AMHERST – The lineup for Tim Horton’s coffee at the South Albion location’s drive-thru just got shorter. That’s the intent of the new second lane, anyway, according to Amherst operations manager Lindy Marsh.
“Biggest reason: to clear up some of the traffic…,” he said Friday, just a short time before the second lane came online.
Cars at the single-lane drive-thru would get backed up, sometimes even blocking a lane of the street. While cars will still travel through a single lane to receive their food and pay, two ordering stations are now open, each with its own lane. And the ordering stations are further up the line, giving staff more time to get food ready.
The manager said they want to be proactive. Drive-thru business accounts for 75 per cent of Tim’s business in Amherst, according to Marsh.
The manager wasn’t sure about the budget for the project, but he said discussions about the change began in July.
“Not at all,” he said, when asked if the permitting process meant a lot of municipal red tape.
The change was made quickly. Work started Sept. 17 and finished Sept. 21. The contractor was from Halifax, but work was subcontracted.
“We did use all local trades as well,” he said.
He expressed gratitude to customers for their patience. He said they tried to get it done quickly to avoid interruptions to service.
Drivers pulling up beside the drive-thru lane and stopping to dash into the restaurant, instead of using a designated parking spot, was also a topic of discussion.
Marsh isn’t happy about the practice, and expressed some concern from a safety perspective.
“(But) at the end of the day, they’re coming in spending money,” he said.
esparling@amherstdaily.com
