Tim Hortons could be an easy sell in Florida thanks to Canadian tourists, Burger King

If Burger King can structure its company right, the Miami-based fast food chain could lead to a whopper of a Tim Hortons expansion in Florida.

Burger King confirmed Tuesday that it is making a pitch to buy Canada's Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop for $11 billion to leverage the brand's coffee and breakfast market. It's probably best because did anyone really think that burgers for breakfast was going to work?

I've always thought that Tim Hortons would be a genius move for a business in Florida despite having to slug it out with Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks, especially here in the Bradenton area.

In the last year, Manatee and Sarasota counties combined attracted about 100,000 Canadian tourists. That's just some of the 3.7 million Canadians who visited Florida. Have you not seen how many Ontario license plates roam these roads during winter? Sometimes I felt like I had to check to make sure I wasn't being tricked into thinking that I lived in the southernmost province of the Great White North.

Plus, we have a good chunk of Canadian transplants who now live here year-round. I remember first meeting Schroeder-Manatee Ranch's Todd Pokrywa last year and we struck up a brief chat about the love of Tim Hortons, or Timmy's. The Canadian native had his stash of Tim Hortons coffee in his office for a Cup of Joe that reminds him of home.

It might mean a gift basket from relatives up north or ordering online for some to get Tim Horton. The U.S. locations are predominately in the Great Lakes region stretching from Michigan to New York. For now, if you want to get a fix of Tim Hortons, you'll have to go to the Tampa Bay Times Forum and BB&T Center where a small stand sells only coffee. Sorry, no Timbits or sandwiches there.

These folks would surely line up for a box of Timbits while hoping the butter tarts are added back to the menu.

There are foodies out there who would ask why have another chain restaurant given the area's bevy of good independent restaurants, some of those being fast food. That foodtopia is never going to arrive. Vacationers often crave the familiar and affordable.

Tim Hortons made a concerted push this past year to get more American franchisees, airing prime-time ads during the National Hockey League's outdoor games earlier this year. So, they're trying. It's going to take a franchisee signing for multiple locations to make it work, and that means a lot of capital. That's where Burger King's executives could help their Tim Hortons counterparts in navigating site selection and Florida regulations as well as connecting with investors and existing Burger King franchisees looking for something new.

You'd think someone would hit up one of the retired NHLers and coaches living part time in the area including Scotty Bowman, Larry Robinson, Steve Shutt or Bobby Clarke who might have a warm place in their hearts for Tim Hortons. But really, I'd ask Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett.

Why him? Bennett once operated Dunkin' Donuts franchises and he co-owns the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex. The ice rink has a vacancy where restaurants have come and gone, the latest being a steakhouse. Bennett would like a national chain to go in there, and why not Tim Hortons? There's a fixed, dedicated audience because hockey demographics easily cross with Tim Hortons. If the space is too big, stick an urgent care in there to handle all the bumps and bruises from the ice rink, and that space would be humming.

I'd ask Mike what he would think of this, but he was tied up at the Primary Election on Tuesday looking to count votes instead of coffee beans.

Even if he doesn't go with it, I wonder if the model Timmy's uses in America's snowiest city would work here, where the coffee shop partners in the same space with ColdStone Creamery -- like Dunkin' puts a Baskin Robins in its store.

I'm rooting for the brand in Florida because it brings back some good memories of when I played travel hockey in high school and we had a chance to stop off and try a Tim Hortons. We didn't have any in Maryland. I was impressed with the clean layout and how breakfast entrees would be served with a glass plate and silverware.

I don't think I ended up trying a Tim Hortons doughnut until I interned at the Erie Times-News in 2006. At the time, Timmy's flooded the market in Erie, Pa., and there seemed to be one on every corner. Somebody brought them into work one day and I wasn't impressed at first. But then I tried it again and there's something about them that makes them worthwhile. Maybe it's the special lard, I don't know.

If Timmy's ever comes to Florida, it won't have a problem finding a familiar audience.

Friendly City isn't the friendliest city, but close according to Rand McNally

The Friendly City isn't the Friendliest City, but darn close.

Randy McNally announced its Best of the Road winners Thursday, which included six categories of the Best Small Towns. For Friendliest City, Bradenton was named a runner up. The winner was Kewanee, Ill., located east of Davenport, Iowa.

Bradenton also joined runner-ups Macon, Ga., Murray, Ky., and Keokuk, Iowa. While Bradenton's been nicknamed The Friendly City since the 1930s, it didn't help the votes.

The winners were determined by votes and social media engagement, and because Bradenton was a finalist, had to enter a video, which you can see above, as well as an essay. Here's an excerpt proclaiming the friendliness:

Friendliness even colors the city’s approach to arts and culture. Named the #2 small city for arts in America byAmericanStyle Magazine, Bradenton is home to the Village of the Arts, an eclectic community of artists living and working together in a downtown neighborhood. Here, visitors can immerse themselves in a world of creativity, tour working studios, and even chat about inspiration and technique with an artist over a glass of sweet tea. Bradenton is also home to a potpourri of thriving galleries, art centers, theater troupes and a full calendar of musical performances, including the Bradenton Blues Festival.

The friendly approach to life transcends fun times though. Mayor Wayne Poston reports that much business in Bradenton is still accomplished with a simple handshake. In addition, the community comes together to enthusiastically serve those in need. Residents built more than 100 homes for Habitat for Humanity, and volunteer at local food banks. The city is also home to Southeastern Guide Dogs, an organization that brings new hope to the visually impaired. 

Bradenton, Florida has been “The Friendly City” for generations. Residents are still offering a warm welcome to visitors today.

The contest was sponsored by RV club Good Sam and Geocaching.com, and focused on cities that have a population of 150,000 or less and could only be in the lower 48 (sorry Hawaii and Alaska). Voting ended Sept. 3.

The Bradenton Herald reported about the contest in July when the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau tried to push out the vote:

Bradenton was entered last year in the contest, but did not win. This year, Rand McNally sent her an email notice reminding her to enter Bradenton in the contest. The visitor's bureau enlisted the help of the City of Bradenton to get the word out. Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston said it was a easy decision to make. "It would be a natural for us to win with our Friendly City slogan," said Poston. "We want to make sure people get out and vote." 

Another Gulf Coast city also received accolades. Punta Gorda was named runner-up for Most Beautiful city, losing out to Jefferson City, Mo. The only other Florida city recognized in the contest was Merritt Island, a runner-up for Geocaching.

(h/t to Realize Bradenton)

Siesta Key's Sea Spray Resort named TripAdvisor Top Bargain

Siesta Key's Sea Spray Resort is receiving national recognition for offering good deals.

The resort ranked seventh on TripAdvisor's Top U.S. Bargain Hotels, on the travel site's 12th annual Travelers' Choice awards.

No Manatee County resorts or hotels made this list, but two other Tampa Bay hotels received nods including Holiday Inn Express Crystal River at No. 12 and Gulf Tides Inn in St. Pete Beach for best bargains.

“We’re excited to recognize the world’s best properties, based on the opinions of those who know them best – the millions of travelers around the globe who come to TripAdvisor to share their experiences,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. “For those seeking inspiration for their 2014 travel planning, this list of spectacular accommodations that received 2014 Travelers’ Choice awards is a perfect place to start.

The average price for a bargain hotel on TripAdvisor's list was $91. An in-season rate in April at Sea Spray, the first available dates for booking through Expedia, ranged from $195 to $209 depending on the day and room.

Along with Bargain Hotels, TripAdvisor released rankings for other hotel categories, but the three mentioned above were the only Tampa Bay hotels to be recognized. One other Florida hotel worth mentioning is Florida's Resort Orlando, which was named Best Hotel for Families in the U.S.

Find the rest of the winners at http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice

Is there a hotel or resort in Manatee County that should have made this list? Weigh in below.

The Funniest Snowbird Travel Joke You'll Ever Hear...Ever

SRQ airport's president Rick Piccolo has a sense of humor about airport operations and travel and knows what folks go through to get to sunny Sarasota and Bradenton to get away from winter storms up north.

Given that another wave of snow is hitting the northeast today delaying travel in Bradenton-Sarasota, Piccolo told probably one of the funniest icebreakers and jokes on travel at a Kiwanis meeting on Tuesday. It sounds too good to be true.

Here's the transcript:

"There was a Minneapolis couple that had come to Sarasota for their honeymoon, and they had decided to come back during a very icy winter and decided to stay in the same hotel they visited 20 years prior.
So, because of their hectic schedules, the husband was coming down the day before the wife, flew into SRQ, and checked into the hotel. There was a computer in the hotel room, so he decided to send an email off to his wife that he had made it safely.
However, he had left off one letter out of her email address accidentally, hit the send button and ended up showing up at a widow's email inbox in Houston who had just came back from a funeral for her husband, who was a minister. She had decided to check her emails to make sure if there were any  messages of condolences from friends and relatives.
She went into the room to open the emails, let out a scream, and her son ran in. The widow was laying on the floor passed out. 

This is what was on the screen:

Subject: I've Arrived
To my loving wife:
I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now, and you're allowed to send email to your loved ones.
I just arrived and have been checked in, and I see everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow.
I'm looking forward to seeing you then. I hope your journey is as uneventful as my journey.
P.S. It sure is freaking hot down here!

That's certainly one way to remember a vacation...whether it's true or not. This joke actually has a long history, and its versions are available on myth-busting site Snopes.com. Even though it's not original, it's still funny.

Motorworks Brewing opens Tuesday to Facebook Fans

The exterior of Motorworks Brewing at 1014 Ninth St. W. in Bradenton. The brewery plans to open Tuesday. PAUL VIDELA/Bradenton Herald

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/11/14/4828157/motorworks-brewery-to-hire-20.html#storylink=cpy

Bradenton's first modern brewery is finally opening, but the brewed beers won't be quite ready.

Motorworks Brewing, 1014 9th St. W, announced on Facebook Wednesday that the brewery is opening its brewery starting Tuesday, Jan. 22, for Facebook fans from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m:

Be among the first to sample Motorworks beer, plus 25 guest taps, an extensive bottle selection, and local spirits. Mingle with the owners and brewers while enjoying video games inside and corn hole, a putting green, or bocce ball outside in our huge beer garden.

Let's not kid ourselves though. Anyone who knows about this opening will be walking through the doors, and if the admission is clicking Like on Motorworks' Facebook page, then that's both a clever social media push and an easy way to not feel guilty about showing up without being a Facebook fan.

After that, the brewery is open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. to the general public. Once this place is humming, customers can expect to hear some live music in the tap room, too.

As you read from Motorworks' announcement, they'll have plenty of beer and liquor available, but you can't buy the beer that they brew yet, so samples are being passed out. The brewing can't be done until the equipment is all in place to do mass brewing, and according to the state Department of Business and Professional Regulations, the brewing license hasn't been granted yet. 

This week the brewery is awaiting 90 bbl fermenters that are 20-foot-tall stainless steel tanks. They're so big that owners Denise and Frank Tschida hired Tom Winkler PE to cut open 8 to 12 feet through concrete floors. 

The tanks are being imported and were at customs in Miami on Wednesday, said spokeswoman and brewery vice president Ann Altman and are expected to be installed within the week.

  

Once the large tanks arrive this week, the fun isn't over. Workers will use a gantry-style system to actually lift the tanks, pass them through an opening on the second floor back wall, and lower them into place. 

The brewery is welcome news to not only the approximately 20 employees that will have probably the most exciting job (other than a reporter's), but folks around the Village of the Arts are giddy about what this brewery could do for the neighborhood. Motorworks' first partnership with the village is figuring out a food partnership with neighboring Charisma Cafe.