Check out the newest openings of the new year. This time, we've got Japan invading Koreatown, some health food for all you resolutionaries, and the continued chainification of Union Square. more ›

Recently the Riese Organization took over 34 Union Square East... the old Zen Palate space. Sigh. And what's going up in its place? The much rumored T.G.I. Friday's and a Tim Horton's of course, helping to complete the circle of chains around the park. Now Andrew Fine has photographic evidence; today he reported, "I spotted signage and crews working feverishly to complete a Tim Horton's... this is a downgrade and really counter to where we would like Union Square to be going. The burbs are invading!" The burbs... and Canadians! [via Curbed] more ›

The Big Apple arrival of Canadian fast food chain Tim Hortons was heralded in by free coffee and a people dressed in giant-sized Tim Hortons cup costumes. One reader recounted the scene at 7th Avenue and 50th Street, "Dunkin has hired people to stand outside the store and hand out $1 coupons in retaliation. The donut wars are on, baby! Inside, the store exceeded my expectations from rule-bending shady-operator Riese. Excellent buildout, flatscreen TVs, as good as anything in Gravenhurst or Cobourg or London. Mob scene was very polite (half the customers were Canadian, after all) and there were 20+ staff trying to handle the rush, including a crew of Tim Hortons training managers brought down from Canada." [Speaking of the donut war, check out the Today Show segment about Tim Hortons in NYC after the jump.] more ›

It's Timbit time: After last week's announcement from fast food chain Riese Restaurants that it would convert its Dunkin Donuts franchises into Tim Hortons locations, there were collective cheers from Canadians (and those familiar with the mostly north-of-the-border chain) and a little confusion from DD devotees. According to a press release, nine of its ten Manhattan locations are opening today; two others are opening in Brooklyn (full list of locations after the jump). Tim Hortons considers its new NYC presence in its cap and wants to take the Big Apple by storm; COO David Clanachan said, "New Yorkers are savvy customers, they understand good value and quality. We are focused on earning the loyalty of New Yorkers and adding them to the millions of people who make Tim Hortons their daily stop for breakfast, lunch and snack times." more ›

As dozens of New Yorkers cling to their monitors and tearfully pay homage to the "Time to Make the Donuts" guy in preparation for eleven(!) Dunkin' Donuts locations closing their doors, others are simply refusing to even bear (claw) the thought of patronizing the Canadian Tim Hortons stores that will now be runnin' in Dunkin'. One Upper West Sider told the News, "It's not American. I can't do it." As the Dunkin' in Penn Station started getting disassembled today, one Brooklyn Heights man laments, "I just wanted a cup of coffee. Now I don't know where to go." Hopefully if Tim's 100 gallons of free coffee at that spot Monday is not enough, he'll be able to track down one of the 427 Dunkins within 10 miles. Canadians seem to be enjoying their loon's eye view of our newfound Donut Wars, as a Tim's spokesman shills away, "In Canada, Tim Hortons is a religion so I don't see why it can't be the same kind of situation here." more ›

[S.W.A.G. UPDATE BELOW] Predictably, it's being called the doughnut wars: news that beloved Canadian coffee-and-doughnuts chain Tim Hortons will replace thirteen prominent NYC Dunkin' Donuts locations operated by the Riese Organization on Monday morning has all kinds of North Americans drawing battle lines in the powdered sugar. By the end of next month, sixteen Tim Hortons will be open in NYC, pitting Munchkins against Timbits (thankfully no A-holes are involved). more ›

Pat Kiernan will be very happy: The Riese organization, operators of scores of NYC chain restaurants, is closing its 13 Dunkin' Donuts outlets on Friday and re-opening them as brand-new Tim Hortons on Monday morning. The Nation's Restaurant News' story suggests someone's maple leaf prophecy has come to pass. After being dropped from Riese's roster, Dunkin' released a statement yesterday that alleged, among other things, they're still awesome and "in the past five years 244 new Dunkin’ Donuts shops have opened in New York City." The company also explained that a 2004 lawsuit citing "health and safety violations" led to the "disenfranchisement" decision; Riese denies it and says a five-year contract expired. With Dunkin' dissed and Starbucks plugging away at yet another reformulation, expect an onslaught of free coffee promotions in the next few weeks from all sides, especially around Midtown. The announcement comes on top of previous news that Tim Hortons will open three more locations to be co-branded with Cold Stone Creamery in August, including one inside Cold Stone's flagship Times Square store. Tim Hortons is a megapopular Canadian coffee and snacks chain named for its founder, an NHL record-holder who died in a 1974 car accident. more ›