Yellowknife (July 06/01) - Tim Hortons is looking for somebody to buy into the Yellowknife franchise following last Friday's shutdown by the health inspector.

Tim Hortons' employee Sandra Sutherland, 17, serves up fresh coffee and doughnuts after the store reopened under corporate management. - Thorunn Howatt/NNSL photo

The store is being run under the company's corporate management team since last Sunday, when Dennis and Pam MacAskill gave up their franchise ownership.

Corporate manager Caroline Leveillee came from Red Deer to start shaping up the doughnut shop. She said the location's employees won't lose their jobs.

"We hire back everyone and give them the choice if they want to stay or go," she said.

Leveillee will be managing the Yellowknife store for only a week when another corporate "fixer" will come to town.

Temporary corporate managers will run the store until September, "when we expect to renovate," said corporate spokesperson Patti Jameson.

Tim Hortons re-acquires ownership of stores across Canada infrequently.

"We're not talking dozens here. We buy back the stores and find other franchisees," Jameson said.

A Tim Hortons franchise costs close to $400,000 including equipment and trademarks but not building or property.

"It was a mutual agreement. The MacAskill's decided, due to the pressures, to move on to other things," said Jameson said.

"It was decided we buy back the store from them. The MacAskills will be compensated appropriately."