- April 26, 2026
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Walking around Buffalo, New York as a child, Sarasota’s Axel Neff saw Tim Hortons as a way of life.
He still does.
The Canadian chain restaurant known for coffee and donuts was a major sponsor of sports teams when Neff was growing up and they were plentiful in Buffalo.
Fresh out of college in 2007, Neff was working as an engineer when he was hired to fix a water system problem at one of the Tim Hortons restaurants in Sardinia, New York. He was not a coffee drinker, but did enjoy the Tim Hortons' donuts. While working with the restaurant on the water problem, he tried an Iced Capp, which he described as a mix between a Frappuccino and a milkshake.
“That was the thing that got me hooked on caffeine and introduced coffee and caffeine into my life,” Neff said. “From that day on, I had coffee every single day of my life.”
Neff moved to Sarasota in 2022 with his wife, Katie, and his three children, Pippa, Axel, and Archer. He and his friend, Patrick McGovern, were looking to open a business and have both had a love for Tim Hortons, both growing up in Buffalo.
Hotel developers William Caine and Robert Webster were already looking into franchising in the area so they teamed up.
“There are a lot of attributes that Tim Hortons represents that make it feel personal aside from the comfort of fresh coffee and donuts,” McGovern said. “This is a first-time job for several of our employees, so teaching them the importance of customer service and community involvement is important to us, locally and nationally.”
Tim Hortons, located on 7935 S.R 64, Bradenton, opened in December. Currently it is the only location in Florida.
Tim Hortons has different menu items depending on the location.
In the northern part of the U.S., it has soups and chilis, while the South restaurants have more of an emphasis on cold drinks like refreshers, Matcha, and more.
Neff said his absolute favorite menu item is the breakfast burrito (which includes guacamole, cheese, bacon, eggs and hash browns) which is only offered in the South.
Customer Debbie Archer grew up in Michigan and still returns there during the summers. From her home in Michigan, Tim Hortons is a mile and a half away.
“I can go there quickly in the morning and come back home before anyone notices that I'm gone,” Archer said.
When she saw there was a Tim Hortons opening in the Lakewood Ranch area, she made sure to stay up to date by stopping by the building and making frequent Google searches.
“I texted my family, ‘Oh, my God, Tim Hortons is opening down here,’” Archer said. “It's the best coffee I've ever had.”
East County's Ema Mizic, 23, is originally from Michigan and has been in Florida for the past 16 years. She said the people at Tim Hortons are always so friendly and the food is much better than other chain coffee shops as it is fresher.
Neff said the coffee is pure premium and brewed in Rochester, New York and is made fresh at the restaurant every 20 minutes. The eggs are cracked fresh in-house. They are not frozen and they are not microwaved.
Neff said Tim Hortons has always been a brand to represent warmth and comfort. He wants customers to be able to gather with other members of the community. He said it’s the place for construction workers to go on their way to work, where working moms can stop with their kids on the way to school.
“We want them to leave with a smile,” Neff said. “That's always our goal.”
