Tim Hortons Inc. (known internationally as
Tim Hortons Cafe and Bake Shop) is a Canadian
multinational fast food restaurant, known for its
coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest quick service restaurant chain; as of September 2014, it has 3,665 restaurants in Canada, 869 in the United States, and 56 in the
Persian Gulf region. It was founded in 1964 in
Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian
hockey player
Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in hamburger restaurants. In 1967, Horton partnered with investor
Ron Joyce, who assumed control over operations after Horton died in 1974. Joyce expanded the chain into a multimillion-dollar
franchise. Charade left the organization in 1966 and briefly returned in 1970 and 1993 through 1996.