Tim Hortons coffee coming to Middle Tennessee? Business owner plans to launch brand statewide

A local business owner is moving forward with plans to open two Tim Hortons coffee and bake shops in Mt. Juliet and hopes to open more than 40 more in Tennessee.

Naren Patel plans to build one Canadian based Tim Hortons franchise at 10576 Lebanon Road, east of North Mt. Juliet Road near Park Glen Drive. The new building would be next to a gas and convenience store Patel also owns that closed and will be renovated into a new Shell station on Mt. Juliet’s north side.

Plans have been submitted to Mt. Juliet's planning department for the Lebanon Road location.

Patel also is moving forward on plans to build a new Tim Hortons at 5120 Beckwith Road near the TriStar Mt. Juliet ER medical building on the city's south side, along with a future BP station, he said.

Tim Hortons is known for coffee, specialty drinks and baked foods. There are no Tim Hortons locations listed in Tennessee and Patel and Mt. Juliet officials expect their city to be the first.

"It will do well. I travel a lot to Canada and became a fan of it," Patel said. "The goal is to open 45 locations."

Lebanon, Gallatin, Nashville and Spring Hill are among the locations Patel is eyeing around Tennessee as future sites, he said. A timeline of future openings was not immediately provided.

Patel owns and operates 14 Golden Bear convenience stores in Middle Tennessee, including several in Wilson County.

Tim Hortons was founded in 1964 and came to the United States in 1986, according to the company's social media page. Former NHL player Tim Horton was a founder.

The Mt. Juliet locations would include drive-thru lanes, Patel said. The plan for the Lebanon Road location lists the Tim Hortons building at 1,678 square feet.

Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee businessman plans to bring Tim Hortons coffee statewide