tim Horton’s,” said a manager of the Douglas College Chartwell’s.

Meschino confirmed that the Surrey Tim Horton’s would be run through the Kwantlen Chartwell’s, but added that the school is looking into the possibility of adding more services, such as a Starbucks or Blenz outlet.

Kistie Singh of the Grassroots Café hopes that despite reasonable prices at Tim Horton’s, the allure of movies and quirky workers will bring business to her end of the G building.

“I think it’s important that students recognize that this is a student establishment, not some big corporation,” said Singh.

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