A franchise company has secured funding to open three drive-through Tim Hortons sites in Scotland.

Pizza Cake, which also operates Domino’s Pizza franchises, opened its first Tim Hortons site on Friday (14 December) in Stenhousemuir, as previously reported by British Baker.

The franchise company, owned by Graeme and Lisa Tobias, plans to open two more Tim Hortons sites in 2019 after securing funding from HSBC. Some of the funds will be used to support the growth of Pizza Cake’s Domino’s franchise operation, which currently comprises 15 sites.

Founded by its namesake, ice hockey player Tim Horton, in Canada in 1964, the café chain now has around 4,700 sites in Canada, the US, and around the world. Tim Hortons opened its first UK site in June 2017, and has since launched further sites in and around Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast and Manchester. It offers a menu including its signature coffee and Timbits bite-sized doughnuts.

“Tim Hortons has a fantastic reputation for providing great coffee and quality quick service food so we’re really excited to be the business’s first UK franchisee,” said Graeme Tobias, adding Pizza Cake selected HSBC because of its track-record in funding franchise operators.

HSBC said it was keen to support strong franchise businesses.

“Graeme and Lisa run a successful franchise business in Scotland and Northern Ireland and are quick to act on opportunities for growth,” explained Grant Bett, relationship director at HSBC UK in Scotland.

“We have a lot of expertise in providing funding packages that work for franchise growth and expansion plans. We look forward to seeing Pizza Cake bring new Tim Hortons and Domino’s locations to Scotland over the next year.”