The Swaying Queen

“Not everyone who works at Tim Hortons should own one. And not everyone with the money should either.”

I attended a leadership symposium recently and found myself sitting at a table with ten restaurant managers. Before the program officially began, while everyone was enjoying breakfast and networking, one person approached a leader from the head office and asked:

“I’ve been working in my store for almost 12 years. How much will it cost me to franchise one? I think I am capable enough to have my own because I learned how handle own store and I almost see most of the products.”

At first, it seemed like a simple question. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how often ownership is viewed primarily through the lens of money.

I used to think owning a Tim Hortons came down to two things: getting the opportunity and having the capital.

The more time I spend working inside a store, the more I realize how wrong that assumption was. Working in a restaurant gives you exposure to the business, but exposure isn’t the same as responsibility. You can know how to make the coffee, serve customers, and run a shift.

You can understand the products, the systems, and the daily routines.

But ownership operates on a completely different level.

It’s equipment failures during the busiest part of the day when every minute costs money and affects customer experience. It’s unexpected expenses that don’t care whether you’re ready for them or not. It’s renovations, maintenance, inspections, deadlines, and decisions that can’t be avoided.

It’s being responsible for the business when things go right and when they go wrong.

And money alone doesn’t solve those problems.

Having the capital to buy a store doesn’t automatically give someone the ability to lead people, make difficult decisions, handle pressure, or build a strong operation.

A business can absorb many mistakes, but poor leadership has a way of showing up everywhere.

The longer I work in this environment, the more respect I gain for the people who successfully own and operate stores.

Because what they’re managing isn’t just a restaurant.

They’re managing people.

Different personalities. Different expectations.

Different levels of experience. Different challenges every single day.

They’re responsible for creating consistency in an environment that is constantly changing.

They’re expected to maintain standards, solve problems, support employees, satisfy customers, and keep the business moving forward regardless of what happens behind the scenes.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that ownership isn’t something you earn simply because you’ve worked in the business long enough.

And it isn’t something you deserve simply because you can afford it.

Ownership requires judgment.

It requires leadership. It requires emotional control under pressure.

It requires the ability to make decisions when there isn’t a perfect answer.

Most importantly, it requires a level of responsibility that many people don’t fully understand until they’re carrying it themselves.

I’m still learning every day, but one thing has become clear:

Owning a Tim Hortons isn’t about having the money or the opportunity.

It’s about becoming the kind of person who can handle the responsibility that comes with it.