Tim Hortons: At the Centre of it All on Blair

Midweek, I found myself out in Gloucester for business. Gloucester, a suburb of Ottawa, has that small suburb feel with a decent sized "city centre" mall type of place at it's centre.  

Gloucester Centre is a tired looking mall with lots of potential. At the major intersection of Ogilvie & Blair Roads, it has a Loblaws, Wal-Mart and a newly opened Rexall and Pet Valu.  Along with local shopping centre staples like Bulk Barn, CIBC and mall favourites like a food court.  But there is still several empty store spaces and a general all round lack of customers.  With the opening of the new stores and the replacement of the old Zellers store with a new Wal-Mart, things might be looking up in terms of customer traffic.  Add to this, the major Blair OC Transpo Station, that provides lots of pedestrian traffic right to it's door step.

Today I was passing through for business and needed 45 minutes to waste and a small snack.  I headed through the mall and out to the parking lot to visit the newish looking Tim Hortons (1150 Blair Road).  Previously, the only new look Tim Hortons that I have been able to experience was on a recent trip to Brockville.

I visited at 12:15 P.M. to find the place bustling. A decent line up with two cash registers open with two employees at each cash taking money, making coffee and generally keeping the line moving.

I moved to the front of the line and ordered.

The Order: 1 Medium black coffee and a Fruit Explosion Muffin.

After paying and receiving my order I encountered my only gripe about this place.  Seating.  

Seating is limited to a few large tables on one side and a select small tables along the other.  Sad really, this place is bustling, provides free Wifi and yet doesn't seem to want people to linger and possibly get a refill by offering adequate seating.  There is obvious options though if you wish to eat in the area, the Gloucester Centre Food Court usually has adequate seating.  I lucked out though and dove on one of the larger tables that was clean, yet available.

The Fruit Explosion Muffin is exactly as you would find at any Tim Hortons.  A nice tasting muffin with a little shot of fruity jam in the middle.  The only complaint is that Tim Hortons muffin tops overall have seemed to shrunk over the past year or so.  Is this so Tim Hortons can use less dough?  Not sure, but this is hardly Tim Hortons Gloucester Centre's issue, but a corporate one.

The coffee was made to Tim Hortons specifications.  Decent tasting coffee with found at, hopefully, every location.  Nothing to complain or rave about here.

Overall, this Tim Hortons location is a decent spot to come in, grab a coffee and get going.  With limited seating there is not a lot of space for those wishing to sit to take advantage of.  A bustling place with decent moving line is what Tim Hortons strives for it.  Even at the centre of it all on Blair, this Tim Hortons comes through.