A spicy, yeast-based doughnut drenched in buffalo-style chicken wing sauce and covered in kettle chips. To boot, tortilla strips sit submerged in a pool of buffalo sauce at the centre.
Is this a glimpse into a future menu item at Tim Hortons under the control and ownership of Burger King, which announced this week it was taking Tims over?
Nope – it’s a reality in the here and now.
Anthony McEachern, a franchisee of three Tim Hortons coffee shops in Syracuse, is featuring the “Buffalo Crunch” doughnut at the Great New York State Fair running between Aug. 21 and Sept. 1 in upstate New York.
The timing of the promotion, as merger talks between Burger King and Tim Hortons gave way to an actual deal, has raised some eyebrows.
Yet both McEachern, a 30-year-old Canadian from Niagara Falls, as well as Tim Hortons corporate officials assured Global News the timing is purely coincidental.
“It’s all current Tim Hortons products that we’ve just had a bit of fun with,” McEachern said.
Get weekly money news
“This is a donut created by a local owner in the spirit of fun fair food, and is only available during the fair at our local booth,” a Tim Hortons spokesperson in Canada said via email.
“The idea was conceived months ago,” Tims spokeswoman Olga Petrycki said.
- Alberta surpasses all of the United States in confirmed measles cases
- Quebec terrorism suspects didn’t get guns and ammo from us: Canadian Forces
- Carney’s ethics filing details Brookfield conflict of interest screen
- Driver charged after vehicle carrying illegal migrants crashes at Canada-U.S. border: police
Business as usual
Following the Burger King announcement, Tims officials have taken pains to assure customers there won’t be major changes — wary of disrupting what’s already a successful business.
Customers have expressed concerns about a U.S. fast-food burger chain coming in and overhauling the menu among other reservations about the merger.
“Tim Hortons will still be Tim Hortons,” Marc Caira, the Canadian chain’s boss, said on a call with media on Tuesday. “That’s the key point here, it’s business as usual.”
Asked whether there were plans in the works to blend Tim Hortons-branded coffee and food into Burger King’s menu and perhaps vice versa, Caira was clear: “The answer is absolutely not,” he said.
“These are two strong independent businesses that will continue to be run that way.”
MORE: Don’t worry Tim Hortons fans, it’s ‘business as usual’
But the Buffalo Crunch, which is being sold for $2 at the fair, has been a hit with customers, McEachern said.
“It’s a shock and awe effect. That’s what we’ve been seeing at the fair,” said the franchisee, who has made a habit in recent years of offering up innovative doughnut mash-ups at the annual event.
“They’re really enjoying it.”
The promotional donut comes in hot or mild. Sorry, no fries. Yet.
Here’s the promo from the fair:
Comments