House of Books & Friends

What House of Books & Friends does

House of Books & Friends is a purpose-led independent bookshop, café and events space operating as a Community Interest Company (CIC) in Manchester, United Kingdom. Founded in December 2022, the company is headquartered at 81 King Street, Manchester (M2 4AH) inside a Grade II* listed building, with a separate registered office at 53 King Street. It sells a curated selection of books through its own website, in-store, and via the Bookshop.org marketplace (which has now been extended to audiobooks), operates an on-site café, and runs an events programme that includes author events, book clubs, Afternoon Tea events and creative competitions. The company was founded with an explicit social mission to combat loneliness and social isolation, and all profits are reinvested into this mission under the CIC structure; it is not backed by institutional investors and has no parent company.

Name

House of Books & Friends

Legal name

The House of Books and Friends CIC

Website

https://houseofbooksandfriends.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

House of Books & Friends is a Manchester-based Community Interest Company operating an independent bookshop, café and events space at 81 King Street. Founded in 2022, it serves local consumers and community members while reinvesting all profits into its mission to combat loneliness.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Bookshop & Community Café

NAICS

Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRALAAAA

General Bookstores (New Books)

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Books, News & Magazines Retail

Keywords

• Independent bookshop
• Community cafe
• Social enterprise
• Community events
• Venue hire

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Sale of curated books through physical store and online. Sells via own website and Bookshop.org marketplace. Wide range of categories including fiction, non-fiction, children's books, and signed editions.
2. Café Sales: Coffee and food sales from the café within the bookshop premises.
3. Events and Room Hire: Revenue from Afternoon Tea events, private hire for events, and room bookings at the bookshop venue.
4. Supporters Club Membership: Two-tier membership program: £100 for 12-month membership with perks including premium merchandise and early event access; £250 for bookshelf naming sponsorship for 12 months.
5. Pay It Forward Scheme: Community support mechanism where customers can pre-purchase books or coffee for others in need. Part of social mission rather than profit generation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

House of Books & Friends operates a purpose-led independent bookshop, café and events space at 81 King Street, Manchester, selling a curated selection of books alongside coffee and food. It supplements retail with ticketed events (author events, book clubs, creative competitions, Afternoon Tea), a venue hire service, and community programmes such as Coffee & Connections, Chatty Café Scheme, Pay It Forward, and Super Supporter / Sponsor a Bookshelf memberships. All profits are reinvested into the company's mission to combat loneliness and social isolation.

Product overview

House of Books & Friends is a purpose-led independent bookshop, café, and events space structured as a Community Interest Company. The integrated offering centres on a physical retail location at 81 King Street, Manchester, combined with community-focused programmes designed to combat loneliness. Core offerings include book and café sales, a diverse events programme (author events, book clubs, creative competitions), and venue hire services. The product portfolio also includes social-impact initiatives: Pay It Forward (gift-giving scheme), Super Supporter membership, and Sponsor a Bookshelf (naming programme). Community connection is further enabled through Coffee & Connections (structured networking events), Afternoon Tea events, Chatty Café scheme participation, and Books & Friends Connection Tours. Online sales are facilitated via their website and Bookshop.org marketplace. All profits are reinvested into the social mission of addressing loneliness and building community connections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bookshop and Café Physical independent bookshop and café located at 81 King Street, Manchester, offering a curated selection of books alongside coffee and food, with all profits reinvested in the mission to combat loneliness.
• Events Programme Programme of author events, book clubs, creative writing competitions, community gatherings, and cultural events designed to inspire connection and combat social isolation. Open to the general public and supporters.
• Virtual Book Clubs Remote book club sessions enabling community members to participate in literary discussions regardless of physical location.
• Pay It Forward Scheme enabling customers to prepay for books or café items that can be gifted to others who may be struggling financially or experiencing loneliness.
• Super Supporter Membership Paid annual membership programme (£100 for 12 months) offering exclusive perks, premium merchandise (tote bag, leather bookmark, pin badge), early access to events, and recognition on book spines in the Gladstone Room.
• Sponsor a Bookshelf Premium annual sponsorship programme (£250 for 12 months) allowing individuals to dedicate a name on one of the bookshelves, supporting the social mission.
• Hire the Bookshop (Venue Hire) Venue hire service for private events, meetings, and gatherings within the bookshop space at 81 King Street, Manchester, including corporate team events and special occasions.
• Coffee & Connections Community initiative pairing participants with compatible individuals for low-pressure social networking over refreshments in a welcoming café environment, designed to foster new friendships and combat isolation.
• Afternoon Tea Events Catered social events featuring afternoon tea, generating opportunities for community connection and conversation in the bookshop venue.
• Online Book Sales E-commerce service for purchasing books online through the company's own website and via the Bookshop.org marketplace.
• Books & Friends Connection Tours Free guided tours of Manchester's literary highlights using the UNESCO City of Literature Map, aimed at meeting new people and discovering community connection points.

Quantifiable outcome

• Partnership with 100+ charities through gunnercooke foundation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Bookshop.orgcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline sales partnership allowing House of Books & Friends to sell books through the Bookshop.org UK platform. Recently expanded to include audiobook sales. Bookshop.org supports independent bookshops with every purchase.
• Marmalade TrustflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizers of Loneliness Awareness Week activities. Marmalade Trust created the annual campaign (15-21 June) dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness and creating supportive communities. House of Books & Friends hosts events and activities as part of the campaign.
• gunnercooke foundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partner for Loneliness Project and creative competitions. Collaborated on Adult Creative Writing and Art Competition for Loneliness Awareness Week 2026. Gunnercooke works with over 100 charities nationwide.
• Chatty Café SchemecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participant in Chatty Café Scheme with dedicated Chatty Café table staffed by volunteers every Monday and Wednesday 12pm-1pm to spark conversations with customers and combat loneliness.
• Various Charity PartnersminorOthersMonthly charity spotlight program featuring different charities. Includes PACT, Little Green Sock Project, Read Easy Manchester, All4Inclusion, We Are Survivors, Manchester Deaf Centre, Host Nation, The Joshua Tree, and others. Charities receive Pay It Forward book donations and community visibility.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Foyles: Long-established UK bookshop chain known for knowledgeable staff, curated selection, and author events. Comparable as an independent-feeling book chain with events programming, though operating at much greater scale than the subject company.
• Waterstones: UK's largest bookstore chain, with in-store cafés and an events programme across dozens of locations. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in UK physical book retail, though far larger and more commercially focused than House of Books & Friends' purpose-led CIC model.

Regional players

• Shakespeare and Company (Paris): Iconic English-language bookshop in Paris with a literary community focus, events, and a small café. Comparable as a destination heritage bookshop with strong literary community identity, though operating in a different geography and at a different scale.

Direct peers

• Five Leaves Bookshop: Independent Nottingham bookshop with a strong community focus, events programme, and café. Comparable as a community-mission-led indie combining book sales, café, and events in a single city-centre venue.
• Hatchards: Historic London bookshop on Piccadilly (est. 1797) with a Royal Warrant, operating as a curated, heritage-led independent inside a larger retail group. Comparable as a prestige-location, heritage-building bookshop with curated selection and event programming.
• Daunt Books: Chain of independent-style bookshops with flagship Marylebone store featuring a travel-themed galleried interior and curated selection. Closely comparable as a heritage-listed, curated independent bookshop brand with strong in-store experience and events.
• London Review Bookshop: Curated Bloomsbury bookshop linked to the London Review of Books, with author events and a small in-house café. Comparable as a curated, intellectually positioned bookshop that monetises through events and café as well as book sales.
• Pages of Hackney: Independent London bookshop known for strong events, book clubs, and community programming. Closely comparable to House of Books & Friends as an indie bookshop with café and a community/events-led identity beyond pure retail.
• The Big Green Bookshop: North London independent bookshop (Muswell Hill) with a strong community events programme including book clubs, children's events, and author talks. Comparable as an indie bookshop that leans heavily on community-driven events.

Others

• Bookshop.org: Online marketplace designed to support independent bookshops, including House of Books & Friends via the UK platform. Comparable as the enabling e-commerce channel through which the subject company sells online and now audiobooks.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Books_n_friends
• Facebookfacebook.com/HouseBooksandFriends
• Instagraminstagram.com/houseofbooksandfriends

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about House of Books & Friends