A Tim Hortons in Nova Scotia that drew national attention when customers said they saw an image of Jesus on its wall has been torn down.

Thousands flocked to the coffee shop in Little Bras d'Or, N.S., in 1998 to see it for themselves, but the pilgrimage dried up when a worker replaced some burnt-out bulbs in the outdoor lighting and the image disappeared.

Community hub

The coffee shop has been a long-standing meeting place for the surrounding area.

Regulars were surprised when the building was torn down this week to make room for a new structure with a larger drive-thru and more parking.

"Holy smokes. What's happening here?" said one man on Tuesday.

A trailer has been brought in as a temporary Tim Hortons until the new building is finished in December.

'Jesus bricks'

Little Bras d'Or resident Kim Whitty remembers when the image of Jesus appeared in the building's brickwork. Now she wonders where those bricks are.

"If the Jesus bricks are here or gone or if they were taken out individually and kept to the side, I don't know," she said.

Staff at the mobile unit serving up double-doubles and doughnuts aren't saying.

"God knows," was the response.