Tim Hortons says four retro doughnuts will return to its menu next week. Dutchies are photographed at the Tim Hortons test kitchen in Toronto, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

TORONTO - Canadians who have missed being able to buy blueberry fritters, cinnamon sugar twists and walnut crunch doughnuts at Tim Hortons are in luck.

The fast-food chain revealed Tuesday that it is reviving the three retro treats and putting them back on the menu alongside the Dutchie — the square-shaped, raisin speckled baked good that was one of Tims' first products.

The quartet will be back for a limited time, starting Jan. 10 across Tims' Canadian locations.

Their return is meant to help the company usher in its 60th anniversary, which arrives on May 17.

The chain owned by Restaurant Brands International plans to mark the anniversary year with "nods to the past" but also celebrations of "the Tims of today and the future," said Tims' chief marketing officer Hope Bagozzi.

"We wanted to kick off our 60 anniversary year with a bang and we can't wait to reintroduce Canadians to four retro doughnuts that were most popular historically among our guests," she said in a press release.

The retro doughnuts are not the only surprise Tims has in store. Bagozzi previously told The Canadian Press the company plans to revive its omelette bites.

The fluffy egg products first appeared on Tims menus in 2019, when the chain was looking to diversify its breakfast offerings with products that were different from its array of sandwiches and had fewer carbohydrates.

The omelette bites will be back on the menu on Jan. 8 and will come in bacon and egg white and spinach varieties.

Customers will also notice sweet chili chicken wraps and bowls — part of Tims' ongoing push to eke out more sales and market share during the afternoon and evening — on the menu this year.

Tims' quest to conquer later dining hours will take considerable effort. The company has long been associated with breakfast and snacks, building its reputation as the brand you turn to for coffee runs or morning treats.

The latest segment of the day faces fierce competition from fast-food mainstays like McDonald's, Wendy's, Harvey's and a slew of more recent entrants to the Canadian market like Jollibee, Dave's Hot Chicken, Blaze Pizza and Chick-fil-A.

Intensifying the fight for afternoon fast food dollars this year will be Toronto-based private investment firms Osmington Inc. and Harlo Entertainment Inc., which have said they will bring Shake Shack’s burgers and hand-spun milkshakes to Canada in 2024. They plan to open 35 locations across the country by 2035.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2024.

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News from © The Canadian Press, 2024