Autogrill Group, through subsidiary HMSHost, expands Leon operations into Heathrow

LONDON, May 29th —The Autogrill Group, through its subsidiary HMSHost, today announced the extension of its new relationship with UK-based Leon Restaurants, which this morning, sees the opening of a brand new branch of Leon in Heathrow’s Terminal 3.

This will be the first UK airport opening for HMSHost and Leon and quickly follows the successful opening of their first restaurant in a UK railway station in London’s newly renovated Kings Cross station earlier this year. The brand new restaurant will be situated in the landside area of the airport’s Terminal 3. This latest addition to the food and beverage offering at the Terminal comes as part of Heathrow’s plans to transform Terminal 3 in order to make every journey better.

The recent collaboration between HMSHost and Leon at this year’s Kings Cross railway station opening proved that the two groups are natural partners.

“We are very pleased with the position of the new restaurant within the terminal building and would like to pay thanks to our partners at Heathrow for investing their experience and belief in this first for UK airports,” said Dawn Wilding, Vice President of Operations, HMSHost Europe.

“We know from our experience of working with Leon that the quality, taste and nutrition levels of the food that is offered will delight both first time and returning travellers.”

Heathrow’s Head of Food and Beverage Ben Crowley added, “We are very proud to welcome Leon to Heathrow. Our passengers are among the most demanding travellers in the world and we are delighted to offer them the latest in handmade, healthy and natural fast food.”

“We are well aware that the eyes of the world will be on London this summer,” said John Vincent, co-founder, Leon Restaurants. What better way to welcome our Olympic guests than with an array of flavourful, natural ‘healthy fast food’.

“Our food will very much be a celebration of the best of British with a global twist. We are excited to be making our first move into the airport food and beverage world.”

Created in 2004 by John Vincent and Henry Dimbleby, Leon is a founding member of the UK-based Sustainable Restaurant Association. The company currently holds a ‘Silver’ rating in sustainability for its achievement in offering local and seasonal food, health and safety awareness, and other environmental commitments.

About Autogrill and HMSHost

Autogrill is the world’s leading provider of food & beverage and retail services for travellers. Present in 35 countries with approximately 62,500 employees, it manages more than 5,300 points of sale in over 1,200 locations. It operates mainly through concessions: at airports, along motorways and in railway stations, plus a selective presence on the high street, and at shopping centers, trade fairs and cultural attractions. The Group operates in two business segments: Food & Beverage and Travel Retail & Duty-Free.

HMSHost, Autogrill Group’s subsidiary, is a world leader in creating dining and shopping for travel venues. HMSHost operates in more than 100 airports around the globe, including the 20 busiest airports in North America as well as key airports in Europe, Australia, Asia Pacific, and the UAE. Visit www.autogrill.com and www.HMSHost.com for more information. HMSHost is a five time recipient of the Airport Revenue News award for Best Overall Operator for Food & Beverage.