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 food cart located in Woolloomooloo, Sydney, Australia. It sits near the Finger Wharf and a naval base. This special place is known for its tasty pies and hot dogs.

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

You can find other Harry's Cafe de Wheels locations in places like Baulkham Hills, Darling Quarter, Newcastle, and Penrith. The Newcastle location even uses an old Sydney R-Class Tram!

What is Harry's Cafe de Wheels?

Harry's Cafe de Wheels started as a special food van. It was like the food trucks you might see at a funfair, with a roof that hung over the side. Over the years, it moved a few times. Now, the van is permanently set on a solid base.

The outside walls of the van have cool paintings. These murals were created by Alan Puckett, an artist who specializes in car art. Inside the cart, you can see pictures of famous people who have visited.

Many people in Sydney think Harry's is a very important place. It's even listed on the New South Wales National Trust register. This means it's a historic and special spot.

An older version of Harry's Pie Cart, from 1945, is now in the Powerhouse Museum. It was used for 40 years before it retired. The pies served at Harry's come from Hannah's Pies, a factory in Ultimo.

The History of Harry's

Harry's Cafe de Wheels in Woolloomooloo, Sydney, around 1949.

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

Past locations of Harry's Cafe de Wheels on Cowper Wharf Road.

Harry "Tiger" Edwards opened the first food caravan in 1936. He simply called it Harry's. It was located near the gates of the Woolloomooloo Naval Yard. Harry served in World War II, so the cafe closed during that time. It reopened when he returned from the war in 1945.

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

As time went on, Harry's Cafe de Wheels became famous. It became a popular spot for tourists and even celebrities. Famous visitors included Frank Sinatra, Robert Mitchum, and Marlene Dietrich. In 1974, Colonel Sanders (the founder of KFC) visited Harry's. He loved the food so much that he ate three 'pies and peas'! A picture of him from that visit is still inside the caravan today.

Today, Harry's still serves the same basic food that was popular in the 1940s. This includes pies and mushy peas. In the 1970s, Harry's started selling hot dogs. This was mainly to please the American sailors who visited.

What's on the Menu?

Harry's Cafe de Wheels offers a variety of 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 kiosk in Haymarket, behind the Capitol Theatre.