The lawsuit, initiated in 2008, will finally come to trial in Toronto this month and the plaintiffs will argue that franchise owners' profits are taking a considerable hit due to the company's decision to dispense with onsite fresh-baked methods. In 2001, franchisees first learned of Timmy's "always fresh" Burlington, Ont.-based factory plans to mass produce baked goods and ship them frozen or refrigerated to all of its outlets in North America. The franchisees were promised the switch would prove to be a money-maker and it has been, just not for the franchisees apparently.
Meanwhile, the ongoing saga that is the strange dismissal of former Tim's president and CEO Don Schroeder and who his replacement might be continues to churn. It's no secret Tim Hortons Inc.'s history of executive infighting is richer than some of its foods, but will the general public notice? Canada's most iconic fast-food chain knows how to make a heartwarming TV commercial resonate like few others.
One thing's for certain, internal turmoil aside, Tim Hortons' executives has always managed to steer the company in the direction of huge success. But with the acrimonious nature within Timmy's corporate walls of power about to be exposed in court, it'll be interesting to see how it impacts the organization's future operations.
