ITALY. Travel experience player Avolta has inaugurated a new food court in the heart of Rome Fiumicino Airport Terminal 1 through its food & beverage division Autogrill.
It introduces three national and international gastronomic concepts to an airport in Italy for the first time: All’Antico Vinaio, EXKI and Lievito by Francesco Arnesano.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to mark the official opening of the new space, attended by Avolta CEO Italy F&B Massimiliano Santoro; Aeroporti di Roma CEO Marco Troncone; Aeroporti di Roma Chief Commercial Officer Marilena Blasi; All’Antico Vinaio Founder Tommaso Mazzanti; EXKI CEO Stan Monheim and Lievito Founder Francesco Arnesano.
All’Antico Vinaio is a popular Florentine sandwich shop, EXKI offers health-led food menus while Lievito di Francesco Arnesano is a specialist in traditional Roman pizza by the slice.
“Over the last few years we have focused great attention on the innovation and diversification of our brand portfolio,” commented Massimiliano Santoro.
“We are very happy with this new inauguration at one of the most important national airports in terms of connections and passenger numbers, [and it] further consolidates our strategic development in Italian airports.
“The innovation and diversification of our portfolio is key to our global Destination 2027 strategy; putting the traveller at the centre of everything we do, to offer guests an experience that is on-trend, while meeting their needs in the frenetic airport environment.
“I thank our partners for their excellent collaboration and the exciting propositions that they bring, entering the Italian airport channel for the first time and with whom we share values of innovation, research and gastronomic excellence.”
“This initiative reaffirms the importance of catering in the passenger experience, a key touchpoint in an evolutionary strategy that increasingly places the customer at the centre,” commented Marilena Blasi. “In this context, the expansion of the brand portfolio, developed in a space with full visibility of runways and aircraft stands, creates an additional option, capable of satisfying the needs of passengers from a food point of view but not only.”
All’Antico Vinaio’s Tommaso Mazzanti said: “I am really excited to embark on this new adventure inside Fiumicino Airport with the Avolta group, a prestigious and strategic reality that represents an important crossroads of cultures and travellers. This opening is a source of great pride for us: it is in fact our first presence in an Italian airport and the second at an international level, after the experience started in Dubai.
“This second opening also represents a further strengthening of our bond with the Avolta group, a strategic collaboration based on shared values and a common vision of growth and innovation. Bringing our schiacciate to such an iconic place is a significant step in our growth path and in the diffusion of the quality and flavours that represent us.”
“On behalf of EXKI, I thank Avolta for making the opening of our new store at Fiumicino Airport possible. This partnership represents a milestone in our journey to offer healthy, tasty and sustainable food options to travellers around the world,” commented EXKI’s Stan Monheim.
“We are thrilled to be present in such a dynamic and innovative space and we can’t wait to welcome people to enjoy our fresh and genuine dishes. We thank our partner Avolta for their support and collaboration in bringing EXKI to this vibrant location.”
Lievito’s Francesco Arnesano said: “The partnership with a large group like Avolta is a source of great pride for us and gives us the opportunity to bring the Lievito format to one of the most important airports in Europe. From today we will have the opportunity to make our vision and our idea of pizza known to millions of people who will pass through Fiumicino Airport. It is an extremely exciting challenge and we will do our best to meet it.” 
Note: The Moodie Davitt Report publishes the FAB Newsletter, which features highlights of openings, events and campaigns from around the world of airport and travel dining.
Please email Kristyn@MoodieDavittReport.com for your complimentary subscription.
