It’s as Canadian as hockey and beer, and almost every town has at least one. Manyknow that it was hockey legend Tim Horton who opened the first Tim Hortonsrestaurant in Hamilton, but few know the inside story of Ron Joyce, the former copwho, after the death of Horton, grew the company into a colossal North Americanenterprise that now earns over a billion dollars a year.

Always Fresh is Joyce’s own story in a blend of memoir and business book, as he looks back at how the franchise became a sacred cultural tradition. Joyce takes us back to 1964, from the first almost-failed Tim Hortons Donut Shop in Hamilton, to his full partnership with the eponymous hockeyplayer and the tough years of franchise expansion. Recalling the tragic deathof Tim Horton in 1974, and relating the little-known chapter on Joyce’s attempt to sell the chain and his subsequent legal battles with Tim’s widow, Lori, here Joyce setsthe record straight. With great candour, he reveals the strategy behind the chain’s phenomenalexpansion, including the introduction of Timbits; how Tim Hortons'coffee has become a number one seller, despite intense competition; an inside look at Donut University; and just why it is that every day tens of thousands of Canadians line up for Tim Hortons products. Joyce also gives the inside scoop on menu items that didn’t quite work out, the company’s launch of drive-thrus, why the franchises have done so well in small towns, his decision to sell the company to Dave Thomas of Wendy’s, and gives his take on Tim Hortons’ much-anticipated IPO. This bookprovides an insider’s look at an empire, its successes and failures, and the determined passion and character of the man who created it.