MADISON TOWNSHIP – Local residents have a new choice for their morning cup of coffee with the official opening of Tim Hortons in Madison Township on Wednesday.
Located at 1072 Ashland Rd., at the Stewart Road intersection, the restaurant had its first business day on June 15. It’s the seventh Tim Hortons location owned by Steve Hill, with his other locations in Mount Vernon, Sunbury, Newark, New Albany, Westerville and Pataskala.
“It was a slow morning, but once people started recognizing the changes and seeing cars here, as the day went on the response has been fantastic,” Hill said. “It’s been great; we are absolutely loving Mansfield and are glad to be here.”
For Hill, the Madison location was a logical move. The closest Tim Hortons is 45 minutes away. He said he believes the site and the neighborhood is a good fit for his clientele.
“We believe Mansfield is a great community, a great opportunity and a great site,” Hill said. “Everything just fit together.”
The site of the new Tim Hortons was a point of contention during the restaurant’s construction. Local business owners as well as officials within Madison Township opposed the construction, citing safety concerns at the Stewart Road entrance and exit.
Hill declined to comment on the restaurant’s construction. Instead, he preferred to focus on the quality products and service Tim Hortons brings to the area. Every morning starting at 3 a.m. the restaurant’s popular doughnuts start baking, with fresh batches made continuously throughout the day. And of course, the coffee.
“We are well known for our coffee,” Hill said. “Twenty minutes, always fresh. We take a lot of pride and effort in making sure our coffee is outstanding.”
Hill noted the restaurant also serves a variety of hand-crafted breakfast and lunch sandwiches.
“We’ve heard from many guests thanking us for coming, glad to have us here and glad to have a fresh variety of good coffee,” he said.
As the restaurant grows, Hill hopes to become an integral part of the community from more than just a business perspective. He hopes to incorporate a number of Tim Hortons community programs, including the Timbits Minor Sports Program and the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation, which sponsors local youngsters to go to summer camps across the nation.
In the meantime, Hill will focus on growing Tim Hortons locally. Currently, the new Tim Hortons has hired 50 employees and five members of management staff, all from the Mansfield area.
“We’re really excited to see them develop and grow, and we’re always looking for great, talented people as we see how the business grows and expands,” Hill said.
