It’s because they can afford to. I remember pre-covid a local gem restaurant bought up a spot in the airport, did well. Covid hit and they didn’t have the money to support a location while air travel was at a low. Plus extra costs associated with running a restaurant during a pandemic.

There were other, complex reasons, too. The owners were assholes, some employees spoke out about working conditions, and they had a PR nightmare. But honestly, it was good food.

Still, all those problems would be a blip on the chart for a company like Tim Hortons who can get away with shit quality and shit conditions ad infinitum.