GERMANY/SWITZERLAND. Swiss food group Orior has taken a 35% stake in German travel food & beverage specialist casualfood, and plans to grow its shareholding in several tranches over the coming years.
casualfood, which generates annual net sales of €52 million, develops and operates food concepts for airports, stations and motorways. It has 11 catering and store concepts ranging from fast food to an Italo-American deli concept.
The company’s founders Stefan Weber and Michael Weigel will remain shareholders and Managing Directors of casualfood. They said that they will continue to pursue the strategic objectives of recent years.
Weber said: “casualfood has grown rapidly on the market in recent years. With Orior, we have found the ideal partner to further develop our company, expand the networks and ramp up our international expansion within Europe.”
Wiegel added: “casualfood’s DNA remains unchanged. Retaining the greatest possible entrepreneurial freedom was a prime consideration for us in selecting a new partner.”
Explaining the rationale behind the casualfood investment, Orior Group CEO Daniel Lutz said: “This investment enables us to enter the growing, highly attractive travel catering market – a strategically important move which takes us even closer to consumers.
“That will open up fantastic opportunities for us to pick up on food trends even more agilely and translate them into new brand and product offerings. In addition to this, the casualfood management team is a perfect fit for Orior with their pioneering spirit, unconventional hands-on philosophy and entrepreneurial nous.”
Orior’s other F&B businesses include Rapelli, Biotta, Ticinella, Albert Spiess, Fürstenländer Spezialitäten, Fredag, Le Patron, Pastinella, Culinor and Vaco’s Kitchen.
*An interview with casualfood co-Founder Stefan Weber appeared in The Moodie Davitt e-Zine in May 2017; click here for access.
NOTE: The Moodie Davitt Report also publishes The Foodie Report, the world’s only media focused on airport (and other travel-related) food & beverage. The Foodie Report e-Newsletter is published every two weeks and The Foodie Report e-Zine every month.
Please send all news of food & beverage outlet openings, together with images, menus, video etc to Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com to ensure unrivalled global exposure. The company also organises the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards. This year’s FAB took place on 20-21 June in Helsinki.
