Costa Coffee’s first store in Italy, located at Rome Fiumicino Airport | Photo credit: Avolta

Global travel retailer Avolta has launched UK coffee chain Costa Coffee in Italy with an outlet at Rome Fiumicino Airport. 
 

The store will be operated by Aeroporti di Roma, which manages and develops concessions at both Rome Fiumicino Airport and Ciampino Airport in Italy’s capital city. 

In a press release Avolta said partnering with Costa Coffee was an ‘important collaboration’ for the business as it seeks to ‘broaden and enrich’ its retail offer. The travel retailer also operates licensed Starbucks and Dunkin’ stores at airports and train stations globally. 

“We are very pleased to partner with Costa Coffee, a top player of international scope, which demonstrates our commitment to continually renewing our offer and leveraging our global partnerships to offer travellers an unparalleled experience,” said Massimiliano Santoro, CEO Italy F&B, Avolta. 

Avolta is the new corporate brand identity of Swiss travel retailer Dufry and Italian travel foodservice group Autogrill following their merger in July 2023. The new entity expected to generate annual revenues of around CHF 13.6bn ($13.8bn). 

Italy is Costa Coffee’s second new market entry of 2024 following its debut in Belgium at Liège Guillemins rail station in February 2024.  

“The opening of our first store in Italy is very exciting. It was the Costa brothers love of Italian coffee that led to the birth of Costa Coffee. We’re delighted to partner with Avolta, in Fiumicino, to fuel customers as they travel to and from Italy, sharing our Italian heritage with new consumers,” said Sam O’Brien, Managing Director EMENA, Costa Coffee. 

World Coffee Portal’s Project Café Europe 2024 report shows that Costa Coffee is the third largest branded coffee shop chain in Europe, behind McCafé and Starbucks, with more than 3,100 stores across 18 markets. 

The UK-based coffee chain’s Italy debut follows market entries last year for coffee and food-to-go brand Pret A Manger and French bakery-café chain Paul. In June 2023, SSP Group said it would launch LEON in Italy as part of its debut in the country, but the store has not yet opened.