Tim Hortons has been open in the downtown Centre Square Mall for less than a week and some retailers are already seeing more people visiting their stores.

SA国际影视传媒淔oot traffic has gone up,SA国际影视传媒� said Darlene Tsetso-Horassi, sales associate at clothing store Bootlegger. Her manager, Evangeline Kapotaon, noticed right away how loud it got after the coffee franchise opened up. The two quickly pointed out that the noise is positive and not associated with drunken behaviour or other issues that have plagued the mall in the past.

Kapotaon said the sales have also gone up and the amount of Tim Hortons cups in peopleSA国际影视传媒檚 hands while they browse the store links those sales to the opening of the coffee chain.

SA国际影视传媒淚 can't believe the amount of people that are coming in. It's always busy,SA国际影视传媒� she said, adding she hopes the momentum keeps going.

Greg Barton, co-owner of the downtown Tim Hortons franchise together with Deborah Barton and Suzanne Desfosses, said retailers have approached them in the mall to thank them for bringing the foot traffic. Some have told him the amount of people coming in has doubled or tripled in a matter of days.

SA国际影视传媒淚t's all positive traffic of people that are actually buying things and there's a lot more activity in the mall, so itSA国际影视传媒檚 been quite well received,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

A single franchise moving downtown wonSA国际影视传媒檛 make a huge difference, said city councillor Adrian Bell, but taken with other new arrivals such as Birchwood Coffee Ko and YK Hotpot, the opening may be a positive sign for the area.

SA国际影视传媒淢aybe this is in fact a trend and maybe we can look at this as the signs of life of a retail sector that has been struggling for quite a while,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Not all retailers are reporting an upswing in sales. Dan Hayward, owner of Dan's Place on the upper level of the mall, said heSA国际影视传媒檚 seen virtually no change since the franchise opened.

SA国际影视传媒淢ost of the people that want coffee and donuts are going to be the people working in offices in and around this area. They're not shoppers,SA国际影视传媒� he said, adding heSA国际影视传媒檇 like to see a department store or large retailer move in.

SA国际影视传媒淭here's only one thing that's going to make this mall work and that is if we can get a major (tenant),SA国际影视传媒� he said.

According to Tai Tran, owner of P and T Alterations and Embroidery, there has been another big change in the mall this summer - the fights, loitering and public intoxication have mostly dissipated.

He attributes the change not to Tim Hortons, but to the security company North Star Security and Investigations that took over security of both the upper and lower levels of the mall in May.

Right after moving in, the company became the subject of controversy over a number of incidents between security officers and homeless people inside the mall.

A representative from Centre Square Mall ownership could not be reached for comment as of press time.