Italian grocery and restaurant chain Eataly is planning to open its first store in Europe outside of Italy, as part its mission to provide high-quality foods at favourable prices.
Staff recruitment has already started for the 4,600 m2 store, to be located in Munich, that is likely to open by the end of the year.
Launched by entrepreneur Oscar Farinetti in 2007, Eataly sells cheese, dairy products, ice cream, chocolate, wines, beers and olive oils from leading Italian producers and brands. The original Eataly format also includes restaurants as well as cooking courses and tastings.
Since opening the first Eataly in Turin, the chain has continuously expanded its network both in Italy and abroad. Currently, there are 32 Eataly stores, of which half in Italy and half abroad (11 in Japan, two in the US, one each in UAE, Turkey and Brazil).
New store openings slated for the coming three years include Moscow, London, Paris, Toronto, Seoul, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston and New York City (2nd store).
In a recent interview to "Il Sole 24 Ore Radicor", Farinetti announced that one third of Eataly shares should be floated on the Stock Exchange from 2016, while the majority share package will still remain in the hands of the Farinetti family.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic
