Tim Hortons reopens washrooms after sparking customer complaint

Tim Hortons has now reopened public restrooms in most of its Saint John restaurants two days after sparking a complaint from a dine-in customer who was told to use the washroom at the nearby Irving convenience store.

Erik Millett stopped for lunch Wednesday at the Tim's on University Avenue.

When he inquired about using the washroom, he was told they remained closed.

He says, while hand sanitizer was available in the restaurant, basic Public Health advice for dealing withCOVID-19 is to wash your hands with soap and water.

He said counter staff advised him he could use the restroom at the Irving convenience store around the corner on Millidge Avenue.

Millett says the same advice was given to two other customers who inquired.

"If you're going to open your dining room, you need to make sure that you have a washroom that's available to your patrons," said Millett. "That's pretty basic, even in a non COVID-19 environment, having a washroom available to your patrons would be essential."

Millett says after leaving the restaurant he contacted Public Health.

"My point is not to harangue businesses, many businesses have suffered tremendously through this," he said. "I just think that we need to think carefully about how those protocols are put in place, and who they apply to, and are they - sort of - consistent and administered fairly and administered from a public health perspective."

CBC visited four Tim Horton's in the city Thursday morning finding dining areas at three - Simms Corner, Lansdowne Plaza, and King Street West were all open, but with the washrooms closed. A check later Thursday afternoon found the restroom at the King Street West location only had been opened to the public.

By Friday afternoon washrooms in all four locations were open to the public.

Calls to Tim Horton's Corporate headquarters in Toronto and to local franchise holder, Murphy Foodservice Ltd, have not been returned.