In a bid to boost traffic to its U.S. stores, Tim Hortons is co-branding up to 50 locations this spring with Cold Stone Creamery, while the ice cream chain will also add the Tim’s brand to 50 of its stores.
Tim Hortons test shops will add a section that sells Cold Stone ice cream, and Cold Stone stores will add Tim Hortons menu items. The program will be rolled out in Michigan, western New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Maine, and Connecticut.
“Continued development and awareness of the Tim Hortons brand beyond our base of 500 restaurants in the United States is a key element of our overall approach to U.S. growth,” said Don Schroeder, president and CEO, Tim Hortons, in a release.
“Co-branding selected locations with Cold Stone Creamery, one of the most popular ice cream concepts in the United States, is a complementary opportunity we are looking forward to pursuing as part of this test initiative.”
The companies recently launched the co-branded concept in two existing Tim Hortons locations in Rhode Island.
“Successful results from our initial test stores suggest that bringing our concepts together will increase the customer bases for both brands,” added Kevin Blackwell, chief executive officer and founder of Kahala Corp, the creamery’s parent company.
Cold Stone Creamery is known for its handcrafted ice cream mixed on a frozen granite block.
Tim Hortons has approximately 3,300 restaurants in Canada and the Northeast United States. Cold Stone Creamery has more than 1,450 shops in 11 countries.
