Harris + Hoole facts for kids
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A Harris + Hoole coffee shop in London
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| Limited company | |
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Andrew Tolley Nick Tolley Laura Tolley |
| Headquarters | London, England, UK |
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Number of locations
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39 (2020) |
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Area served
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United Kingdom |
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Key people
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Andrew Sanders, Head of Harris and Hoole |
| Products | Coffee, tea, soft drinks |
| Owner | Caffè Nero |
Harris + Hoole is a coffee shop company from Britain. Its main office is in London. It is owned by another coffee company called Caffè Nero. Three people, Andrew, Nick, and Laura Tolley, started Harris + Hoole in 2012. They got help from the supermarket chain Tesco. The name 'Harris + Hoole' comes from two characters who loved coffee in an old diary written by Samuel Pepys.
In February 2016, Tesco bought the remaining 51% of the company. This gave Tesco full control. Then, in June 2016, Tesco sold Harris + Hoole to Caffè Nero Group Ltd.
Contents
History of Harris + Hoole
How the Company Started
Nick, Laura, and Andrew Tolley started Harris + Hoole in 2012. The supermarket company Tesco invested in the business. Tesco bought 49% of the company shares. The Tolley family owned the other 51%.
Some people found Tesco's investment interesting. Harris + Hoole seemed like a new, independent coffee shop. But it was partly owned by a very large supermarket. In July 2015, the Tolley family left the business. They wanted to focus on their other coffee shop chain, Taylor St Baristas.
Coffee Sourcing and Ethics
In April 2015, a group called Ethical Consumer looked at coffee shops. They checked how companies affected society and the environment. Harris + Hoole was ranked lower in this review.
Ethical Consumer noted that Harris + Hoole did not share much information. This included details about their ethical or environmental plans. The company used a "direct trade" way of getting coffee. This means they bought coffee directly from farmers. Ethical Consumer pointed out that this was different from "Fairtrade." Fairtrade aims to give farmers a guaranteed price.
Harris + Hoole explained their direct trade method. They said their suppliers found high-quality coffee. They also aimed to help small farmers earn a good living.
Changes in Ownership
Tesco bought the rest of Harris + Hoole in February 2016. This made Tesco the full owner. On June 23, 2016, Tesco announced they were selling the company. They sold it to Caffè Nero. Tesco wanted to focus on its main supermarket business in the UK.
Coffee Shop Locations
In March 2014, Harris + Hoole announced plans to grow. They wanted to open 60 coffee shops. By August of that year, they decided to close six shops that were not making money. This left 41 shops open. As of September 2020, the company has 39 coffee shops.
