Dauphin Tim Hortons reno planned, operators to invest $13M in province

Tim Hortons restaurant owners in Manitoba are set to invest $13 million across the province this year, with renovations planned for Dauphin and nine other locations, a company spokesperson told the Sun.

Three new restaurants are also planned — one in Morden and two in Winnipeg, communications director Michael Oliveira said.

Oliveira said the investments are designed to support local communities.

“Every dollar of these investments stays close to home,” Oliveira told the Sun in an email.

“Building and renovating restaurants across the country creates meaningful, ongoing work for local and regional tradespeople, including electricians, plumbers, carpenters, masons, painters, tilers, mechanical companies, roofers, general contractors and more.”

The projects are part of a larger national initiative that will see 480 Tim Hortons restaurants either built or renovated across Canada in 2026. Nationwide, 340 restaurant owners are investing in 80 new locations and 400 renovations.

The renovation projects are aimed at improving both customer and employee experiences with brighter restaurant designs, improved layouts, upgraded kitchen equipment and expanded digital ordering and pickup areas, the company said in a press release on Monday.

The investments come as the company also announces plans to hire about 10,000 local employees across Canada while reducing its reliance on the temporary foreign worker program.

The company said more than 400 hiring events were held during March and April, with additional recruitment efforts expected to continue throughout the year.

Oliveira said the company only turned more heavily to the temporary foreign worker program following labour shortages experienced after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our restaurant owners have always been committed to local hiring,” Oliveira said. “We think one of the biggest misperceptions about Tim Hortons is how the TFW program has been used.”

When asked, Oliveira did not provide details on how the shift away from the temporary foreign worker program will affect staffing at individual restaurants or franchise operations in Westman.

According to the company, about 4,000 Tim Hortons restaurant employees, or roughly 3.6 per cent of its workforce in restaurant roles, are employed through the temporary foreign worker program, primarily in communities facing labour shortages. The company said the Manitoba projects are part of its broader commitment to reinvest in Canadian communities, noting that renovation materials, restaurant furniture, signage and artwork are largely sourced from Canadian businesses and suppliers.

President Axel Schwan said the company remains focused on investing in communities across the country.

“Tim Hortons was built in Canada by Canadians, and we are proud to continue investing in Canada to give our guests beautiful, modern restaurants to enjoy,” Schwan said in the release. “These are Canadian families investing their own money in their own communities — and that’s something we’re proud of.”

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