18-12-2014 NS en HMSHost_EN

NS and HMSHost open fast casual food and beverage outlets at
Utrecht Central station
Three new food and beverage concepts offer passengers new choices and extra comfort
Today, NS and food and beverage operator HMSHost International, signed a ten-year agreement for the
development and operation of three food and beverage concepts at Utrecht Central station. Highly
respected in the Netherlands for its food and beverage operations at Schiphol Airport, HMSHost will
now, for the first time, bring their expertise to a railway station in The Netherlands. The three food and
beverage concepts, where both passengers and passers-by can enjoy great food in a pleasant and
comfortable ambiance, will open at Utrecht Central station in mid-October 2015.
Wait in comfort
These food and beverage outlets complement the current selection at the station and offer visitors a place to
meet, pass the time, or wait in comfort for their train, tram or bus. The concepts include a coffee house, a bar and
a Italian influenced restaurant and offer in total 400 to 500 seats. They are situated on the first floor of the station
hall, which is currently under construction and will be finished in summer 2015. 't Koffiehuis and Bar Centraal will
open mid-October 2015 and Bistro Utrecht Centraal will follow at the end of 2015.
Contributing to the transformation
For the redevelopment of the first floor of Utrecht Central, NS sought out a partner with extensive experience in
designing, and operating food and beverage outlets at transport hubs. Peter Mulder, Director of NS Stations Real
Estate commented; "On behalf of our passengers, we are continually on the lookout for parties with excellent
concepts that are appreciated by our passengers. Food and beverage outlets greatly impact how passengers
experience the station as part of their door-to-door journey. Together with HMSHost we have established a
number of concepts that complement what we currently offer."
Walter Seib, CEO of HMSHost International, commented; “HMSHost is active throughout the world at airports,
train stations and motorway service stations, and now at the busiest railway hub in the Netherlands too. We are
delighted that NS had the confidence in our concepts, which will make a major contribution to the travel
enjoyment of its passengers."
Bob Keim (NS) and Walter Seib (HMSHost)
toast to a successful partnership.
About NS
Every day, NS carries more than 2.3 million passengers in Europe sustainably from door to door by train, bus or
tram, or alternatives such as bike (OV-fiets), Zonetaxi and Greenwheels. NS (with its subsidiary Abellio) has over
25,000 employees and the countries it operates in include the Netherlands, UK and Germany. Thalys, ICE and
international Intercity trains run by NS International are an attractive and sustainable alternative to planes and
cars for longer distance, cross-border travel. Within the Netherlands, NS carries about 1.2 million passengers a
day by train to their destinations with no hindrance as traffic congestion or parking problems. Furthermore, NS
trains are environmentally friendly. NS Stations is the station operating company in the Netherlands. Together
with our partners, we provide pleasant and lively station areas with good facilities for parking, working, living and
recreation. The NS subsidiary NedTrain services the trains, from cleaning and technical maintenance through to
complete upgrade programmes.
More information about NS and its business units is available from www.ns.nl/over-ns.
About HMSHost
HMSHost is part of the Autogrill Group, one of the most prominent innovators in the world in the running of airport
shops and catering facilities. HMSHost has a presence at over 100 airports worldwide, including 18 in Europe
and all 30 of the busiest in North America. The company has an annual turnover of more than USD 2.5 billion
and employs over 34,000 associates around the world. Please visit www.hmshost.com for more information. You
can become a fan of HMSHost on Facebook.
HMSHost International operates restaurants at more than 20 airports in Europe, Asia, Australia and New
Zealand, including Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Delhi, Dubai, Dublin, Ho Chi Minh, Istanbul, Copenhagen, London
Heathrow, St. Petersburg and Stockholm.
NS contact person
Ingeborg de Boer; [email protected] or +31 (0)6-55743911
HMSHost contact person
Meddy de Graaff; [email protected] or +31 (0)20 6034537

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