NORTH AMERICA/EUROPE. Autogrill has struck a wide-ranging agreement with UK-headquartered sandwich shop chain Pret A Manger.
The deal will see Autogrill open Pret shops across a number of North American airports and European transport hubs.
Autogrill Group will manage the new North American openings through its subsidiary HMSHost.
Operations in Europe will be run by HMSHost International and cover both airports and railway stations. The first two Pret outlets will open in Copenhagen Airport at the beginning of 2018, with another in The Netherlands to follow.
“This agreement with Pret enables us to bring one of the world’s most successful brands into more airports and train stations,” said Autogrill Chief Marketing Officer Ezio Balarini.
“We’re happy with this important, new partnership with Pret, a brand which shares our vision of the business in terms of sustainable approach, food quality, freshness and innovation.”
Pret Partnership Director Michael Haley commented: “Pret’s menu of freshly-made nutritious food to go is perfect for busy travellers. We’re already present in numerous transport hubs in the UK, France, Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore.
“Choosing the right partner is very important to Pret. We admire the strength of Autogrill’s operations and have already hosted their Danish team in our UK shops for training in preparation for the Copenhagen Airport opening.”
Pret A Manger scooped the Airport ‘Food to Go’ Offer of the Year award at the sixth annual Airport Food and Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards in Toronto earlier this year.
Autogrill Group’s directors last week approved a major corporate reorganisation.
