Meet Ella Jo

We had the privilege to interview Ella Jo, a proud Tim Horton’s franchisee and TCBC supporter!

Angharad Hatt: Can you tell me a bit about you, your family, who you are?

Ella Jo: Sure, so my family, my parents, started with the organization back in 2000. It’s been over 20 years since we joined Tim Hortons and then me and my brother, we are still working for Tim Horton’s now, and then my sister’s, well there’s four of us, so my two sisters, they work elsewhere, they found their own. So me and my brother, we work for our parents. I became a franchisee when I was 21 so it’s been well over 10 years now. I have two kids myself

Angharad Hatt: So how did your parents originally get into it, then?

Ella Jo: So we were living in Halifax before this and we were running a chain of motels. So we have some franchising experience and then they applied for Tim Hortons and then they got called in for an interview and said “Hey, do you want to move to Toronto?” So that’s how it happened. We just popped up and moved and It was a big change.

Angharad Hatt: I can imagine. So what was it, for you, that appealed to you to follow in your parent’s footsteps?

Ella Jo: I think as the oldest child, I always felt that responsibility to take care of the family, I guess. So it just started off with me working the summers, you know, as a part-time job since I was 14 years old. Working storefront, initially starting with the summers, and then, as I got older, I started working weekends. And then, I was managing a restaurant and I just kept moving my way up and there was a brief period where I tried to do my own thing within the corporate world but I just feel like Time Hortons was in my blood, looking back?

Angharad Hatt: So many how many franchise locations, do you have you don’t mind me asking?

Ella Jo: So currently we have seven locations.

Angharad Hatt: And they’re all spread out throughout the GTA?

Ella Jo: Oh yeah, they’re all pretty close to each other, around the Yorkdale area.

Angharad Hatt: So at all those locations, especially when looking back to when COVID started and as we’re slowly starting to get back to normal. But when things started, for businesses everywhere, it hit employees and employers pretty hard. But during the midst of all that, how have you worked to create an energetic, supportive, and optimistic environment, especially during those times, and as we’re coming out of it now.?

Ella Jo: Well, to be honest, I think, I mean, the smile cookie campaign really helped actually because before we would obviously work hard

to sell as many cookies but when COVID hit I thought “Oh my gosh, we need something that’s going to boost morale with the restaurants and this could be it.” And I feel like we could actually with the award if we put in a little effort. So we, my management and I, we, put a lot of energy into the smile cookie the first year that COVID hit, and that was all just so that my team members get a break from the everyday, something different, and that really helped. Really focusing on big events as opposed to before where we were just busy. Pre-covid, we were just busy. You know, speed of service, everything was just quick, quick. With COVID, we just wanted to make a more fun environment for our team and that’s what we did.

Angharad Hatt: So going outside from the internal mechanisms of the franchise and going out to Community, what role have you played in your local community, whether it’s through supporting hockey teams, outreach events, what have you done?

Ella Jo: I am part of the local Wilson village BIA. We’ve tried to make the Wilson Village area more appealing, safer. Besides that, I’ve worked with the hockey club near one of our locations, The Amesbury Hockey club. I’ve personally worked with the children’s breakfast club pre-covid. I love what you guys do. There’s the Rhema Foundation that we work with, we support the firefighters, the essential workers. We’ve been doing “Tim’s for Good”, I don’t know if you’ve heard of that.

Angharad Hatt: It sounds familiar.

Ella Jo: It’s something that Tim Horton’s has. It’s a program offered to franchisees so we can give back to the community as well, so Tim’s would individually package up things like doughnuts, baked goods, coffees and drop them off at fire stations and hospitals. So we’ve been doing that. With COVID it’s a little difficult, you can’t do hands-on things or visit them in person without pre-booking, it’s a bit awkward. Tim’s for Good has been a good way to give back to the community. So that’s what we’ve been doing this year.

Angharad Hatt: When doing these outreach events, what do you find most rewarding either for yourself, or looking from a franchise perspective?

Ella Jo: For me, just the fact that I am able to help out in any way. Children, especially kids I just have a soft spot for, maybe it’s because I have three younger siblings growing up or because I have children now, I don’t know what it is, but especially anything to do with kids. It just makes me happy that with Tim Horton’s It just really makes me happy, the fact that with Tim Horton’s, I’m able to help people, I’m able to reach out to more people as opposed to just being an individual trying to reach out here and there and help, I just feel like I have a better chance of helping people.

Angharad Hatt: Now looking at The Children’s Breakfast Club, how did you first get started with The Children’s Breakfast Club?

Ella Jo: At Tim Horton’s, we help out with a lot of foundation charities but when I heard about The Children’s Breakfast Club, I was interested. I was like “what really is this?”. The fact that I could personally go into these locations and help out, and which I did for a little bit, just to see how everything works. Just seeing these kids, you know, coming in early to get breakfast it, honestly, it was really sad, but I could also see what a great job Children’s Breakfast Club is doing. I feel like I could relate because I feel like in my childhood, I’ve been in that situation where money was tight, and you know, I just feel that for kids, food is such a basic necessity, and so giving that to children is so amazing.

Angharad Hatt: And that’s why you continue to support the children’s breakfast club and what we do?

Ella Jo: Yes. With Tim Horton’s and personally, I still support The Children’s Breakfast Club.

Angharad Hatt: Any closing comments?

Ella Jo: I just want to thank The Children’s Breakfast Club for the amazing work that they do, and I will always be a supporter.

Angharad Hatt: We appreciate you. Thank you.