When Did Tim Hortons Start? The 1964 Hamilton Story, Step by Step

If you have ever wondered when did Tim Hortons start, the short answer is 17 May 1964, in Hamilton, Ontario. One small donut shop opened its doors that day, and the chain most Canadians now stop at every morning grew out of it.

The longer answer is worth the walk. A hockey star opened the shop with a business partner, a second partner took over three years later, and the chain then passed through American ownership before landing with the parent company that owns it today. Each change is dated in this guide, in order, so you can see how one Hamilton shop became a national habit.

Give it six minutes. By the end you will know the first store’s address, the founders’ names, the year Ron Joyce joined, and who owns the chain today — plus the three mix-ups people make most often when they tell this story. No prices, no menu lists — just the dates that matter, in the order they happened.

Start With When Tim Hortons Started

Tim Hortons started on 17 May 1964. That Sunday, the first shop opened its doors in Hamilton, Ontario, under the name “Tim Horton Donuts”. Coffee and donuts were the whole idea from day one.

The date is the anchor for the whole story. Every later change — new partners, new owners, thousands of new stores — hangs off that one Hamilton opening in the spring of 1964.

Visit the First Store in Hamilton

The first store stood at 65 Ottawa Street North in Hamilton, a modest shop on a working street. It sold donuts and coffee, nothing more, and the line between the counter and the door was short.

The building was rebuilt in 2014 for the chain’s 50th anniversary, and a small museum now sits inside it. Fans still stop by to see where the story began, then order a coffee at the counter.

Meet Tim Horton and Jim Charade

Tim Horton was a Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman who wore jersey number 2. He opened the Hamilton shop with Jim Charade, a businessman who put up the money and ran the business side while Horton lent his name and fame.

Before the donut shop, the two men had run hamburger restaurants together, including one in North Bay. That venture came first, but it was not Tim Hortons. The donut store in Hamilton is where the chain itself begins.

Follow Ron Joyce Into the Business in 1967

In 1967, Ron Joyce stepped in as Horton’s new partner, taking over from Charade. Joyce was a former police officer from Hamilton who understood the shop trade, and he soon pushed the little chain toward franchising.

Horton died in 1974, and Joyce bought out his share, taking full control. The next two decades belonged to Joyce: he turned one Hamilton donut shop into a name found in towns right across Canada.

Check How Tim Hortons Grew Across Canada

Franchising did the heavy lifting. Store by store, Tim Hortons spread out of Ontario and into every province, helped by a simple menu and a drive-thru habit that fit Canadian winters. Growth stayed steady rather than flashy.

For the full count of stores in Canada, the United States and around the world, see our guide to how many Tim Hortons there are — this history keeps to the dates, and that guide keeps the numbers.

Decide Whether Tim Hortons Is an American Company Now

Short answer: no, not in the way people mean it. Tim Hortons was founded in Canada, grew up in Canada, and still has its head office in Canada. Its parent company today is multinational, which is where the confusion starts.

The chain spent 1995 to 2006 owned by Wendy’s, an American company, and that decade still colours the debate. Since 2014 it has belonged to Restaurant Brands International, a Toronto-based parent that also owns Burger King.

Trace the Wendy’s Link Without Mixing Up the Story

Wendy’s merged with Tim Hortons on 8 August 1995, buying the TDL Group that ran the chain. The two brands stayed separate on the street, but the money and the boardroom sat with Wendy’s for just over a decade.

Wendy’s took Tim Hortons public in March 2006 and spun off the rest that September. Then, on 15 December 2014, the Burger King merger created Restaurant Brands International, the parent that owns Tim Hortons today.

That is the whole arc: one Hamilton donut shop in 1964, a partner change in 1967, a decade with Wendy’s, and a Toronto-based parent since 2014. The dates are the story — everything else is decoration.

Next, if your next stop is a real one, check our Tim Hortons coffee questions guide before you order, so you know the sizes by heart.

Save this pin for the next time someone asks you when Tim Hortons started — you will have the date, the address and the founders ready.

This is an independent fan blog and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Tim Hortons.