Coffee lovers queue more than 12 hours as Canadian chain Tim Hortons opens in Washington

The firm has taken over the former Frankie and Benny’s restaurant site at Washington Galleries and today, Monday, July 9, was its opening day.

Plans to open the Washington site were submitted to Sunderland City Council last year and construction work finally started in May.

Nineteen-year-old Aaliyah Fitzpatrick and partner Chris Donkin, 28, received a year’s free coffee after queuing for more than 12 hours to be sure of being the first customers to use the store’s drive-thru.

"It was probably about half past five, six o’clock that we got there,” said Aaliyah, from Jarrow.

"They opened at seven o’clock, but they started taking orders from the people who were queuing at about ten past six – I would day there were about 50 cars there.

"Their coffee is amazing – it is so sweet.”

NHS worker Liam Taniguchi also won free coffee for a year after queuing from around 3.45am to be first through the doors: “I have been to the Manchester store a couple of times,” he said.

"I enjoy the food and it is something a little bit different to what you get elsewhere.”

Twenty-four-year-old Liam, from Seaham, reckons he would be a regular at the store even without his free coffee: “My fiancee works nearby so I will probably pop in there most days,” he said.

For Candian ex-pat Rose Kingdom, the new store was a welcome reminder of home – and made for the perfect 65th birthday celebration, when she was presented with a box of doughnuts by staff.

"I am from Canada but I have been in the North East since 2004,” said Rose, who was accompanied by partner Colin Northmore.

"I don’t know a lot of Canadians here, so when Tim Hortons opened, it was like a little taste of home. I met a lot of Canadians in the store and in the line waiting to get in, which was really cool.

"One group of Canadians had come up from Middlesbrough, so it looks like it’s going to be the place to go.”

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