Harris + Hoole, the new coffee shop concept from Tesco and Taylor Street Barista, has hired former SSP operations director Peter Davies as its chief operating officer.

The new coffee shop business, which opened its first outlet on Sycamore Road in Amersham, Buckinghamshire in August, has also hired Eleni Savva, head of the group management reporting team at Tesco, as its finance director.

Two employees from Tesco, which has a minority stake in the new artisanal coffee shop business, have been named as directors of Harris + Hoole, according to files recorded at Companies House. They are company secretary Jonathan Lloyd and project manager Michael Holmes.

Harris + Hoole will be run by Australian siblings Nick, Andrew and Laura Tolley, who set up Taylor Street Baristas in 2006, which currently operates eight sites around London and Brighton.

Outlets in Ruislip and Uxbridge have also been lined up for the Harris + Hoole business, while the Tolleys have been in talks to buy up to 15 of Clinton Cards’ stores.