TIM Hortons, the Canadian cafe chain, is to open its first UK store in Glasgow, creating hundreds of jobs as it prepares to expand across Britain this year.

The cafe will open on Glasgow’s Argyle Street later in the spring, with “nationwide expansion” also on the cards. The company is looking to cash in on the UK’s coffee shop market, which is worth over £6 billion annually.

Gurprit Dhaliwal, chief operating officer at Tim Hortons UK and Ireland, said: “We’ve witnessed Tim Hortons’ phenomenal success in Canada, and wanted to replicate this in Great Britain.

“It’s hard to explain just how important Tim Hortons is to Canadians, it’s not just a restaurant, it’s a way of life. and a place of home, and We’re positive Great Britain will fall in love with the brand.”

The company described Britain as a “key strategic market”.

The chain’s parent company, Canadian firm Restaurant Brands International, is one of the world’s largest quick service restaurant companies.

Eight out of 10 cups of coffee sold across Canada are served at Tim Hortons and more than 5.3 million Canadians, around 15 per cent of the population, visit its cafes daily.