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 British coffee shop company. It is based in London and is fully owned by another coffee company called Caffè Nero.
The company started in 2012. It was created by three people: Andrew, Nick, and Laura Tolley. The name Harris + Hoole comes from two characters who loved coffee in a famous old diary by Samuel Pepys.
At first, a big British supermarket chain called Tesco invested in Harris + Hoole. Later, in 2016, Tesco bought the rest of the company. But soon after, in June 2016, Tesco sold Harris + Hoole to Caffè Nero.
How It Started
Harris + Hoole was launched in 2012 by Nick, Laura, and Andrew Tolley. The supermarket company Tesco bought 49% of the business. This was a bit unusual because Harris + Hoole seemed like a new, independent coffee chain. It looked like it would compete with big names like Starbucks and Costa Coffee.
The Tolley family owned the other 51% of the shares. In July 2015, the Tolleys decided to leave Harris + Hoole. They wanted to focus on their other coffee business, Taylor St Baristas.
In April 2015, a group called Ethical Consumer looked at how coffee shops affect society and the environment. Harris + Hoole was ranked lower than some others. This was because the company did not share much information about its ethical or environmental plans. They used a "direct trade" way of getting coffee. This means they bought coffee straight from farmers. While this can be good, Ethical Consumer noted it didn't offer the same kind of price support as Fairtrade. Harris + Hoole said their direct trade helped farmers grow good coffee and earn a living.
In February 2016, Tesco bought the remaining 51% of the company. This meant Tesco then owned Harris + Hoole completely. However, on June 23, 2016, Tesco announced they were selling the company. They sold it to Caffè Nero. Tesco wanted to focus more on its main supermarket business in the UK.
Where You Can Find Them
In March 2014, Harris + Hoole announced they wanted to open more shops. They planned to have 60 locations. But in August of that year, they decided to close six shops that were not making enough money. This left them with 41 shops open. By September 2020, the chain had 39 coffee shops.
