It looks like Auburn residents will have a new place to get their daily coffee fix. And they won't even have to leave their cars.

The city planning board granted final approval Tuesday during its monthly meeting to have coffee company Tim Hortons build a franchise in Auburn. The current plans call for a 2,400-square-foot restaurant with a drive-up window to be built at what is now 150 Grant Ave. The store would be situated between Taco Bell and Walgreens.

With approval from the planning board, the franchise only needs to finalize construction plans and apply with the city code enforcement office for a building permit, according to city planner Stephen Selvek. Businesses often take approximately a year from this point until they open their doors, Selvek said.

However, the proposed location could mean quicker

struction, and representatives from the company are “anxious” to begin construction as soon as possible, he said.

“The access to the road already exists, and there would less permitting involved (than normal),” Selvek said.

Based in Hamilton, Ontario, the first Tim Hortons was opened in 1964. Though focused mostly on coffee, pastries and breakfast, the restaurant's menu features sandwiches and soups, as well.

When the chain merged with Wendy's International, Inc. in 1995, the company began to expand into the United States, according to the company Web site, www.timhortons.com. Buffalo was the first U.S. city with a Tim Hortons.

There are 2,750 Tim Hortons locations in Canada and more than 398 stores in the United States, including locations in New York, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia and Kentucky. By the end of the year, the company plans to have 500 stores in the country, including locations in and around Syracuse, company spokesperson Rachel Douglas said.

The Auburn location is expected to be open by the fall, Douglas said.

The city planning board also gave final approval at Tuesday's meeting for a Rite Aid Pharmacy with a drive-up window to be located at what is now 304 to 318 Genesee St.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net