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(The days are numbered for the Tim Hortons on 32nd Street which will be torn down and replaced by a new store with a drive thru. (Vernon Matters photo)
Includes a drive thru

New Tim Hortons on highway in Vernon, old one to be torn down

May 21, 2021 | 5:00 AM

Vernon’s oldest Tim Hortons will be torn down, with a new one going up next door to replace it.

The new outlet will include a drive-thru, an accessory that has proved to be vital for the success of food outlets in the COVID-19 era.

The new restaurant will be located on the corner of 32nd Street (Highway 97) and 39th Avenue, just south of the current store.

New Tim Hortons will be just south where the old one is on 32nd Street (Hwy 97).

“That’s the plan, to tear the old store down and put a new store on the corner,” local franchise owner Dan Currie told Vernon Matters.

While some site work has been underway, Currie said they are working with the City of Vernon for the project approvals.

Currie shut down the city’s original Tim Hortons on 32nd Street in March 2020.

“We need to have a drive thru on the highway because that store just wasn’t making it without one. That’s why we closed it. It was just too slow,” he stated.

Currie said the new outlet could open later this year.

“It’s all up to the city now, but we’re looking at end of this year or the beginning of next year.”

The new site was known locally for a house originally built in 1901 that had been on the city’s heritage house registry until 2005 when it was removed. In recent years, the house had deteriorated and It had been linked to drug activity. It was damaged and torn down after a fire in October 2020.

Currie said the local Tim Hortons have been “holding their own” during the pandemic.

“We’ve captured most of our sales, other than the people that come in and sit and dine, so we are definitely making ends meet. The customers are coming and keeping the staff busy. We’re doing pretty good actually, and we’re back where we were, probably closer to 2019 numbers,” Currie commented.

Currie said the busiest Tim Hortons in Vernon is the one on 58th Avenue near Walmart.

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