St. Laurent the Husky at Tim Hortons

Following my not very filling meal at Burger King, I decided to walk my way across the parking lot to the Tim Hortons (1802 St. Laurent Boulevard, Ottawa).  I entered to join the line behind some workers dressed in neon orange jump suits covered in saw dust, yes, tree removal workers. Waited in line for three minutes and was served by the manager.

The Order: 1 Boston Cream donut and 1 Medium Black Coffee.

The manager quickly got the Boston Cream and two seconds later was followed by a cup of coffee.  So good so far.

I scanned the small location for a seat.  There were dishes here and there on some tables with the usual accompanying crumbs.  A little extra attention to detail on removing the dishes and cleaning the crumbs could be called upon.  But nothing overly dirty that an extra pair of hands could not resolve.

 A little further, I found a table to sit down, enjoy my snack and read the paper.

The Boston Cream Donut was the average run of the mill nothing special Tim Horton's now provides it's customers.  Nothing special.

The coffee was the usual good tasting coffee made to corporate specifications without any unusual added sweetness I've had at other locations.

So far nothing special about this Tim Hortons visit until I looked up across the aisle towards the windows.

Across the aisle was a man enjoying his lunch.  Nothing special, until you see what was sitting on the floor next to him.  An average size large husky.   I did a double take, could there be a large long haired husky inside a food establishment?  Yes, there was.  Was the gentleman needing a dog to assist him?  No, he appeared ready and able to take care of himself and the dog seem to be working as it had a regular leash on it instead of the full body training harness.

Was management of this location able to see said dog?  Obviously as there was a manager working the front counter who had served me my coffee and donut.  So why was the dog welcome to sit inside the restaurant? Does Tim Hortons allow the average person to bring a dog into their establishment that does not assist it's human in a recognized fashion?   This location, apparently so.  

Was the Husky allowed to in the restaurant as it was too cold outside?  Actually this question is a little ironic on two points.  The first: Ottawa was having a mini December heat wave as the temperature was about 5 degrees Celsius.  The Second: the dog in question was a Husky who are normally found and revel in cold climates like Alaska.  So even if it were minus five, the Husky would probably be more than happy to be outside enjoying the fresh air and a little snow.  It makes me wonder why the dog was allowed inside the Tim Hortons location.

Overall, this Tim Hortons serves average corporate quality food with nothing special.  Service is average in terms of waiting in line and up to receiving your food.  A little more attention to detail in removing the dirty dishes and wiping the tables could be undertaken.  Where this location really goes downhill is overseeing customer behavior.  Sure I could excuse the odd small dog being toted in and going unnoticed, but a large dog the size of the average Husky or Labrador Retriever is inexcusable to overlook.  In an establishment serving food, there should not be pets welcome unless they are absolutely needed for assistance.   Otherwise, they should be left outside or at home.  It is not Tim Hortons' responsibility to look after your pet, it is the customers, so leave St. Laurent the Husky and his buddies at home!