Autogrill opens its first railway f&b units in Prague

Prague, 24 June 2009 - Autogrill has strengthened and diversified its operations in the Czech Republic by opening its first four railway f&b units in the country in the renovated Prague Central. It will open another three units there by the end of 2010. The seven points of sale are expected to generate accumulated revenues of around €70m over the 18 years of the contract.

Inside the premises opened today, which cover around 600 m2, Autogrill has placed internationally known brands such as Burger King, the American fast-food chain, and Brioche Doreé Café, a leading French quick-service restaurant operator. It has also introduced house concepts to serve specific railway station needs, such as Pic-nic, an ideal grab&go label for light and fast meals, and well established local brands, such as Potrefená husa, a prestigious Czech brewer.

The offering will privilege quick-service formats given that commuters account for a high percentage of passengers (over 60%, around 35 million a year) and this is expected to grow in coming years. Prague Central is the country’s biggest railway station and has been operated since 2003 by Grandi Stazioni (Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato), which has initiated conversion work. The project will create a new 16,000 m2 shopping area capable of attracting large numbers of people every year in addition to passengers in transit.

Autogrill’s new operation strengthens the Group’s presence in the Czech Republic, where it has operated eight f&b units on the country’s two main motorway corridors (the D1 Prague - Brno and the D5 linking Prague to Nürnberg across the Czech-German border at Rozvadov) since 2007. The Group’s other operations in Central Europe are in Germany (since 2005), in Slovenia (since 2005) and Poland (since January 2009).

The Czech Republic has a population of over 10 million and is one of the most stable and economically advanced countries in Central Europe. In 2008, its estimated per capita GDP was over €20,000, while GDP in the last three-year period showed annual growth of over 6%. Since 2001, growth has been supported by its export market, especially to Germany, by strong foreign investment and by tourism. Prague accounts for 11% of the population (2 million people) and nearly 40% of the country’s entire retail market. The city is visited by over seven million tourists every year.