When it comes to the Canadian economy, Tim Hortons is like the Beatles — to the point of being able to adopt new systems of information delivery in its own sweet time.

Case in point, the chain's Facebook page was up to 1.7 million followers before it committed to Twitter. The easy ride Tim's has received in the national media no doubt contributed to the lack of hurry.

Yet the recent corporate turmoil — which led to the cushioned exit in May of chief executive Don Schroeder — also reflected a lack of success at interacting with customers. After all, they were counting on more Roll Up the Rim to Win prizes to offset any social media backlash. A profit slip was subsequently blamed on the giveaways.

While Tim Hortons could still count on a steady flow of stories for opening in Dubai or introducing lasagna, it faced a potential public relations snag last month when it was learned that a reverend apparently had an overly amorous lesbian couple ejected from a location in Blenheim, Ont. The company seemed to let the outcry run its course — by saying as little about the incident as it could.

Stepping into the public arena of Twitter, though, might also be an invitation to blunder. No doubt, given the effort to plant a Tim's or two in every neighbourhood in Canada, people will eventually expect responses about issues more complicated than a latte.

No matter how much Apple, Facebook or Google are credited for transforming the planet, their recognition factor is still dwarfed by the fast-food brands that have managed to infiltrate every neighbourhood.

Jonathan Kaplan, the founder of the Flip Video camcorder, raised his share of eyebrows when he announced plans for a chain of grilled cheese restaurants whose orders could be placed via smartphone. But a determined attempt has been made to explain the parallels between the two ventures.

The marketing of The Melt has involved making a case for the nostalgic power of simple meals that mom used to make — or at least the preparation process that she could teach her latchkey kids.

Kaplan opened his first location in San Francisco with pronouncements of how Americans have craved an eatery that does one thing well, not unlike the Flip. Plus, backing from Sequoia Capital was used to get Swedish company Electrolux to create a machine that ensured a consistent grilled constitution.

Curiosity over the concept will have to stretch beyond gadget bloggers, though. And, it will happen, if only because quick-service restaurants represent the final frontier of the monoculture. You don't need to eat in them to know that they are there.

Canadians have seen this phenomenon take shape over the past decade, as everything related to Tim Hortons has become worthy of attention — like the recent trial coffee cup sizing change in two smaller markets. The story proved more tantalizing for media outlets because it wasn't formally announced.