What Chef Express does

Chef Express S.p.A. is an Italian multi-brand food service operator, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Castelvetro di Modena, that runs restaurants, cafés, and convenience retail inside high-traffic travel infrastructure — motorway service areas, airports (including Malpensa, Fiumicino, Catania, Orio al Serio, Trieste, Cagliari), and major railway stations (Milano Centrale, Roma Termini, Firenze Santa Maria Novella, Torino Porta Nuova). The company manages a portfolio of more than 50 restaurant concepts spanning healthy bowls (Poke House, Just Poke, Ahi Poke, Juice Bar), coffee and bakery (Mokà Cafè, Caffè Vergnano, Mignon, Lavazza Coffee Design, Italico), pizza (Alice Pizza, La Braciera, Perfetta, Caio, Bagel Factory), casual and fine dining (Roadhouse, Genuino, Harry's Bar Roma Trevi, Attimi by Heinz Beck), and licensed international brands (Pret A Manger under exclusive Italian development rights, McDonald's). Technology supporting the operation includes a proprietary mobile app with a Webcam Park real-time parking monitoring feature, a digital loyalty program (Programma Fedeltà), and digital point-of-sale systems across locations. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Italian conglomerate Gruppo Cremonini, making it a privately held entity with no public listing. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through owned, franchised, and licensed-operator models in captive travel corridors, with revenue generated primarily from food and beverage sales to travelers (both individual consumers and organized groups via Sosta di Gruppo reservations) at concession-controlled sites across Italy.

Name

Chef Express

Legal name

Chef Express S.p.A

Website

https://chefexpress.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Chef Express S.p.A. is an Italian multi-brand food service operator running 50+ restaurant and café concepts across motorway service areas, airports, and railway stations, serving travelers through owned, franchised, and licensed-operator formats under parent Gruppo Cremonini.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Location Food Service

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (72231), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food Services & Catering (On-site/Corporate Dining/Vending) (IMAIAAAE)

Keywords

• Highway food service
• Travel hub restaurants
• Airport dining
• Multi-brand catering
• Railway station food

Headquarters

HQ city

Castelvetro Di Modena

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Direct restaurant and food service operations across multiple branded locations including self-operated and franchise models

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chef Express operates a multi-brand portfolio of 50+ restaurant and food service concepts located in Italian motorway service areas, airports, and train stations. The company delivers food, beverage, and convenience retail through directly operated, franchised, and licensed formats (including international brands such as Pret a Manger and McDonald's), supported by a mobile app, loyalty program, and group booking services for travelers.

Product overview

Chef Express is a multi-brand restaurant and food service operator operating primarily in travel contexts (motorways, airports, and train stations) across Italy. The company manages a diversified portfolio of 50+ restaurant brands across multiple categories including: Healthy Bar (Poke House, Just Poke, Ahi Poke, Juice Bar), Coffee Bakery & Ice Cream (Mignon, Mokà Cafè, Mokà Nature, Cioccolati Italiani), Fast & Local Food (La Braciera, Forno San Lorenzo, Caffè Vergnano, Ke Palle), Casual Restaurant (Il Bistrot, Genuino, Ingredienti, Gusto), Pizza & Bagel (Alice Pizza, Perfetta, Caio, Bagel Factory, Pizza e...), Cocktail Bar (Terrazza Palermo, Sparkling Bar, Argiolas), Fine Restaurant (Harry's Bar Roma Trevi), and Market (Chef Store, Semplicemente Roma, Viaggio Italia, Gourmè). The portfolio also includes international partnerships (Pret A Manger, McDonald's) and licensed concepts (Lavazza, Roadhouse). Additional services include a loyalty program (Programma Fedeltà), smart stop services (Sosta Smart), mobile app with Webcam Park feature, and group booking services. The company operates under Chef Express S.p.A., part of the Cremonini Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Poke House: Healthy bowl concept promoting healthy lifestyle with customizable sustainable options, founded 2018
• Alice Pizza
• Pret A Manger
• Genuino
• Perfetta
• La Braciera
• Forno San Lorenzo
• Ke Palle
• Argiolas
• Sparkling Bar
• Tosca
• Italico
• Caffè Vergnano
• Mignon
• Healthy Bar
• Just Poke
• Il vero bar del Professore
• Roadhouse
• La Pasta di Michelis
• Pick
• Lavazza Coffee Design
• Terrazza Palermo
• Caio
• Piadina di Casa Maioli
• Il Bistrot
• Ahi Poke
• Panella
• Bagel Factory
• Mokà Cafè
• Antica Focacceria San Francesco
• Chef Express
• Oltregusto
• Gusto
• Juice Bar
• Cioccolati Italiani
• McDonald's
• Bottega Renzini
• Löwengrube
• Burgery By Roadhouse
• Ingredienti
• Gourmè
• Lavazza Tierra
• Harry's Bar Roma Trevi
• Chef Store
• Semplicemente Roma
• Gourmè - Bottega The Perfect Match
• Mokà Nature
• Pizza e…
• Viaggio Italia

Products and services

• Programma Fedeltà (Loyalty Program) Loyalty program offering advantages for travelers with personalized offers and discounts across Chef Express locations.
• Sosta Smart Smart stop service for convenient and safe travel breaks at Chef Express highway locations, integrated with parking monitoring.
• Sosta di Gruppo (Group Stop Booking) Group stop reservation service for organized travel groups requiring advance dining reservations and customized meals.
• Chef Express Mobile App Mobile application providing restaurant location finder, loyalty program access, and digital services for travelers across Italy.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Pret a MangercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive agreement for development of Pret a Manger brand in Italy. First location opened at Milano Malpensa Terminal 2, with subsequent expansion to Milano Centrale station. Chef Express holds exclusive rights for Italian market development.
• Gambero Rosso AcademyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for developing exclusive food products including panini line and croissant range. Products prepared with selected ingredients and exclusive recipes. Multiple co-branded product launches.
• Contadi Castaldi (Holding Terra Moretti)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Sparkling Bar concept combining Chef Express food service with Contadi Castaldi winery products. New location opened at Catania airport featuring wines and sparkling beverages alongside food offerings.
• LavazzacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing coffee partnership spanning 20+ years. Includes Lavazza Coffee Design experience format, Mokà Cafè brand, Lavazza Tierra sustainable blend, and multiple coffee concepts. Provides full coffee experience at multiple locations.
• Save the ChildrenminorOthersCharitable partnership for child welfare initiatives through Mastercard payment system fundraising campaigns.
• Fondazione HumanitasminorOthersOngoing support partnership for medical research foundation, providing funding for research initiatives.
• Banco AlimentareminorOthersPartnership with Italian food bank to support food donation and redistribution to those in need.
• ColdirettiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for future market concepts bringing Italian agricultural products to highway locations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Elior Group: French multinational contract foodservice operator active across contract catering, concessions, and on-site services. Broader incumbent with overlapping capability in travel and on-site dining.
• Compass Group (Eurest): UK-listed multinational contract foodservice provider with a travel concessions arm operating in airports and rail hubs. Broader incumbent with partial overlap in Italian travel-hub food service.
• McDonald's Corporation: Global QSR leader of which Chef Express is a licensed developer/operator in Italy; overlapping on channels (motorway sites) and concept mix. Broad incumbent and direct licensing partner.
• Sodexo (now Sodexo Live!): Global contract foodservice and facilities management major with travel and leisure concessions among its segments. Broader incumbent that competes for the same types of large travel-hub contracts.

Direct peers

• Lagardère Travel Retail: French-headquartered global operator of food, beverage, and convenience concepts in airports and other travel hubs. Directly comparable as a multi-brand travel F&B concessionaire with similar brand-licensing model.
• SSP Group: UK-listed travel hospitality operator running branded food and beverage concessions across airports, train stations, and motorway service areas globally. Closest international direct comparable to Chef Express given parallel focus on multi-brand F&B in transportation hubs.
• HMSHost (formerly Autogrill): US-based operator of F&B and retail concessions at airports and motorways in North America, originally the Italian Autogrill Group that historically competed head-to-head with Chef Express in European travel hubs. Sister cousin in travel hospitality.
• Areas (Areas Worldwide): Spanish-headquartered F&B and travel retail concessionaire operating restaurants, cafes, and convenience concepts in airports, motorways, train stations, and cultural venues across Europe, the Americas, and beyond. Directly comparable in business model and channel mix.

Regional players

• Select Service Partner (SSP) Germany / Casualfood: German travel F&B concessionaire operating quick-service and casual dining concepts in train stations and motorway service areas across Germany. Regional peer with same channel and brand-franchise model.

Others

• Gruppo Cremonini (parent): Parent Italian conglomerate spanning meat processing, food distribution, and catering, including the Roadhouse steakhouse chain. Not a competitor but the controlling shareholder and shared services backbone for Chef Express.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChefExpressItalia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chefexpress
• Instagraminstagram.com/chefexpress4u
• Xx.com/chefexpress4u

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chef Express