Eataly may soon be found at Italy’s Autogrills, the restaurant chain found at every major service station off the Italian highway (autostrada).
Eataly’s founder Oscar Farinetti told the Foreign Press Club of Milan that the first “Eataly for Autogrill” is set to open by the end of 2014 at Secchia Ovest, near Modena, thanks to a franchise deal between the two chains.
"The idea is to create a blank Autogrill where the sandwiches are made on the spot and there will be neither Coca-Cola nor scratch-and-win (lottery tickets), and not even (out of season) oranges in summer," he said.
Farinetti added that he also would like to establish a partnership with Italy’s flagship airline Ailitalia, and will try again after a first proposal did not go through.
May this be the end of bland service station and airline food?