Oh no!! Not Tim Hortons! For those of you who have not heard, Tim Hortons, the coffee shop franchise, was hit with a computer virus that knocked out all its cash registers. Owners are furious, and are threatening legal action.

Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons Coffee and Bakery is personal to me. I am from WNY, right on the border of Canada where the franchise originated. I used to walk over the Peace Bridge to get into Canada to have dinner. That’s how close I was to the Canadian border. I love Canada, and I love Canadians. I grew up with them and they will always be special to me.

Tim Horton was a hockey player. A good one. He was a defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres at the time of his death at the age of 42. He was also a Toronto Maple Leaf and was extremely well loved. Tim Horton was killed after a game on the QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way) driving home from a Sabres/Maple Leafs game and was killed in a car accident. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in 8th grade and it was the loss of my first “real” celebrity.

Tim Hortons family used his money to create a foundation, and the coffee/donuts/bakery/cafe franchise. I strongly compare them to Dunkin Donuts, and are pretty much on every corner in Western New York and Canada. There is often a conversation as to which is better. My vote is always for Tim Hortons!

The Virus

The virus has affected over 100 Tim Hortons location. They run on Windows XP, which is a problem within itself. Below is a screenshot that a customer tweeted. If I was a franchisee, I would be pretty upset as well. Without the POS working, they can’t conduct business. Definitely a problem.

As a customer, fan and supporter of what Tim Hortons has done, and Tim Horton himself, I sure hope this gets resolved.