Chewing over success

Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons is another success story when it comes to catering to the taste of Chinese consumers.

"Bagels are one of our signature products. Inspired by the traditional chewiness of bagels, the ones sold in China are also adapted to meet local consumers' preference for a softer texture," said Lu Yongchen, CEO of Tims China, the operator of Tim Hortons in China.

Since 2022, sales of the bagels have snowballed to exceed a cumulative total of 80 million units.

Products cover consumer demands for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, with offerings including multigrain bagels and bagel sandwiches. In terms of flavor, the company has also localized its products with bagels featuring ma lan tou (Kalimeris indica) and scallion ingredients, said Lu.

Since opening its first store in Shanghai in February 2019, Tims China has pursued rapid expansion and successfully went public on the Nasdaq in September 2022.

"As of Sept 30, 2025, we operate 1,030 stores across 91 cities in China. We've gradually established a brand image for coffee and heated food among consumers, with bagel products proving particularly popular,"Lu said.

From the outset, the company localized store design and menu offerings, and today 90 percent of its products are tailored for local consumers, said Lu.

"We even localized the name of Tim Hortons to Tims as Chinese consumers prefer shorter and easier pronunciations. And to better fit the Chinese market, we officially launched the Chinese name as tianhao in 2023, which literally means 'good everyday' in Chinese," Lu said.

Lan, the analyst, said: "Effective localization is not just about adding Chinese elements, but about giving the Chinese market a standalone and mature operational logic."