Tim Hortons to start selling ice cream

Canada's favourite doughnut store is making a play to become the country's favourite ice cream destination, as well.

Since March, Hamilton-born Tim Hortons, home of apple fritters and double-doubles, has been quietly working with U.S.-based Cold Stone Creamery to test the idea of "co-branded" stores. The experiment involves 100 stores in the U. S. and six in Canada, including one in Stoney Creek, not far from Hamilton's own ice cream mecca, the Stoney Creek Dairy.

If deemed successful, the concept could be rolled out across both countries.

"We're doing this because our company saw a chance to co-brand with another company that thinks like we do," explained Tim Hortons spokesperson David Morelli. "The freshness of their product is what really jumped out at us. We thought that would make sense to our customers, as well."

Cold Stone's product is ice cream made fresh on the site and then mixed with your choice of fruit, nuts and candy on a frozen granite stone. Already established in a dozen countries, including Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan, the joint venture with Hortons is its first foray into Canada.

Both companies hope to see their sales rise as a result of the partnership by filling in less-than-popular times in their own schedules.

Comments

[Rebecca V]

This will be a very weird development but if the ice cream deal is anything like the frozen yogurt at Silvercity Hamilton Mountain it shall be a welcome addition