Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop is paying it forward in celebration of National Random Acts of Kindness Week by picking up the bill for unknowing guests at the drive-thru.

This is the second year Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop has held its Random Acts of Kindness event. In 2011, the restaurant chain treated 5,100 guests to a free order. This year, it plans on treating even more customers in approximately 250 restaurants.

Doing good at the drive-thru isn't a new concept to the cafe and bake shop chain. Restaurant owners, managers, and team members regularly witness customers paying for a stranger's order—especially during the morning rush when drive-thru lines can get particularly long.

"We were in awe of the generosity and the significant number of our guests who pay for another person's order almost daily," says Mike Meilleur, senior vice president U.S. operations.

"Their admirable kindness and generosity inspired us to do the same."

A customer who receives a free order will be given a sticker that reads, "I just received a Random Act of Kindness from Tim Hortons," as well as a free coffee card to pass along to someone else to continue spreading kindness.

Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop's Random Acts of Kindness event kicks off in all U.S. markets at select restaurants on Monday, February 13. The program ends Friday, February 17.

National Random Acts of Kindness Week is celebrated February 13-19 and was founded by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.

Tim Hortons is one of the largest publicly-traded restaurant chains in North America based on market capitalization. As of October 2, 2011, Tim Hortons had 645 restaurants in the United States and 3,871 restaurants systemwide. For more information, visit www.timhortons.com.