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HMSHost International wins 7-year contract to operate 8 stores at redeveloped Cairns Airport

Schiphol, February 16, 2019 - HMSHost International, the global market leader in the food and hospitality industry for people on the move, has won a significant new contract in the recent tender for the redevelopment of the domestic terminal at Cairns Airport, Australia. The contract will see a phasing in period resulting in all stores to be completed and operational by mid-2020. The concept portfolio will cover a range of locally inspired and well-known dining concepts in a 7-year contract expected to generate 80 million Euro in turnover.

HMSHost International will introduce a trio of popular iconic brands from the Cairns region. Ochre Deli and Restaurant which specialises in dishes created from sustainable regional produce and inspired by renowned Australian chef Craig Squire. Café China, the award-winning, internationally acclaimed contemporary Chinese seafood restaurant and noodle express bar whose owner and food artist, Mr. Harry Sou, has been delighting diners for over 18 years. Industry One Coffee, a redefined coffee destination roasting fair-traded coffee from the finest growing regions around the world. Industry One, recently rebranded as White Whale Coffee Roasters, boasts a strong association with the Reef Restoration Foundation focusing on the preservation of the Great Barrier Reef. Additionally, HMSHost is proud to present Bistrot, a successful proprietary brand serving authentic Italian and artisan food. The Bistrot concept reflects the style of a modern, natural and sustainable city market that extensively celebrates the quality of local suppliers and embraces the recuperation of artisan processing practices as well as regional sourcing.

To enhance the Cairns’ Airport experience, HMSHost brings four of Australia’s most popular brands to the domestic terminal. Hungry Jack’s, the franchise of the international Burger King chain and the original “Home Of The Whopper”. Oporto serving its famous Portuguese flame grilled chicken and burgers founded in 1986 and with over 150 stores. Roll’d Vietnamese offering fresh Vietnamese street food inspired tastes with a twist and Schnitz, the fast casual dining restaurant best known for pan cooked schnitzels and famous seasoned chips.

“Cairns Airport is a dynamic and growing airport, one of our appreciated partners, and we are delighted to grow our business and be awarded this tender, building on our long-standing partnership. The opportunity to expand our F&B offering is a win for guests as we continue to develop the foodie journey for departing passengers with a blend of Australian favourites and global performers. Together, we will continue to deliver unparalleled food & beverage experiences for international and local passengers in Tropical North Queensland,” explains Walter Seib, CEO HMSHost International.

The domestic terminal at Cairns Airport is one of the most impressive commercially performing terminals in Australia, with a domestic CAGR of 3.95% over the past five years - more than three times the national average.

“HMSHost have been a wonderful partner of Cairns Airport for many years now, operating 6 outlets in T2 for 20 years. When we went to tender, we challenged HMSHost to take their operations in T2 to another level. And they rose to that challenge offering us a mix of outstanding international brands, national food court concepts, experiential proprietary concepts and excitingly three amazing concepts from the Cairns downtown market – Ochre, a sit-down restaurant focussing on the best of Australia - Café China - an authentically Asian food offering for the rapidly growing Asian passenger market at Cairns Airport - and Industry One - a local coffee roaster focussing on fair trade, small batch coffee. We look forward to working with HMSHost as we manage through the construction period and over the next 7 years,” shares Tracey Groves, Chief Commercial Officer Retail, Transport and Property at Cairns Airport.

“We are thrilled to continue our journey with Cairns Airport and the Cairns Community. We have been operating at the airport since 1996 and have always felt we have played our part in making this airport a success. To stay ahead of the game, we have worked with Cairns Airport commercial team and our internal Business Development group to bring new and innovative concepts to our portfolio and in fact, new brands to the Cairns market. We plan to address the needs of the varied travelling public now using the Domestic Terminal and ensure each experience is a memorable experience,” David Mackay, Regional Director HMSHost Asia Pacific.