Horn & Hardart hit the food services scene more than a century ago, and thanks to the love for this popular, longstanding brand, the company is back and better than ever.
A robust cup of Liberty Roast variety coffee can now be ordered via the new website and conveniently delivered to one’s door, in addition to all-natural decaffeinated coffee, espresso and single-serve K-Cups.
“We’re ecstatic about re-igniting a beloved brand that is a part of Americana,” said Al and Dawn Mazzone, owners of Horn & Hardart Enterprises. The couple has partnered with entrepreneurs John Tooher and Dan Lievens to re-introduce the legendary brand’s coffee.
The history of Horn & Hardart goes back to 1888 when it was founded in Philadelphia as a luncheonette. In 1902, Joe Horn and Frank Hardart revolutionized the way people ordered and ate, with the introduction of the Automat at their 8th and Chestnut Street location. Considered a technical marvel, the restaurant used coin-operated glass and chrome vending machines to dispense food and beverages. By the early 1950’s there were a total of 157 Horn & Hardart restaurants with Automats in Philadelphia and New York serving more than a half a million patrons per day.
Throughout its inception and growth, Horn & Hardart was always focused on quality coffee. H&H introduced the first fresh-drip brewed coffee to Philadelphia and New York, which replaced a boiled process, and a fresh batch was brewed every 20 minutes in each location. In the 1950s, Automats sold more than 90 million cups of fresh-brewed coffee each year and became known as having the best coffee on the East Coast. But times changed and it became impossible to support so many large Automats as smaller, less expensive fast food chains emerged. The last of the Automats closed in 1991.
“Our goal is to bring Horn & Hardart coffee back to relevancy – make it as significant as it was in its heyday,” said Al Mazzone. It took years for Mazzone, a self-described coffee geek, former wine importer, computer manufacturer and software company owner, to replicate the original blend of coffee that was refined over decades by Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart.
“The original coffee used chicory and was a darker roast than what the public was used to at the time,” explained Mazzone. “They played with the coffee over decades, tweaking and perfecting it. By World War II, they had it nailed. It was the signature-blended coffee that was strong enough to get you out of bed, but also appealed to the after dinner customer who enjoyed adding milk and sugar.”
So, how did Mazzone replicate the coffee? “I reverse engineered it,” he said. Through anecdotal evidence, meticulous research and by pouring over shipping records that indicated the beans were imported only from Central and South America. Just like the original, today’s H&H Liberty Roast is a blend of the best coffee beans from three countries: Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica.
“The blend enables us to enhance the attributes of each of the coffees. Blending also allows us to maintain the consistency of the coffee from year to year by modifying the ratios of each coffee as necessary. Only the highest quality Arabica coffee beans are used,” said Mazzone.
The company is also introducing decaffeinated coffee and K-Cups, due to the demand in single serving sizes. The price of the Liberty Roast is $12.50 for a 12-ounce bag, $13.50 for decaf and espresso and $9.95 for a 12-pack of K-Cups. Shipping is $3.95, but free for orders of three or more bags or K-Cup packs.
Visit the Horn & Hardart website to order a bag of coffee, espresso or pack of K-Cups to be conveniently delivered to your doorstep!
- Photos: Horn & Hardart
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