Harris + Hoole, the fast-growing “artisan-style” coffee chain part-owned by Tesco, has been given licensing approval for two of its sites as part of a trial.
According to The Times, the alcohol trial, which will begin in the 23-strong group’s sites in North Finchley in North London and Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, will be extended to Twickenham if it is successful and council approval is given.
However, police officers in Twickenham are concerned about plans to serve beers and wine from 11am until 10pm seven days a week from a café close to a junior church school.
“If the street drinkers have access to alcohol at 11am, it will cause them to congregate on street benches that are located … near to the school. This will increase the likelihood of young children witnessing drunkenness and urinating in the street,” Mark Halton, a member of Richmond’s police licensing team, said in a submission to Richmond upon Thames Borough Council.
Nick Tolley, chief executive of the “artisan-style” coffee shop chain, said that he would abandon the sale of alcohol at its café in Twickenham if the concerns of police were realised. He said that the prospect of antisocial behaviour “could not be further from the idea” of the company’s ethos.
Tolley told The Times that if the trial would be abandoned if sales “bombed”. “It’s not intended to be a massive shift in our operation,” he said.
