According to a report from MCA, Glyn House, who earlier this year stepped down from his post as chief operating officer at Wagamama, will take the helm at Caffè Nero.

House, who spent 10 years at Wagamama and 21 years with UK retailer Sainsbury’s, will succeed the coffee chain’s UK managing director Neil Riding, who is set to retire.

Riding joined Caffè Nero back in 2011, and has been a former managing director for TGI Friday and Beefeater restaurants.

Caffè Nero operates 570 sites, but under the guidance of House, the coffee chain has ambitions for that to rise to 750 in the UK.

The appointment follows the company adding the 43-strong Harris + Hoole business from Tesco and Caffè Nero chairman and chief executive Gerry Ford stated that the company had been “toying” with having a second branch for some time.

Ford told MCA:“Harris + Hoole has a good tradition of high-quality coffee and good momentum. We thought if we could get some good equity from that brand and make it run more effectively, maybe it would be a jump start to another organisation that would be beneficial to our existing business.”