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JAMESTOWN – A popular coffee shop in the Jamestown area is celebrating a big milestone on Thursday: 20-years in business.
On April 7, 2002, Blake Tarana’s family opened the area’s first Tim Hortons Coffee Shop in Brooklyn Square, since then they have expanded to a total of five local stores.
He felt the Canadian brand would excel locally, but not to this extent. Nationwide, the Tim Hortons brand boasts a per-capita presence of 1 store per 10,000 people, in Jamestown Tarana’s operation averages 1 store to about 4,000 residents.
In celebration of the anniversary, the coffee shop is selling 20 cent hot coffee all day. Those with the Tim Horton’s rewards card can enter to win free coffee for one year.
Tarana, who now runs the business alongside his wife Erin who he met at the very first shop, credit’s the community’s support for their success, which is why he says it is important to give back.
“There’s national programs that Tim Hortons does, the soccer programs, the hockey programs, but it’s nice for us to give back to the community, whether it would be UPMC or to The Zone at the ice rink, Camp Day, everything that we do, we try to keep local, we try to direct it around kids,” explained Tarana. “If we can try to help the youth in this area, that’s what we are looking for.”
Two decades later, the business continues to eye expansion by opening another location in Jamestown. Tarana could not go into great detail because plans are still in the works, but hopes to get development underway later this year, so stay tuned.
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