Always Fresh

by Ron Joyce, Robert Thompson

It’s as Canadian as hockey and beer, and almost every town has at least one. Manyknow that it was hockey legend Tim Horton who opened the first Tim Hortonsrestaurant in Hamilton, but few know the inside story of Ron Joyce, the former copwho, after the death of Horton, grew the company into a colossal North Americanenterprise that now earns over a billion dollars a year. Always Fresh is Joyce’s own story in a blend of memoir and business book, as he looks back at how the franchise became a sacred cultural tradition. Joyce takes us back to 1964, from the first almost-failed Tim Hortons Donut Shop in Hamilton, to his full partnership with the eponymous hockeyplayer and the tough years of franchise expansion. Recalling the tragic deathof Tim Horton in 1974, and relating the little-known chapter on Joyce’s attempt to sell the chain and his subsequent legal battles with Tim’s widow, Lori, here Joyce setsthe record straight. With great candour, he reveals the strategy behind the chain’s phenomenalexpansion, including the introduction of Timbits; how Tim Hortons'coffee has become a number one seller, despite intense competition; an inside look at Donut University; and just why it is that every day tens of thousands of Canadians line up for Tim Hortons products. Joyce also gives the inside scoop on menu items that didn’t quite work out, the company’s launch of drive-thrus, why the franchises have done so well in small towns, his decision to sell the company to Dave Thomas of Wendy’s, and gives his take on Tim Hortons’ much-anticipated IPO. This bookprovides an insider’s look at an empire, its successes and failures, and the determined passion and character of the man who created it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, Business, Biography Memoir, Canada

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jason Lavoie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've met Mr. Joyce on two occasions.

The first time was at his personal residence in Burlington. A small group was invited for a luncheon on his $30 million yacht that was anchored in the middle of Hamilton harbour. It was so large we had to take a small boat out to this super yacht.

A couple things.... 1.) He was sober that day and 2.) Wendy's just sold Tim Horton's to Burger King

Mr. Joyce was very particular on how people looked. And he was not very particular on how I looked that day. He likes neat haircuts and a clean-shaven look. I had a full beard and a mohawk. He took one look and said, "That's an interesting haircut!"

The second time I met Mr. Joyce was at his chartered-flight company, Jetport, where my sister worked in the accounting department. It was fancy gala at the hangar showing off his planes and some fancy vehicles while rubbing shoulders with the rich and maybe some famous people.

This second time, Mr. Joyce was hammered. I was well-dressed, hair was slicked back into a ponytail and I was clean shaven. He looked at me and said two separate things.

The first thing was telling me how I must come from a very good looking family....cause I looked good that day.

And the second thing he did was place a finger on one of my sister's freckles on her chest and said to me, "I'd like to kiss every freckle on her body." We laughed.

Mr. Joyce loved my sister. I don't think he knew her name other than knowing she was the redhead in Hamilton that worked for him. For his birthday one year, we made him a boob cake. My sister has a picture of Mr. Joyce, herself and the boob cake that is still on our fridge at home.

After Mr. Joyce passed, I was fortunate to attend his Celebration of Life at his personal residence. I have also attended a couple Christmas parties there as well. Mr. Joyce knew how to put on an event.

For the book, I'd give it a solid 4.5 stars. Easy to read and a great success story.

I agree Mr. Joyce, you never should have sold to that fucker Dave Thomas! Fuck Wendy's and Burger King!

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel even more Canadian as I wrap up my 150th celebrations with this brag of a book. I found it a little difficult to get into as Ron stumbles along the line of expressing pride in a business that is glazed with his blood sweat and tears and pretentiously bragging about how he hit the big time. However, when Ron gets into the Hamilton NHL bid and the kids camp subject material, the narrative picks up and sustained my interest.
My favourite part was near the end when Ron had to come to terms with decisions that were being made outside of his control and influence after he sold the business. It reads like a father struggling with his teenage brood growing up and having to accept that decisions will be made, mistakes will be experienced and eventually a parent has to let go. What was even better was Ron's discovery of the companies decision to pre-bake donuts read like Charlton Heston running through the streets screaming about Soylent Green. "It's not fresh!" Ron cries as he stumbles through the pages trying to deal with the shock. Comical.

[Drew Wolsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick Take: A light read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Ron Joyce turned Tim Hortons into a food service behemoth.

Longer Take:

I just finished reading “Always Fresh” by Ron Joyce and enjoyed it.

Ron Joyce is a Canadian entrepreneur who invested in the first Tim Hortons donut shop in Hamilton Ontario. This book tells his life story and details how he was able to grow Tim Hortons into one of Canada's largest foodservice businesses.

Here is a quick summary of his entrepreneurial journey:

• His father was killed in an accident when Joyce was three.
• Raised by a single mother in a tiny house with no running water or electricity.
• After leaving home at 15 he worked several low-pay high-work labour jobs.
• After a 5 year tour in the Navy Joyce joined the Hamilton police department.
• In 1958, a police officer was paid about $5,000 per year. This meant Joyce worked multiple side jobs just to get by.
• In 1963, he purchased a Dairy Queen franchise.
• In 1965, he invested in the first Tim Horton’s Do-nuts. Joyce quickly found out the business was a disaster.
• In 1967, disgusted with the poor management of the Tim Horton’s business Joyce sells his 2 stores with plans to disassociate himself with the business. Instead, Tim Horton convinced Joyce to buy half the business for $12,000 (At Tim Horton’s death in 1974, Joyce purchased the other half for $1 million).
• Fast forward… Joyce retired from the company in 2001. At his departure, there were over 2,000 Tim Hortons locations. At his death in 2019, there were over 4,500 locations.

In an autobiography, the author's views are inevitably biased, but he seemed to give a candid and open retelling of many of the challenges they faced growing Tim Hortons. But if you are looking for a bunch of business advice from this book you will be disappointed. An interesting read.


Some of My Favourite Quotes:

“The slogan “Press on” has solved, and always will help solve, the problems facing entrepreneurship”

“…all of these early stores were sold to friends and acquaintances of mine. One thing we all had in common was the desire for a better life, and we were not afraid to work hard or put in long hours to obtain it.”

“…good enough was not a standard I wanted my owners to aim for. If the company was to become the leader in the food-service industry, we had to be better than all our competition. It was never “good enough” – there was always better.”

“If you don’t make mistakes, it typically means you aren’t taking enough risks that will lead to continued success. … A culture of innovation comes hand in hand with a tolerance of failure.”

“…executives that are focused on operations tend to look for the most efficient way to offer a product, while entrepreneurs have to look inside the mind of the consumer and understand how to please them. Often, these two management styles fail to find common ground…”

Top Entrepreneurship Lesson: It doesn’t matter how low you started. Hard work, perseverance, and sticking to your values can lead to phenomenal success.

[Kathleen Garber · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a Tim Hortons lover like me who visits daily, you will want to read this memoir. It’s a little outdated being published in 2006 but it fully covers the main parts of it’s history. Although the restaurant is named after Tim Horton, it was Ron Joyce who did most of the decision making and who took over after Hortons death until it was sold to Wendys.

If you are looking for the life of Tim Horton himself, that’s not what this is. It’s a memoir told by Ron Joyce and starts off his with life and his early beginnings. It quickly goes on to how he got involved with Tim Hortons and where it went from there. He was there for most of the major decisions including opening new stores in other parts of Canada and changing the menu, policies and look.

In the middle of the book are black and white photos of Ron, Tim and other important people in the history of Tim Hortons. I would have liked more photos that show how the stores interior and exterior changed over the decades.

Overall it was a fun read.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book compelling, if light on details at some points. Having read other books about the chain it seemed to me that some key management players were missing from the narrative. It also felt at times that the book was serving as a vehicle for Ron to justify or defend his decisions or actions during the growth of the company. All that said, as a Hamilton native and a fan of history this book fills the void of one of the biggest success stories to come out of my home town.

[Barb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall this was a disappointment. The timeline bounces about but I was more off put by the arrogance of Joyce. No doubt in my mind he worked incredibly hard. However, from his perspective, he was always the one who knew more, worked harder and was somehow better than others. Even to those he seemed to genuinely care for there are subtle digs. There is good material in the book but not for the time it takes to get to it.

[Joe Seliske · Rating 4 out of 5]

A descriptive narrative of the history of the Tim Horton's Donut empire. It starts with his youth as a poor resident of Tatamagouche, New Brunswick and follows him as he spends $30 of his $35 life's savings on a train ticket to Hamilton, Ontario and the last $5 on beer and food while on the train. Every aspect of the growth of Tim Hortons is described until his bittersweet sale of the chain to Wendy's and his later regret having done so. A solid book with no real surprises.

[Kiran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting business memoir that was a slow read in the beginning, but became interesting soonafter. Great to read a book about a staple Canadian franchise that I've been a frequent customer of since childhood. While my parents used to get coffee and bagels, I remember the red fruit punch and Timbits! I was tempted to read this after the Nike one.

[CJ Katz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read! A must-read, esp if you're growing or plan to grow a franchise. Joyce is open about what worked and what didn't. I'm not a frequenter of Tim Horton's but I've garnered a lot of respect for how the chain was grown since it's early beginnings. And let's face it, Tim Hortons is part of the fabric of Canada. Double-double, you've always got time for Tim Hortons and always fresh.

[Plonkaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funnily enough I do the vast majority of my reading sitting in a Tim Hortons which i visit daily. Many of those locations are in Burlington, ON, which were specifically mentioned in the book too. it was like a bookception.

Saying this resonated with me would be an understatement. Very enjoyable read. If you are a fan of Tim Hortons coffee I would say pick this one up.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a great book about the life of one of the founders of Tim Hortons. Reading this I think you will find as I had that without Ron Joyce, who was the driving force, Tim Hortons wouldn't have become the amazing franchise it is today. Definitely worth a read in my opinion.

[Jenny Yuen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I finally understand some of the frequent observations made about Tim Hortons!

“Always Fresh”
Partnership with Wendy’s

Makes me wonder about the future of Tim Hortons in Canada and internationally!

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and a really good read. Really interesting to find out how the most iconic Canadian business was started.

[Sandra Acacia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book and all the stories from the 60's and 70's.
I found parts were repeated, but I guess that was because he was taking the story in a different direction.

[Stephy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming from Canada and growing up in the States, this book is a taste of home in the best way. Thoroughly enjoyed reading from beginning to end.

[RW (Reading Wine) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about a company in my own backyard, i liked this.. 3/3.5

[Mazz Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Business Book

Fast Paced

got to know so Much about Timmys

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as a result of participating in my college library's "Blind Date with a Book" event (hey, it was Valentine's Day and you'd get free chocolate!), so this wasn't something that I would normally read.

Interesting "date." Pretty insightful about the history of both the Tim Hortons business and Ron Joyce's life. Did you know that Tim Horton was a hockey player as well as a partner in this company before he died in a car accident? Or that Ron Joyce began life in poverty and worked as an ex-cop running a Dairy Queen store before he bought the first Tim Hortons franchise? That Tim Hortons' was sold by Joyce to Wendy's before it was later issued out into the public markets, and that now Joyce runs an exclusive golfing resort and a small airplane company? Since this book was written from the man himself, at times what was written seemed a bit opinionated and in some parts it would seem as if he either jumped topics or went on and on about different business tactics that were used (I also found it odd that page 45 had the first paragraph beginning with "Since Jim was now out of the equation" and the third similarly beginning with "With Charade out of the picture"....huh)...but aside from that, I was quite satisfied. I would of liked to have known more about Jim Charade's future involvement in the company after Tim Horton's death (Charade was the man who came up with the idea of the Tim Hortons donuts-and-coffee shop, after all).

Through ambition, hard work, an understanding on how to run an efficient business and help from people involved in the company, Ron Joyce has managed to turn a nearly-bankrupt donut-and-coffee shop into one of the most widely-known businesses in Canada.

[Chequer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is truly a pleasant surprise as it proved to be a "very good read" (that phrase can be comfortably used with the down-home writing style used) that was interesting, insightful and honest. It touches on topics of business, self-improvement, hockey, love, self-discovery and much more.

During this journey, Ron Joyce sets the record straight about a lot of topics and does not hold back names. While done gently, he shows that the pen truly is mightier than the sword and through it all we clearly see that he truly cared and still cares about the Tim Hortons franchise and its owners and employees.

The book brings back many memories that the reader may not have even been aware existed. It is fun to learn about a true Canadian enterprise success story that is, in some degree, a part of all our lives.

The writing is clear and true although some will struggle briefly through some dull and unnecessary business jargon and others will find the style too simplistic, but on the whole the book comes together nicely. Joyce makes one feel good about being involved, in however small a role, in a true home grown success story.

[Daniel]

Tim Hortons has become a symbol of Canadian culture and an icon for our country so it would seem inconceivable that just a few decades ago nobody knew who Tim Horton or even Ron Joyce was. In it's early days Tim Hortons struggled as many restaurants do but it eventually started to gain momentum through it's expansion beyond Ontario's borders, although one interesting point I learned was that Tim Horton himself was reluctant to tap into the Toronto and Quebec markets in the early days due to some reservations he had. The secret to their success as Ron says in the book were simply tapping into smaller markets and towns where they could gain a foothold against the competition of the day such as Country Style. All In all Ron Joyce takes the reader through a rollercoaster of a ride through the chain's early days to the death of Tim Horton to the founding of the Tim Horton's Foundation and where the famed Roll Up The Rim To Win campaign came from. He covers it all leaving no stone unturned. This is truly a must read for any Canadian or anyone interested in the success of one of the world's most famous chains.

[Crystal Gao · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim Horton is more of a symbol of culture than anything else for me. Like many other Canadians, we as a family start our days with Tim Horton's coffee and donuts. We love Tim Horton because the food is fresh and healthy, unlike the typical fast food.

I am very curious about the man who made Tim Horton Tim Horton. The book is a easy read, trails Ron Joyce from his poor childhood to his departure from Tim Horton. It is inspiring to read about how Mr. Joyce formulated the brilliant yet simple strategy of "always fresh", the lesson I learned is that it doesn't take an earth-shaking, head-turning genious idea to make a business successful, rather it is the ability to stick to the basics and to understand what your customers need, days in days out turning out consistently quality work that separates the winner from the loser.

I admire Mr. Joyce for his peserverance, humbleness and his charity work. Am glad to see that even after Mr. Joyce left, Tim Horton maintains the same level of committment to quality and to a healthy way of living.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like reading non-fiction and who hasn't heard of Tim Hortons?

I'm not a coffee drinker but rarely say no to a donut!

Joyce grew up poor in Nova Scotia (I'm from NS too). So it was interesting to read how he achieved what he has.

Realizing we are just hearing his side of the story, I still found it entertaining. I enjoyed the writing style (though there were some typos). It wasn't too deep or detailed ... just right for me.

[Christopher Lewis Kozoriz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered how Tim Horton's came to be, then this is the book to read. Learn how Ron Joyce turned Tim Horton's into what it is today.

One thing Canadians might not know is that Tim Horton's is owned by Wendy's.

[Keith Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only in Canada would a national magazine feature a cover story called "Donut Wars." And this books explains why. Good business read.

[Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly entertaining in areas. Could have done without the axe grinding but I very much enjoyed the business aspects and the story behind the coffee cash cow.

[Ngaio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and interesting. With a Tim Hortons in every town in Canada it's interesting to hear the story of how it came to be and how it expanded from the man who was at the centre of it all.

[Rangifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful and fun read about the inception of a Canadian icon.