14 Nov 2013
* First ever airport Nando's will be the fourteenth new restaurant to open at Gatwick
* Passengers ask for Nando's, Gatwick delivers
* Passenger satisfaction scores for food and beverage options at all time high
London Gatwick is delighted to announce that Nando's will open its first ever airport restaurant in South Terminal next summer.
This development is in direct response to passenger feedback to see a Nando's at Gatwick¹. Recent research saw the brand hit the top spot for restaurant chains passengers would like to visit at the airport - 33% asked for it - ensuring the airport experience truly reflects passengers' needs.
Nando's Gatwick will operate approximately 20 hours a day between the hours of 4.00am and 12.00am for passengers to enjoy meals for breakfast, lunch or dinner before they fly.
The exclusive deal between Nando's and Gatwick marks the start of a major overhaul of the airport's food and beverage offering in South Terminal. This follows a complete re-vamp of the North Terminal, which has seen eight new restaurants open in the past two years. New additions range from Jamie's Italian and Comptoir Libanais to YO! Sushi and new coffee outlets including Starbucks and Pret a Manger.
Charlotte Christiansen, Business Development Manager for Catering at London Gatwick, said: "We are thrilled that Nando's will be opening its first airport restaurant at Gatwick this summer. Nando's is a hugely popular brand with our passengers and its extensive menu is perfectly matched to airport dining as it is quick, fresh and delicious. More than a third of our passengers told us they would like to see a Nando's at Gatwick so we have acted on this."
Passenger ratings of food and beverage at Gatwick have improved significantly in recent years, with 85% of passengers now scoring the selection of outlets available as either excellent or good². The number of passengers eating, drinking or buying products from catering outlets in the departure lounge has also steadily increased, with nearly 65% of passengers making a purchase - up by nearly a quarter³.
Nando's, home of legendary Portuguese flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken, will open its doors in Gatwick's South Terminal in summer 2014. The restaurant group's first foray into airport dining will seat 200 guests, and create 100 new full and part-time jobs.
Set to provide London Gatwick's passengers with a menu bursting with flavour, variety and great value, the team behind the new restaurant will spend the next seven months on site constructing the 5,900 sq ft restaurant, which will feature Nando's unique design throughout, including its eye-catching range of African art.
Garry Duncan, Regional Director of Nando's, commented: "We're absolutely delighted to announce we'll be opening our first airport restaurant in London Gatwick next year.
"It's a complete new territory for the brand, but demonstrates our forward thinking and desire to offer our fans and customers the best possible Nando's experience whether they're on a high street or in an airport terminal. We can't wait to open our doors!"
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Notes to editors
¹Source: Gatwick Food and Beverage Strategy Market Research 2013. At Easter 2013, 33% of 1,042 passengers surveyed said they would be most likely to visit a Nando's at Gatwick over an extensive selection of other well-known brands. Nando's was the most popular choice of all options presented.
²Source: GAL Retail Profiler. In Q3 2009, 70% of 2,526 passenger surveys rated the selection of food and beverage outlets available at Gatwick being 'excellent' or 'good'. In Q3 2013, 85% of 2,692 passengers surveyed rated it 'excellent' or 'good'.
³Source: GAL Retail Profiler. In September 2013, 65% of all passengers made an airside catering purchase at Gatwick. This represents an increase of nearly a quarter over the level in September 2009 (52%).
Since 2011, Gatwick has opened 13 new food and beverage outlets. These include:
South Terminal:
Apostrophe
Beehive bar and restaurant
Caviar House & Prunier
Giraffe
North Terminal:
Caviar House
Jamie's Italian
Jamie's Bakery
Union Jack's Bar
Jamie's Coffee Van
Pret a Manger
Starbucks
YO! Sushi
Comptoir Libanais
About Nando's
Nando's is best known for its legendary and delicious flame grilled PERi-PERi chicken. At Nando's, we surround our customers with warmth, hospitality and fun, whilst offering them a meal to remember.
Served on, or off the bone, in a wrap, burger or pitta, and served with a delicious selection of sides, salads, appetisers and sharing platters, Nando's offers great variety, and mouth-watering recipes to please all food palettes. You'll find yourself spoilt for choice!
Whether you go for a quick bite, a family party, a fun night out with friends, it won't be just your taste buds that are invigorated.
For more information about Nando's please contact pressoffice@nandos.co.uk or:
Alice Bruce - 07584 114251 / Alastair Flower 07817 745959
About Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is the UK's second largest airport and the busiest single-runway airport in the world. It serves more than 180 destinations in 90 countries for around 34.2 million passengers a year on short- and long-haul point-to-point services. It is also a major economic driver for the South-East region, generating around 23,000 on-airport jobs and a further 13,000 jobs through related activities. The airport is 28 miles south of London with excellent public transport links, including the Gatwick Express. Gatwick Airport is owned by a group of international investment funds, of which Global Infrastructure Partners is the largest shareholder.
Media enquiries to
GATWICK AIRPORT PRESS OFFICE
+ 44 (0) 1293 505000
gatwickmedia@gatwickairport.com
NANDO'S PRESS OFFICE
Alice Bruce - 07584 114251 / Alastair Flower 07817 745959
For further information on Gatwick Airport see www.gatwickairport.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatwick_Airport
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For press information please contact: Scarlette Matthews Scarlette.Matthews@redconsultancy.com
