Vapiano plans move away from the high street in to transport hubs
The restaurant group has signed a letter of intent with food travel specialist HMSHost International to launch in airports, train stations and outlet malls in the UK, Scandinavia, Germany and the Netherlands.
The sites will be 250-350 sq m and offer “Vapiano services tailored to the needs of travellers”, with eat-in and takeaway options.
The concept is being developed as a franchise model with HMSHost, which signed a similar deal with Leon earlier this year.
It will be trialled in a number of pilot sites, before a decision is made about further “strategic expansion”.
"This collaboration will enable us to open more Vapianos at international locations and further increase our profile,” says Jochen Halfmann, CEO of Vapiano SE.
UK chains Crussh, Spuntino, Barburrito and BrewDog have this year all announced their intention to move in to transport hubs in the face of tough trading conditions on the high street.
Vapiano currently operates six UK restaurants: three in London, and one each in Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. It will launch a further three in the capital this year.
The group was founded in Hamburg, Germany in 2002 and has since expanded to over 205 restaurants in more than 30 countries.
