“A Canadian lodge getaway without a passport”... Tim Hortons opens the world’s first flagship store

[Financial News] The moment I walked through the door, I felt as if I had stepped into a Banff lodge in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. The pungent scent of wood and the nutty aroma of bagels gave way to crisp birdsong that echoed throughout the store. Large monitors set into the walls like windows displayed Banff’s vast natural landscapes, stimulating sight, hearing and smell all at once.
Kim Tae-a of Tim Hortons’ brand management team said at a press conference on the 29th, “From the way we built the fences using wood from the Banff area to the birdsong and the scenery on monitors designed to look like windows, we brought it all together to appeal to sight, hearing and smell.”
The Tim Hortons Banff Town Seongsu store, set to open on the 3rd of next month in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong District, Seoul, brings the relaxed spirit of Canada to Korea in its entirety. The flagship store, the first Tim Hortons has introduced anywhere in the world, is being unveiled in Korea with Canadian details faithfully recreated throughout. All the interior furnishings were brought directly from Canada. In particular, the store takes inspiration from an actual Tim Hortons in downtown Banff and is designed to resemble a cozy log cabin. Its defining feature is a space designed for guests to linger comfortably and enjoy authentic Canadian meals such as poutine, moving beyond Korea’s traditional cafe culture of quickly drinking coffee and leaving.


Ahn Tae-yeol, BKR’s chief brand officer (CBO), emphasized at the event, “The Seongsu store offers a vision of the kind of brand Tim Hortons hopes to become in Korea. Since entering the Korean market, we haven’t had enough opportunities to connect with customers. Now, we want to clearly showcase the Tim Hortons experience in every part of their daily lives—from food and space to warm, friendly hospitality.”
The Tim Hortons Banff Town Seongsu store has introduced a wood-fired bakery inside the store and combined authentic Canadian meals that have been hard to find in Korea with a Banff-inspired setting to present a new model called “Canadian all-day dining.”
The Seongsu store offers around 100 menu items, half of which—50 in total—are specialties available only here. Beyond its traditional focus on coffee and doughnuts, it offers wood-fired bakery items, brunch, desserts and dinner options, providing a varied selection throughout the day.
The signature item is the “wood-fired bagel,” baked in the store’s oven using an authentic Montreal method. Dough made with eggs and honey is briefly boiled in honey water and then baked in the oven, maximizing its crisp exterior and chewy texture. The menu features six kinds of wood-fired bagels, along with a variety of cream cheeses and bagel sandwiches. It also includes a broad selection of dishes, from Quebec-style breakfast poutine and melts to desserts such as madeleines and hearty meals like pasta.
Ahn, the CBO, said, “We spent a long time thinking through how to create the Banff Town Seongsu store so we could fully share Canada’s exotic coziness and homespun charm with Korean customers. It brings together the food and spaces customers will be able to enjoy at Tim Hortons, along with a spirit of warm care and hospitality.”



[email protected] Park Kyung-ho Reporter