CARSTAIRS - The recent grand opening of Tim Hortons in Carstairs saw some unique guests come through the drive-thru.
Jules Rainforth from Rein Forth Equine and four friends rode their horses through the drive-thru on Dec. 29 to celebrate the opening and get some coffee and snacks.
Rainforth told the Gazette it was a lot of fun and everything went well. She said she had done a similar thing a few years back at the McDonald's drive-thru in Cochrane.
"It went really well," said Rainforth. "We had a ton of fun! They were expecting us and were very helpful. They went so far as to close the drive-thru until we were done. My horses are used to being out in public but this decreased any stress they may have had."
Rainforth said the people in town were all very supportive and appreciative.
"Carstairs residents have been really excited about having Tim Hortons open in town and we were very much anticipating the grand opening," said Rainforth."The residents here are amazing and slowed down when they drove by. It was much appreciated."
Rainforth said that once a year Tim Hortons takes a portion of its proceeds and helps send kids from low-income families to summer camp.
"It felt good to support an organization that grasps the importance of our young people's emotional well- being," she said. "I run a kids' wellness camp with horses every summer and the health and well-being of Mountain View County is important to me."
John Kerrin, Tim Hortons' district manager, was on hand at the grand opening and said it was great to see the horses come through.
"It was planned in advance," said Kerrin. "Jules and her group approached us and we thought it would be a wonderful idea. It went fantastic. It went off without a hitch, no pun intended. They came in, got some coffee and lunch and moved on."
Kerrin said that riding the horses through the drive-thru was a great way to kick off the store opening.
"We're very community oriented at Tim Hortons," he said. "I can't think of a better way than to have some of Carstairs' finest come through and help with the opening. When Jules approached we thought what a way to be welcomed to the community."
Kerrin said the opening of the store has gone very well overall.
"We've had some great feedback from the community," he said. "We've been welcomed with open arms and were thrilled to be there."
Kerrin said that the store has 47 employees. He added that when Wendy's opens next year, it will hire another 45 people.
