The MNC coffee major with a heart of a start-up

India’s cafe sector is booming (43% of shoppers influenced by social media content per 2025 DHL report), with Tim Hortons India capturing premium QSR share amid competition from Starbucks and local chains.

System-wide sales growth (global Tim Hortons): 6.9% in Q3 2025, with India contributing to international gains (8.6% YoY).

 

Tim Hortons entered the Indian market in August 2022 through a master franchise agreement with AG Café (a joint venture between Apparel Group and Gateway Partners). The brand focuses on premium coffee, baked goods, and localized menu items like fizzy drinks tailored for Indian palates.

 

Target: 120 stores by end-2025 (original 3-year goal from 2022, though slightly behind due to strategic focus on high-impact locations).

 

Long-term: 300+ stores by 2030, emphasizing airports, premium malls, and tier-2/3 cities for scalability.

 

Investment: ~₹2-2.5 crore per store; total capex of ~₹300 crore planned for initial expansion (2022-2025), with ongoing funding for 2025 growth.

 

My friend Tarun Jain leads the India operations. A hospitality management professional who leads by example arrived well before me at his Gurgaon Cyber Hub store yesterday. We had a meeting scheduled at 0930. Cyber City has two layers of road near the store. One goes to the highway, and the other one reaches the hub. I texted him, sensing a delay. He replied with an –

 

“I am already at the store, Arun . Feel free to come in whenever you like”.

 

My driver took the lane to the highway, by mistake. There was a major traffic gridlock and he had to take a 2 km detour to reach the hub. I got down from the car, crossed the road (it led to a fitness test, though. The cyber hub traffic came to a standstill when people saw a 50-something man dressed in a formal jacket crossing a military 🪖 obstacle-like fence).They were visibly amused.

 

Let me issue a formal warning ⚠️ to my students, or whosoever wants to perform 🎭 this – “These stunts are performed by trained professionals.😅 Do not try this at Cyber Hub.”

 

I arrived at 0945, embarrassed. My friend Tarun gave me a hug, got me a tall Americano, offered me a seat where we could talk in deep detail. We discussed #careers and future of Hospitality students in India. He listened to me intently, we agreed on his visit to my campus at Indian School of Hospitality once the seasonal business rush is a little relaxed, he’d interact with my students.

 

In the modern-day careers, for the students to interact with an Industry mentor like him, is a privilege. He is profound when he speaks. And, he is a brilliant listener.

 

#Hospitality #leadership