 Tim Hortons. (QMI Agency, file)
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With digital Timmy runs and video-chatting for Starbucks lattes, coffee breaks are getting increasingly futuristic.
Tim Hortons has introduced a new feature on its smartphone app that lets you pick up coffee for the whole office without having to take their orders.
Called TimmyRun, the feature on the TimmyMe app lets you make a list of officemates to include on your coffee runs, and will e-mail them when you're ready to head out. Your co-workers will have a set amount of time to opt in to the coffee run and place an order. When you get to Tim Hortons, you can present the final order recorded on your app.
There's also a secret list feature, where you can store your friends' preferred coffee orders and surprise them.
"We are excited to give our guests further access to all of their favourite digital tools in one convenient spot. The result is less time getting the coffee and more time enjoying it," Tim Hortons spokeswoman Linda Kosmack said.
Starbucks, meanwhile, is testing a new feature at select Washington and Nevada drive-thrus, where customers will order their frappucinos through video chat instead of just a speaker. That way, you can see the barista, even if you don't go inside.
"I loved the ability to see the person taking my order. It made the whole experience so much friendlier and personable," wrote one java junkie on the unofficial Starbucks fan site, Starbucks Melody.
There's no word on whether they'll roll out the feature elsewhere.
