SHANGHAI, Feb 26 — Iconic Canadian coffee and donut chain Tim Hortons has planted its first flag in China with the opening of a new restaurant in Shanghai.

The first of 1,500 restaurants slated to open across the country over the next decade, the Shanghai location opened in the People’s Square today.

While Tim Hortons is actually majority-owned by Brazilian investment company 3G following its 2014 merger with Burger King, maple leafs, red plaid motifs and hockey stick decor remind Chinese visitors of its origins as a quintessentially Canadian brand.

Along with the unofficial hot drink of Canada — the iconic Double Double coffee — the Chinese outpost also features menu items exclusive to the Chinese market like steeped black lemon peach oolong tea and blueberry roselle tea.

New espresso beverages include Macha and hazelnut lattes and maple macchiato, while savoury launches include Montreal style beef sandwiches and black pepper beef wraps.

Tim Hortons follows Starbucks in becoming the latest Western coffee chain to make aggressive moves into the Chinese market. Tim Hortons now has 4,800 restaurants in the US, Mexico, Europe, the Philippine and Middle East. — AFP-Relaxnews