Harry's Cafe de Wheels facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Harry's Cafe de Wheels

Type	Take Away – (pie cart)
Industry	Food service
Founded	1936; 89 years ago (1936)
Founder	Harry "Tiger" Edwards
Headquarters	Ultimo, New South Wales , Australia
Products	Take Away – (pie cart)

Harry's Cafe de Wheels is a very famous pie cart in Woolloomooloo, Sydney, Australia. It's located near the Finger Wharf and a naval base. This cafe is known for its delicious pies and hot dogs.

Their most famous dish is the "Tiger Pie." It's an Australian meat pie topped with mashed potato, mushy peas, and gravy. This special pie was named after the cafe's founder, Harry "Tiger" Edwards.

You can find other Harry's Cafe de Wheels locations in places like Baulkham Hills, Darling Quarter, Newcastle, and Penrith. Some of these are even in cool spots, like a converted Sydney R-Class Tram in Newcastle!

What is Harry's Cafe de Wheels?

Harry's Cafe de Wheels started as a food van, like those you might see at a funfair. It had a roof that hung out to protect customers. Over the years, the van moved several times. Now, it's permanently set on a solid base.

The outside of the van has cool paintings by Alan Puckett, an artist who specializes in car art. Inside, the walls are covered with photos of famous people who have visited. Many people think Harry's is a true Sydney landmark. It's even listed on the New South Wales National Trust register, which means it's a special historical place.

An older version of Harry's Pie Cart, from 1945, is now kept in the Powerhouse Museum. It was used for 40 years before it retired! Harry's pies are made by Hannah's Pies, a factory in Ultimo.

The History of Harry's

Harry's Cafe de Wheels around 1945, now at the Powerhouse Museum.

Historical locations of Harry's Cafe de Wheels on Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo. The map shows where the cart has been over the years.

Harry "Tiger" Edwards opened his first cafe, simply called Harry's, in 1936. It was near the naval base in Woolloomooloo. Harry served in World War II, so the cafe closed during that time. It reopened when he came back in 1945.

The name Cafe de Wheels came from a rule by the city council. This rule said that mobile food vans had to move at least 12 inches (30 cm) every day! Harry's cart has moved to different spots on Cowper Wharf Road because of building work in the area. There's a fun story that the name was once changed to Cafe de Axle when its wheels were stolen!

Over time, Harry's Cafe de Wheels became famous as a tourist spot. Many celebrities visited, like Frank Sinatra, Robert Mitchum, and Marlene Dietrich. In 1974, Colonel Sanders (the founder of KFC) even stopped by. He loved the food so much that he ate three 'pies and peas' while leaning on his walking stick! A picture of him from that visit is still inside the cafe today.

Today, Harry's still sells the same basic foods that were popular in the 1940s, like pies and mushy peas. In the 1970s, they started selling hot dogs. This was mostly to please the American sailors who visited.

What's on the Menu?

Harry's Cafe de Wheels offers a variety of tasty pies and hot dogs. Here are some of the popular choices:

• The famous Tiger pie, and other versions like Bacon and Cheese Tiger or Veggie Tiger.
• Pie and peas.
• Seafood pie.
• Hot dog with veggies.
• Hot dog de wheels.
• Chilli dog.

A Harry's Cafe de Wheels kiosk in Haymarket, behind the Capitol Theatre.