Caribou Coffee vs Tim Hortons:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Tim Hortons had more branded searches than Caribou Coffee among coffee chains in the United States. Tim Hortons had about 1 million branded searches, while Caribou Coffee had 550,000. Tim Hortons made up 3.5% of all coffee chain searches we track, and Caribou Coffee accounted for 1.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about coffee chains, Caribou Coffee appeared in one of the three answers and Tim Hortons in none.
Who do people search for more?
Tim Hortons, about 82% more searches than Caribou Coffee
Who does AI mention more?
Caribou Coffee, mentioned in 1 of 3 answers, Tim Hortons in 0
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Top coffee chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, Caribou Coffee was mentioned in one out of three: in one of the three ChatGPT answers. Tim Hortons did not appear in any of the three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Starbucks1st
Dunkin'2nd
Peet's Coffee3rd
Dutch Bros4th- Caribou Coffee5th
- Tim Hortons–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Starbucks3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Dunkin'3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Dutch Bros3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Peet's Coffee3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Caribou Coffee1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Tim Hortons0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
See every answer about coffee chains
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which coffee chain is best in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best coffee chains in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best US coffee chain for iced coffee?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“coffee shops”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“coffee shop”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Is Caribou Coffee or Tim Hortons more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Caribou Coffee and Tim Hortons by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six coffee chains we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Tim Hortons, Caribou Coffee. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Starbucks | Dunkin' | Dutch Bros | Tim Hortons | Caribou Coffee | Peet's Coffee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 64.4% | 26.4% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Nov 2025 | 62.9% | 25.8% | 6.9% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 63.7% | 26.2% | 5.7% | 2.1% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 57.7% | 28.9% | 7.8% | 2.8% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 49.1% | 36.9% | 8.1% | 3% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 45.6% | 38.8% | 9.2% | 3.4% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 42.6% | 41.5% | 8.6% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 39.7% | 44.7% | 8% | 3.6% | 2% | 2% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.9% | 44.9% | 8% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 39.9% | 44.9% | 8% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.6% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.3% | 42.1% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 48.1% | 38.3% | 6.5% | 3.5% | 1.9% | 1.6% |
How has the Caribou Coffee and Tim Hortons comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Tim Hortons was ahead of Caribou Coffee in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Caribou Coffee’s share of searches among coffee chains in the United States moved from 1.2% to 1.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 550K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Tim Hortons’ share of searches among coffee chains in the United States moved from 2.1% to 3.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1M.
How did search popularity change for United States coffee chains in September 2026?
0 changes
Neither Caribou Coffee nor Tim Hortons moved beyond provider rounding among coffee chains in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Caribou Coffee’s and Tim Hortons’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Caribou Coffee
1 branded search term
- caribou coffee
Tim Hortons
1 branded search term
- tim hortons
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