Coffee and Empty Shops

miss annie

<p>I hear that the old Clinton's shop, between Starbucks & Costa in Crouch End, will soon be transformed into a Harris and Hoole coffee shop. It may look like a nice local Camden Town style coffee shop but is in fact owned by TESCO!</p><p>Given the number of empty shops in SG and the money Tesco rake in round here, (despite their shoddy shop, surly staff and lack of stock of basic stuff that we all whinge about constantly), I bet it's only a matter of time before we get one of these.</p>

yagamuffin

To be fair, "Tesco - who have made a non-controlling investment". From <a href="http://www.harrisandhoole.co.uk/company/our-story">http://www.harrisandhoole.co.uk/company/our-story</a><div>Could just as easily have been a 'Dragon' or anyone else with money and high street expertise.</div><div><br></div><div>Not that I'm defending Tesco, just saying.</div>

miss annie

Hmmmm, I just always think they're at it!

andy

<p style="margin: 0px 0px 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">This is a Tesco coffee shop. You can guarantee Tesco has all sorts of clauses in the deal to take control if it goes really well (or really badly). The 'family-owned' 'artisan' coffee shop is about branding. </p><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); ">Otherwise, why would you need two of the most expensive lawyers in the country to make the deal happen?</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 17px; "><font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 18px; ">http://www.legalweek.com/legal-week/news/2200449/travers-freshfields-head-up-launch-of-new-tescobacked-coffee-venture</span></font></p></p><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></p><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></p>

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Mirandola

Do tell

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kreuzkav

It's probably the Duke of Westminster, the crown estate or maybe even Chris Lazari.

yagamuffin

Who own's longstanding businesses in the UK? Well all (or pretty much all) of our energy companies (including the nucelar power stations) are owned by European companies - mainly French and German with I think one Spanish too.<div>Arriva, the bus/train operator are owned by the German Government.</div><div>Large swathes of real estate are owned by Dubai (including some bought from The Crown Estate).</div><div>Most of our mobile phone networks are foreign owned.</div><div>Our own Thames Water is in fact Australian.</div><div><br></div><div>And of course it works the other way too, I'm pretty sure that First Group are still British and own the iconic American bus company, Greyhound.</div><div><br></div><div>Without trawling through Companies House there doesn't seem to be an easy way to see who owns the smaller High Street names.</div>

Papa

I own Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Top Shop, Greggs, and most of the rest of the High Street, through a variety of front companies and actors on my payroll, such as the guy who plays Philip Green for me. <br>Don't tell anyone though, as it's part of my top secret plan for global domination. <br>

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quince

'Harris+Hoole' were featured on BBC London News yesterday evening (link here - starts at 13.55 -http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01n8dhh/).<div><br></div><div>One of them - can't remember if 'Harris' or 'Hoole' - was interviewed.  Not a terribly appealing fellow, whichever one he turns out to be.  Gather they want to be a 'big part of the local community', or similar.  Please help me stifle my excitement.</div>

Bridget J

I first looked on it in disdain but then noticed one of the people who is setting it up is a young New Zealander who used to run a tiny but amazing coffee shop in Travel Bag in Brighton, it was my first intro to a flat white 6 years ago and the best coffee I had tasted and the man was so nice and totally passionate about coffee and going on all these barista competitions and totally infatuated by coffee that is really amazed me. He was quietly spoken and understated and then went on to open Taylor Baristas and I realised it is him behind this with his brother and sister and good luck to him. He has worked really hard to get where he is no doubt and maybe doesnt have mum or dad to bankroll him so Im pretty impressed. I love Coffee CIrcus and his coffee is really amazing so I hope they can manage together. All the coffee places in Crouch are packed so Im sure this will be too! Maybe the prams will go to Costa and Starbucks.<br>So dont be too put off by Tesco - this guys is really lovely and has worked hard for years to get here.<br>

miss annie

The prams go to Starbucks and Haberdashery. Once the Crouch End mamas realise that it's aTesco coffee shop they won't go there.

emine

<div>They should do <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/12/coffee-bar-owner-row-pushchairs">this</a></div>

Marquis

Reminded me of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/28/lets-start-foodie-backlash">this article</a>, one of my favourite reads of last month!

dion

It is going to be a Harris and Hoole - the hoardings are up outside Clinton's to confirm this

miss annie

Yes, the very first post on this thread does say that.

dion

No, it says 'I hear that', the hoardings confirm that the first post was right

ashman

Its just another way tesco is trying to take over the country. Very sly.

Papa

An old friend of mine runs a mobile coffee outfit called RoMo, there's six dotted around London, I think mainly in the City. <br><br>Had a very interesting chat with him about the whole coffeenomics thing in summer and he reckons there's a definite space for doing things independent and right and focusing on good coffee, I was telling him about Vagabonds and how that seems to support his theory.<br><br>Shameless plug but if you like coffee and spot one of the RoMo stalls it is well worth trying out. I managed to grab a coffee with him on the way to work the other day - thanks to a fortuitous placing of a stall on my cycle route - and it was very good.<br>

Donna

@miss Annie, the haberdashery is rubbish for prams, which is probably why you notice them more. There is literally no space. I went in there once at lunchtime to meet a friend who also had a buggy and the waiter almost had a fit, I thought his head was going to explode from stress. He was like, leave your pram here until someone leaves the toilet, then you will have to move it, then if someone sits here, you will have to move it again and no, you and your friend cannot sit together unless you also agree to be moved halfway through your meals. And your friend will have to leave her baby halfway across the room. And no you can't each have a high chair. My friend thought I was insane for suggesting we go there and I will never go back! The rocking chair is much nicer. I haven't tried Starbucks.

Bridget J

Donna Gails isnt bad good for buggies (one or two) they can be parked at the back and I often see small ones having a nap there. The staff are really lovely. Im past the buggy stage and they dont mind the odd scooter or ad hoc loo visit when we are going past. When your one is a bit older on Wednesdays in association with Hornsey Library they do storytelling for kids with free milk and biscuits. Ive not been though. Id say it was the most baby friendly cafe ive been to locally.<br>

nick_m

vagabond is brilliant. I go there every wednesday morning with my 2 year-old and they give him a free babycino. They do the best coffee in the area by far. The only disappointing thing is that they removed the rocking horse above the door, which my son loved to point out, and replaced it with an old coffee machine. More suitable I suppose...

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Brodiej

@Donna. God forbid you want to socialise with other mums and their kids over a coffee! The manager has a choice, to let you leave with a good opinion of his/her place or to be unprofessional and make you feel uncomfortable. Im sure that you always know the problems that can happen when you take all your kit out but at the same time you probably accept that you might have to make a few compromises. Thats what we all do. All the manager has to do is smile and be helpful with the situation. He/she can bitch all he wants when you leave. Setting up a cafe in Crouch End and freaking when a few mums/babies come in is ridiculous.<div><br></div><div><br></div>

Idoru

I've never seen any of the guys in Haberdashery be anything but polite and accommodating to everyone who goes in there, baby buggy in tow or not. But everyone has their off days. It's a small space and they do their best to seat as many people as possible. I've been told when going in with another person that if we sit at a four table we might have to move if a bigger party comes in and there aren't any other four tables left. They've also offered to move couples from four tables when I've gone in with three or more people. All done perfectly politely and everyone seemed happy. <br>

dion

It is looking like they are making pretty quick progress on the Crouch End H+H coffee shop.  I still can't believe that it is right next to the Starbucks and three doors down from Costa

Ali

Suerly noboby goes to Starbucks after their tax avoidance

yagamuffin

@Ali Why not? They, like Google and Amazon and pretty much every other organisation and individual have not broken the law. They have simply done what they can to minimise their outgoings while maximising their profit.<div>Given the option of paying less tax would you really say no? How many people refuse tax rebates?</div><div><br></div><div>What makes me really angry with all of this hullabaloo is that this Government openly supported the war in Iraq, how dare they lecture anyone on morals? It really does make my blood boil.</div>

nacholibre

I'd have to agree with yagamuffin. That really annoys me too. Especially when they fail to distinguish tax evasion and tax avoidance.