For roughly two decades, Canadians have been telling Tim Hortons something香蕉视频直播檚 missing from the company香蕉视频直播檚 menu: The dutchie.
The sweet, square-shaped treat speckled with raisins dates back to the brand香蕉视频直播檚 1964 inception but was taken off the menu in the early 2000s. It made a short-lived reappearance in 2017 for Canada香蕉视频直播檚 150th anniversary.
Come Jan. 10 though, the dutchie will return for a limited time 香蕉视频直播 and Tims president Axel Schwan predicts customers will be thrilled the company heard their pleas.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 always about listening well,香蕉视频直播 he said this month, sitting before a plate piled high with dutchies in Tim Hortons香蕉视频直播 Toronto test kitchen.
香蕉视频直播淗aving two big ears and one mouth is very helpful, I learned from my mom.香蕉视频直播
The dutchie香蕉视频直播檚 return comes as Tims prepares to sprinkle its menu with a number of new products and old favourites to mark its 60th anniversary on May 17.
The milestone year will pay homage to some of the original treats on the menu when the first Tims opened in Hamilton, Ont.
Long before the brand begun by late Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Tim Horton was synonymous with Canada and a staple across hockey rinks, offices and morning commutes, Tims had a more simplified menu with items like apple fritters, which are still sold today, and the dutchie.
Tims is promising four retro doughnuts will reappear for a limited time on its menu in 2024 香蕉视频直播 though it香蕉视频直播檚 staying tight-lipped on the other three for now. (A June poll the company ran on social media questioned whether customers would favour the blueberry fritter, chocolate 茅clair or cinnamon twist returning.)
Chief marketing officer Hope Bagozzi said the dutchie香蕉视频直播檚 return as part of a menu shakeup Tims began plotting more than a year ago was a hard secret to keep.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 lots of people who have had it over the years who will remember it,香蕉视频直播 Bagozzi said.
香蕉视频直播淎ctually, a lot of family members of mine, who are like 香蕉视频直播楶lease bring it back香蕉视频直播, will be really happy.香蕉视频直播
But bringing back a classic is no easy feat.
While Tims typically keeps its recipes the same, sometimes things have to change.
The brand, for example, promised its core menu would be free of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives by the end of 2021 香蕉视频直播 a commitment that wasn香蕉视频直播檛 around when Tims was getting off the ground or growing into a fast-food behemoth with a presence in 19 countries.
香蕉视频直播淲e take some of the opportunities to improve as well, so the recipe is the same, but the ingredients might be different,香蕉视频直播 said Carolina Berti, Tims香蕉视频直播 vice-president of category and innovation.
Much of the work to arrive at the right dutchie recipe for 2024 was completed in the company香蕉视频直播檚 test kitchen, a massive space with shelves brimming with sauces and industrial-grade appliances capable of crafting any beverage or food item one can imagine on a Tims menu.
It香蕉视频直播檚 there that a team of culinary experts, aided by reams of data from Tims香蕉视频直播 market research and customer requests to revive an item, develop the right formulation and figure out how it could speedily be recreated for Tims香蕉视频直播 almost 4,000 Canadian restaurants.
Berti estimates she tastes items being developed at least three times a week. About once a month, executives like Schwan and Bagozzi visit to sample several things at once.
The chefs, of course, do much more tasting. On top of hearing from executives, they seek feedback from focus groups peppered with questions about how the items look, taste and in the case of the dutchie, live up to their memory.
香蕉视频直播淭hat was a very, very critical step in the whole journey to make sure that we don香蕉视频直播檛 disappoint,香蕉视频直播 said Schwan.
The same rigour will be put into other anniversary products: omelette bites in the bacon and egg white and spinach varieties, and sweet chili chicken wraps and bowls.
The omelette bites will arrive on Jan. 8. They were launched in 2019 in a bid to appease diners looking for something lighter than sandwiches for breakfast or wanting to reduce their carbohydrate intake.
The new bowls and wraps coming in February are part of Tims香蕉视频直播 big push to conquer the afternoon segment of the fast food market.
香蕉视频直播淲e really see a big opportunity to grow PM day parts 香蕉视频直播 everything around lunch, dinner and in the afternoon, espresso-based beverages and cold beverages,香蕉视频直播 said Schwan, who drinks three large dark roast coffees every day and swears the company香蕉视频直播檚 Boston creme is the best 香蕉视频直播渙n the planet.香蕉视频直播
香蕉视频直播淪o continuing our strength in the morning, plus these opportunities, that should really set us up for nice years ahead.香蕉视频直播
Many items Tims revives or introduces for its anniversary will come in red and white packaging with the 香蕉视频直播60 years of keeping it fresh香蕉视频直播 slogan and a 60 logo made of infinity loop-like stripes to denote the brand is always in motion, Bagozzi said.
Timbit boxes will get a makeover too, featuring the famed doughnut holes in party hats along with a character made of Timbits the company debuted the treat with in 1976.
Tims will also roll out a hockey-centric ad featuring archival footage of Horton, scenes with NHL star Sidney Crosby and clips of a new generation of tots on ice.
Tims famed Roll up to Win contest will be anniversary-themed too.
Bagozzi, whose earliest Tims memories date back to visiting after dance class with her dad who would treat her to Timbits, a honey cruller or a chocolate dip doughnut, said getting the anniversary food and branding right is a lot of pressure.
香蕉视频直播淲e would never want to disappoint. I think the stakes are high, expectations are high (because) we香蕉视频直播檙e such a beloved brand,香蕉视频直播 Bagozzi said.
香蕉视频直播淲e like to be really sure that when we香蕉视频直播檙e going to do something, it香蕉视频直播檚 going to be awesome and that it香蕉视频直播檚 going to just raise the bar on people香蕉视频直播檚 expectations for us and that we live up to that.香蕉视频直播
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