Hot off the press: The dish on Canadians' lunchtime habits

- Tim Hortons new Paninis grillin' to fill the lunchtime void -

OAKVILLE, ON, Nov. 13, 2012 /CNW/ - Brown-bag boredom is the biggest reason. Men want a hot meal, women want to satisfy their lunchtime cravings and everyone wants it as quick as possible. When it comes to lunch, these are just some of the top reasons why Canadians choose to go out to eat, according to a new poll conducted by Ipsos Loyalty on behalf of Tim Hortons who have just launched their new grilled Panini sandwiches.

The poll showed that many Canadians use their allotted lunch time as a midday catch-up, with 30 per cent of the respondents saying they like to socialize with friends and colleagues over a quick noon-time bite. The Ipsos findings revealed the following:

• Nearly 40 per cent of Canadians eat out for lunch in a given month
• Forty-seven per cent of those who bring their lunch at least sometimes wished they had gone out to eat instead and nearly 20%percent actually do ditch their brown bag and eat out instead
• Sixty per cent are in search of a hot lunch, with men ranking this as 10 percent more important than women
• Women (44%) are nearly 10 per cent more likely than men (35%) to head out for lunch in order to satisfy a craving
• Two-thirds (68%) of those who eat out are hustling to eat in thirty minutes or less

The study among Canadians from coast-to-coast was commissioned as part of Tim Hortons' launch of its new Grilled Panini sandwiches. Widely introduced over the past three months throughout Tim Hortons' restaurants, there are five Panini varieties: Tuscan Chicken, Chipotle Turkey, Smoked Ham & Cheese and Bacon, Tomato & Cheese all $5.29 and Grilled Cheese at $3.99.

"We found the survey results really interesting in that it confirmed people are indeed time-starved and are looking for a hot and hearty lunch, something that is beyond the ordinary," explains Donna Finelli, Vice President Food Marketing, Tim Hortons. "That is why we introduced Tim Hortons new grilled Panini sandwiches."

The new sandwiches are made fresh and pressed to order, to deliver on Canadians' need for a quick and satisfying lunch. "Since the launch, our Tuscan Chicken Panini has become one of our top selling sandwiches," said Finelli. "Our guests have told us they love that it is made fresh and pressed to order in minutes. They feel they can either sit down or grab one on the run and still really enjoy it."

It is not surprising that Tim Hortons Grilled Paninis are a winner with restaurant guests given that the Ipsos study confirmed that sandwiches are the number one menu pick for 77 per cent of diners from choices that include pizza, hamburgers, sushi and shawarma.

The Tim Hortons/Ipsos Reid study provided the following additional insights about lunchtime habits for various regions of the country:

• Ontarians (at 72%) are the most likely to have 30 minutes or less for a lunch break
• Sixty-three per cent of Canadians say their lunch break has remained about the same length over the last 5 years, but those in British Columbia are most likely to say that the length of their lunch break has decreased (23%)
• At 46 per cent, residents of Atlantic Canada are the most likely to buy lunch out once a month, even when they bring a home-made lunch to work
• Those who eat lunch out in Quebec are the most likely to cite the importance of a hot meal at 60 per cent of respondents

ABOUT TIM HORTONS INC.
Tim Hortons is one of the largest publicly-traded restaurant chains in North America based on market capitalization, and the largest in Canada. Operating in the quick service segment of the restaurant industry, Tim Hortons appeals to a broad range of consumer tastes, with a menu that includes premium coffee, espresso-based hot and cold specialty drinks including lattes, cappuccinos and espresso shots, specialty teas, fruit smoothies, home-style soups, fresh Panini and classic sandwiches, wraps, hot breakfast sandwiches and fresh baked goods, including our trademark donuts. As of September 30th, 2012, Tim Hortons had 4,138 systemwide restaurants, including 3,365 in Canada, 755 in the United States and 18 in the Gulf Cooperation Council. More information about the Company is available at www.timhortons.com.Follow Tim Hortons on Twitter: www.twitter.com/timhortons. 

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Loyalty poll conducted between October 22^nd to 29^th, 2012 on behalf of Tim Hortons. For this survey, a sample of 2,022 Canadians from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval.  In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points of all Canadians.  All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.  For more information on credibility intervals, please visit the Ipsos website at http://ipsos-na.com/dl/pdf/research/public-affairs/IpsosPA_CredibilityIntervals.pdf.

Image with caption: "More than 68% of Canadians who eat out for lunch have 30 minutes or less to do so according to a new poll conducted by Ipsos Loyalty on behalf of the launch of Tim Hortons new grilled Panini sandwiches. (CNW Group/Tim Hortons Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20121113_C7238_PHOTO_EN_20518.jpg

SOURCE: Tim Hortons Inc.