Tim Hortons has closed its last remaining Cardiff coffee shop, leaving the Canadian chain with just one location in Wales.
The Tim Hortons branch at Queen’s Arcade on Queen Street is now permanently closed, bringing an end to the brand’s presence in the Welsh capital.
At one point, Tim Hortons had three locations in Cardiff and there had even been talk of further expansion in the city.
The Queen Street store was the first Tim Hortons to open in Wales and marked a major step in the Canadian brand’s UK expansion.
When the store was announced, Tim Hortons agreed a new 10-year lease for a 2,500 sq ft unit at the main entrance to the shopping centre.
Its arrival generated huge excitement, with customers travelling from across the country and some even queuing overnight to be among the first through the doors.
The brand, already well known across Canada and the US, attracted customers with its freshly brewed coffee, espresso-based drinks, hot chocolate, French Vanilla and its signature frozen Iced Capp.
Its Timbits, bite-sized doughnuts available in a variety of flavours, also proved particularly popular when the first Cardiff store opened.
The company quickly expanded its presence in the capital.
A second Cardiff branch opened on Working Street, The Hayes, in December 2017 as part of the company’s wider UK rollout.
However, the location lasted only around six months and closed on Sunday, June 24. At the time, Tim Hortons cited the close proximity of its Cardiff stores as a factor in the decision.
A third Tim Hortons location opened on Albany Road in Roath in February 2018.
Back in 2017, the prospect of a third Cardiff location had been seen as another sign of the company’s ambitions for the city. Now, all three former Cardiff branches have closed.
Only one Tim Hortons remains in Wales.
The company’s Swansea restaurant, which opened in 2022, is based at Enterprise Retail Park in Llansamlet.
The Swansea branch continues to offer the brand’s range of drinks alongside baked goods, breakfast and lunch options and Timbits.
It is currently open daily from 6am until midnight.
The closure means Cardiff has gone from being the city chosen for Tim Hortons’ first Welsh location to having no branches at all.
