Tim Hortons replacing another big chain has Toronto neighbourhood concerned

It's been more than a year now since a Starbucks in Liberty Village shuttered its doors, and after months of wondering what would swoop in to replace the chain, it looks like residents finally have some answers.

The coffee shop, which sat at the base of Liberty House at 15 Solidarity Way, first opened its doors back in June 2022, and operated for just over three years before closing last September, along with 13 other Starbucks locations across Toronto.

After months of quietly sitting vacant, branding for a new Tim Hortons shop was installed at the location this week, with a simple message that reads "opening soon."

The news immediately circulated in a local Facebook group, where residents shared concerns about what the presence of yet another massive coffee chain in the area could mean for the neighbourhood’s independent coffee shops.

Liberty Village is already home to a number of big-name coffee shops, including a Starbucks inside Altea Active at 25 Ordnance St., as well as a Timmy's at 171 East Liberty St. at the Liberty Market Building.

Tim Hortons signage popped up at the storefront this week after sitting vacant for months. Photo: blogTO. 

Along with these locations, there's also a Starbucks inside the Metro at 100 Lynn Williams St., as well as another location just steps away at 85 Hanna Ave. Plans are also in the works to replace the former Starbucks nearby at 1005 King St. W. with a Tim Hortons location.

While many residents expressed that they hoped to see a smaller, local business take over the storefront near East Liberty and Strachan, others pointed out that the area's sky-high rent would've made it difficult for an independent business to take over the space, especially given he heavy foot and vehicle traffic during major events at RBC Amphitheatre and BMO Field, as well as the CNE and Air Show.

The arrival of the upcoming Tim Hortons comes just as Starbucks continues to close locations across Ontario. Last month, the Seattle-based company revealed that it plans to close 250 locations in Canada and the U.S. by the end of fiscal 2026.

As a result, the chain has continued to lose locations across Toronto in recent years, including most recently, the longstanding Starbucks at Church and Wellesley, which closed its doors on Sept. 26.

This closure followed the shuttering of other staple locations across the city, including the Starbucks at Queen and Brookmount and Spadina and Richmond. According to 6ixRetail, nearly 50 Toronto Starbucks location have closed their doors since 2021, including recent ones at Bay and Temperance, and Portland and Adelaide.