Hardart family joins Horn & Hardart revival

Horn & Hardart has added descendants of co-founder Frank Hardart to its revival efforts, linking the brand’s modern comeback to its original family legacy. The company is starting with coffee and consumer products as it tries to translate its old-school Automat identity for a new generation.

Why it matters: - Horn & Hardart is trying to revive a name that helped define American dining in Philadelphia and New York. - The involvement of Frank Hardart’s descendants gives the comeback a direct family link and could help anchor the brand’s identity as it expands beyond nostalgia. - The company is positioning the revival around coffee, convenience and consumer products, not just historical branding.

What happened: - Horn & Hardart announced that siblings Tom, Paul and Marcy Hardart are now involved in the brand’s revival. - The three are descendants of co-founder Frank Hardart. - The announcement comes nearly 140 years after Frank Hardart and Joseph Horn founded the company in 1888. - The revival began in 2023 with a renewed focus on the coffee that was once closely associated with the company’s Automat locations. - The company is also developing new experiences tied to the brand’s original focus on quality, convenience and innovation.

The details: - Horn & Hardart was founded in Philadelphia in 1888. - The company became known for opening the first Automat in America. - At its peak, the brand was widely recognized for its Automat restaurants and distinctive coffee. - In 2006, Tom Hardart and Paul Hardart donated a large collection of company and family records to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. - The archive spans more than a century and includes photographs, business correspondence, operating manuals, annual reports, marketing materials and family papers. - Tom Hardart is a technology, media and investment executive who has overseen investments in more than 25 startups and media properties. - Tom Hardart founded XOL Ventures, co-founded biotechnology company Otolith Labs, and previously served as a senior executive at AOL. - Tom Hardart also co-founded Adirondack Pictures and served as its CEO. - Paul Hardart leads the Entertainment, Media and Technology Program at New York University’s Stern School of Business. - Paul Hardart previously founded and ran Universal Focus, the independent film label of Universal Pictures. - Paul Hardart also held senior roles at Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. and Turner Broadcasting. - Marcy Hardart is a pediatrician based in Santa Monica and is joining her brothers as an investor and participant in the revival. - David Arena, CEO of Horn & Hardart, said the company is not trying to place an old name on a new product. - Arena said the company is focused on understanding what made Horn & Hardart special and carrying those ideas forward. - Arena said the Hardart siblings bring both historical connection and professional experience.

Between the lines: - The Hardart family involvement signals a strategy that blends heritage with modernization. - The revival appears designed to use the brand’s legacy as a trust signal while building a current business around coffee and consumer goods. - The Smithsonian donation also suggests the family has long been active in preserving the brand’s history, not just reviving it now.

What’s next: - Horn & Hardart is expected to keep building out its revival beyond coffee, with consumer products and new experiences part of the plan. - The company is betting that a modern version of the brand can appeal to customers who know the history and those who do not. - The Hardart family’s role may help shape how the revived brand balances authenticity, storytelling and commercial growth.

The bottom line: - Horn & Hardart is reviving itself with the family name that helped create it, hoping history becomes an asset, not a relic.