By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Trevor Dieno knows full well the power of a brand.

In mid-May, signs went up on the Tim Hortons restaurant still under construction on Highway 11 at the south end of Davidson.

Within minutes, Dieno said, cars were pulling up in search of donuts, deli sandwiches and double-doubles.

“As soon as it was up, there was instant traffic flow,” he said. “They were driving around sawhorses trying to get to the drive thru.”

That alone demonstrates the power of Tim Hortons, perhaps the quintessential Canadian business success story.

The chain, founded in 1964 by the late hockey player for which it is named, now includes more than 3,600 restaurants across Canada.

That number will grow by one more this week, as the Tim Hortons restaurant in Davidson prepares to open its doors to its first customers on May 27.

For the full story, see the May 23 edition of The Davidson Leader, or phone 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.