TORONTO – More than 400 Tim Hortons restaurants along Canadian highways will provide food and drink service at the counter for truck drivers, and bathrooms ­– which are sanitized at least every 15 minutes – will be open, the company said.

“Canada is relying on frontline essential workers to get us through the COVID-19 crisis and truck drivers play an integral role in keeping the country running,” said Mike Hancock, chief operating officer at Tim Hortons Canada. “We salute them, we thank them for their tireless work. We know there have been barriers for truck drivers in accessing clean washrooms and food and drinks to keep them going during their work. We made it a priority to address these issues and we continue to work on how we can better serve truck drivers and all guests.”

Currently, more than 2,000 Tim Hortons restaurants across Canada remain open for takeout service and have open bathrooms for customers. The company is encouraging restaurant owners to adopt a new curbside mobile ordering system to improve access at restaurants where takeout service is no longer being offered but the drive-thru remains open. Owners are being encouraged to adopt curbside mobile ordering particularly to help serve truck drivers whose vehicles cannot access drive-thru lanes, the company said.

“The health and safety of guests is our top priority and for that reason we cannot allow guests to walk the drive-thru,” Hancock said. “However, we believe this new service option will provide another way for us to serve the vital truck driving community in Canada, along with guests who might not have a vehicle and want to make purchases at Tim Hortons restaurants where only the drive-thru is open.”