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Overdue Idea: The Tim Hortons Genius Kiosk

Overdue Idea: The Tim Hortons Genius Kiosk

THE ISSUE: Mid-morning at the cubicle and you figure you can sneak in a quick Tim’s run before anyone kicks up a fuss. You’re downtown, so the options are plentiful, but it’s clear you’re not the only one with a caffeine jones.

You hit the nearest Timmy’s, but the lineup is nearly out the door. Next one down the street is the same, while the one in the underground path looks like the customs line at Pearson.

Your watch tells you that the empty chair at your desk will soon be drawing attention, so you make the compromise and slum it at the overpriced sandwich shop with the other Tim’s bridesmaids.

THE VICTIMS: The neighbourhood Tim Hortons may indeed be the throwback meeting place that binds the community together (with a glue of hockey imagery and fried fat). But the downtown weekday crowd isn’t looking to make small-talk with the counter lady about the nor’easter on the way. They’re looking for their rocket fuel and pastry, and they need it 10 minutes ago.

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And I’m not laying into the workers here. They’re fast and cheerful and all that, but speedy service can’t make up for the time the customer spends in line waiting to give the same order as the previous day.

The product is rock-solid and does not need tampering (talking to you here, Burger King). It’s just the ordering system that needs to emerge from the past.

THE FIX: This isn’t the first time we’ve tried to tackle the Tim Hortons lineup problem. But an issue like this demands multiple options on the counter.

The Tim Horton’s Genius Kiosk would be a no-frills Tim’s, with no seating, no cash register, no ordering, and best of all, no lineup. We’re talking a kitchen and a counter with employees pouring coffee, bagging donuts and cream-cheesing bagels.

Ordering and payment would be done online. You’d click the box for double-double and enter your payment details, then select your preferred pickup time. You might have trouble nailing down a prime coffee-break slot like 10am, but if the system shunts you to 10:05 instead, at least you sweat it out in your office, rather than in line.

When that time arrives, your order will be placed on the counter, with a small sticker or tag indicating that it’s yours.

And hey, regulars could set up a recurring daily order, so you don’t have to keep going through the process. An alarm would give a ten-minute warning (as if you wouldn’t be watching the clock anyway).

The catch would be there would be absolutely no ordering at the counter. If you get there and realize you actually DO want a Danish, you’d better have your smartphone on you, or you’ll need to find another Tim’s.

And we’re not saying replace them all with kiosks. Just a few of them in high traffic areas, probably on a limited-hours basis. This would really be an 8-4 kind of thing.

I’m sure Tim’s loves the look of lineups spilling out onto the street. Everyone likes to go to the crowded party, right? We’re not trying to cancel the party, just cut down the wait at the keg.