Eatery plans brand change Tim Hortons moving in

Four former Wendy’s restaurants in Maine will be converted to the Tim Hortons brand starting this month.

The restaurants are in Brewer, Newport, Skowhegan and Norway, according to a Tim Hortons announcement Friday.

Both Wendy’s and Tim Hortons are fast-food restaurants under the corporate umbrella of Wendy’s International Inc., based in Dublin, Ohio.

Tim Hortons New England already has eight franchisees in Maine.

Last month, Tim Hortons completed an initial public offering of 17.25 percent of the company, and it now trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges.

Wendy’s International Inc. maintains an 82.75 percent ownership in the company and has announced that it intends to spin off the remainder of Tim Hortons by the end of 2006.

“Tim Hortons is thrilled with the opportunity to open these new locations in Bangor and the surrounding communities,” said Chris Laganos, senior vice president, U.S. operations, for Tim Hortons.

“We are committed to the New England region as a key component of our future success and look forward to serving the Bangor community this fall.”