Tim Hortons drive-thru to open at Wednesbury retail park

Canadian firm Tim Hortons will take over a unit which is currently home to Pizza Hut next to Gallagher Shopping Park, off Axletree Way.

A new drive-thru would be added to the existing restaurant after the application was approved by Sandwell Council.

The application states that Tim Hortons plans for the venue to be open 24-hours-a-day. The venture would create around 50 jobs.

Sandwell Council imposed a condition aimed at discouraging schoolchildren from constantly using takeaways, which means no more than 30 per cent of the turnover of the drive-thru restaurant can be from hot food takeaways.

There was debate among the council’s planners whether Tim Hortons should look to open the new coffee shop in one of the borough’s town centres instead of an ‘out-of-town’ shopping centre.

Tim Hortons eventually provided the authority with its research into empty units across Wednesbury and the surrounding area – saying the former Pizza Hut was the only suitable location.

Tim Hortons sells a range of coffees and other hot and cold drinks, breakfast sandwiches and wraps, pancakes, burgers and melts, and a range of baked goods including doughnuts.

It would be the second Tim Hortons drive-thru to open in Sandwell after a restaurant opened at Birchley Island, next to the M5, in 2022.

A statement included with the application said: “The proposal will result in the re-use of a soon-to-be vacant unit, improvements to the external appearance of the unit, and will provide the more modern facilities now expected by the public.

“It will also bring about much-needed investment during the construction phase and upon occupation of the unit by Tim Hortons, local employment opportunities will be created.”