Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
JONESBORO—The drive-thru line outside the first Tim Hortons franchise in Clayton County stretched around the building on Friday, Nov. 15, as staff and corporate employees posed for a ribbon-cutting photo.
Founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Canada, Tim Hortons isn’t your household name for breakfast sandwiches, donuts, and iced coffees in Georgia like a Dunkin’ or Starbucks, despite having 697 locations in the United States, according to the company’s website. That did not stop the company from moving into Clayton County earlier this month. The Jonesboro store is only the fourth in Georgia, with the midtown Atlanta, Fairburn, and Columbus locations being the first three. Abid Khutliwala, the owner of the Columbus, Fairburn, and Jonesboro locations, told The Atlanta Voice that there are plans for new Tim Hortons locations in Alpharetta, Johns Creek, and Newnan during the first quarter of 2025. He will be the principal owner of all three of those locations. The Suwanee location, also scheduled to open soon, will have another franchisee running it, according to Sammi Silverman, Tim Hortons franchisee manager.
When asked why he chose the Tara Blvd. location for his next Tim Hortons franchise, Khutliwala said traffic and visibility were paramount.
“Clayton County is one of the largest counties in Georgia, and this location is very good for visibility,” Khutliwala said. He also mentioned Jonesboro’s proximity to I-75 Atlanta and Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport as reasons he chose to break ground in Clayton County’s county seat.
The red and white Tim Hortons sign, with its signature red maple leaf, stands out among the other franchises on a bust stretch of intrastate highway.
Located on Tara Blvd./Hwy 19/41, a few feet from the only Starbucks location in Clayton County and a popular Dunkin’ location, Tim Hortons offers commuters and locals another option for coffee and breakfast sandwiches. The Tim Hortons menu includes breakfast burritos, which also come in a meatless variety served with hashbrowns, avocado, scrambled eggs, and MD cheddar cheese inside.
For non-coffee drinkers, there is a chai latte, which comes in regular (above), vanilla, peppermint, and gingerbread flavors for the holidays. The regular chai was excellent. If lattes are not your thing, the Tims Boost drinks, which are Red Bull-infused drinks with several flavors, can be a solid drink choice. The Sunrise/Sunset (below) offered a fruity energy drink that I will definitely try again.
There are traditional donuts (which are baked in-house, not to be confused with made in-house, every day) and Timbits, the franchise’s version of donut holes. Tej donut holes can be purchased in variations of 10, 20, and as many as 40 at a time.
The Jonesboro locations offer the first lunch option and a small menu among the Georgia locations. The lunch menu, available from 11 a.m. to close at 8 p.m., includes a grilled cheese sandwich and a chicken melt. “Eventually, we will add more items to the lunch menu,” Khutliwala said.
The general manager of the Jonesboro locations, Dante Black, said he believes having a Tim Hortons in Clayton County “just brightens things up.”
“I do feel like it’s brought more jobs to the community and gives people a fresh food option,” Black said.
