Tim Hortons. Coffee, donuts and Canadian identity. What more could you possibly want? Well, maybe quenchers? Chilli? Beef lasagna casserole? Pulled pork sandwiches? Pizza?! Please, just tell them so they can sell it.

In all seriousness, Tim Hortons offering new menu items isn't a bad thing, but it does let us ask an important question about what the chain has become: Is it a Canadian staple, that both aspiring politicians and savvy marketers use as a stand-in for what makes Canada great? Or is it one arm of a huge, soulless global food brand with no motivation other than to suck up as much market share as it possible? Could it be the answer is ... somehow, both those things?

GUEST: Tom Jokinen, writing in The Walrus

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