Tim Hortons expanding in England, Scotland, Wales

Restaurant Brands International, the parent company of Tim's Hortons,said Wednesday it has reached a deal with an investorto open thefirst full-service outlets ofthe Canadian restaurant chainin England, Scotland and Wales.

"This deal is part of our growth plan to take the iconic Tim Hortonsbrand around the world," said Daniel Schwartz, chief executive ofRestaurant Brands International.

Great Britainis an attractive market with a strong and growing coffee culture, Schwartz said, calling it "a natural fit."

Reports indicate the expansion will begin in 2017, although no details have been provided on the number of Tim Hortons outlets planned.

Bloomberg reported that Tim Hortons will face competition in the British market fromMcDonald's Corp., Starbucks Corp. andDunkin' Donuts, which are established there already.

Tim Hortons already has smaller outlets in Britain, but this will be its first foray into full-service outlets there.

• TimHortonsplans Philippines expansion

News of the chain'sambitions in Great Britain arrivesabout a month after a similar deal tolaunch in the Philippines was revealed.

Tim Hortons' expansion into the U.S. has not been entirely successful. In 2010, it closed54 stores in New England, because sales were slow. Last year, it also shutteredsome restaurants in New York and Maine aftera performance review.

As of the end of June, there were4,464 Tim Hortons outletsinCanada,the United Statesand theMiddle East.