FRANCE. Multi-national travel hospitality company Areas has signed an agreement to acquire the French motorways catering business of Sighor. The deal, which is subject to approval from the French Competition Authority, will see Areas take over Sighor’s food & beverage activities at 23 travel plazas across France.
The business Areas will take on has an estimated annual turnover of €65 million. It will lift the company’s portfolio of points of sale between airports, motorways, train stations and leisure parks in France to 602 across 173 sites, with a turnover close to €700 million.
Founded in 1989, Sighor is a well-known player in motorways in France. Areas noted that the company is widely recognised for the integration of a strong local dimension into its culinary offer, with proprietary brands such as Léo Resto, Léo Bistrot and Origin’R.
Barcelona-headquartered Areas already operates F&B activities in 92 travel plazas across France and now invoices more than 80% of its business volume outside Spain. It said that the Sighor deal will strengthen its position as one of the fastest-growing global leaders in travel hospitality.
The news of the Sighor agreement comes, as reported, just two weeks after Areas won the macro-tender for the F&B concession at Madrid-Barajas Airport.
Areas CEO Óscar Vela said: “After the award of a significant share of the Madrid-Barajas Airport food & beverage concession tender in Spain, the integration of Sighor in France consolidates our position as a world leader. We already invoice more than 80% of our activity outside of Spain, and we really want to grow, both in Europe and in America.”
Areas currently has a presence in ten countries and around 20,000 employees serving more than 350 million travellers each year in nearly 2,000 restaurants across travel environments and leisure parks. 
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