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“We have had to make some difficult but necessary decisions today as we reorganize our company to position ourselves for the significant growth and opportunities ahead of us,” Alexandra Cygal, spokeswoman for the recently formed Restaurant Brands International Inc., said in an emailed statement.

No firm numbers were given, but the layoffs, first reported in the Financial Post last week, were expected to affect hundreds of employees.

“This comprehensive process has created tremendous opportunities for some of our employees in new roles and promotions. We are confident the new organization will be faster, more efficient and better-positioned for continued success.”

People familiar with the situation said the job cuts occurred at the headquarters and at all of the Tim Hortons offices in Canada and one in the United States. Tim Hortons employed roughly 1,400 employees across seven regional offices prior to the blockbuster $12.5-billion deal struck last August to create the world’s third-largest restaurant chain.

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The atmosphere has been tense at company headquarters since executives formerly affiliated with Burger King and its majority shareholder, Brazilian private-equity firm 3G Capital, began moving into the corporate offices last month.

Prior to the takeover, a report from the think tank Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives warned that 3G Capital’s debt financing could result in the layoffs of more than 700 employees, or about 44% of its non-restaurant staff.