The ambition of the company is to build up a new cathedral of taste. ‘Mercato del Duomo’ is Autogrill‘s new flagship store, scheduled to open to the public on 30 April. Company chairman Gilberto Benetton and ceo Gianmario Tondato Da Ruos presented the project – created in collaboration with the University of Gastronomic Sciences (UNISG) in Pollenzo and entailed an overall investment of € 13.5 m – in a press conference at Palazzo Marino attended by the mayor of Milan, Giuliano Pisapia, the president of UNISG, Carlo Petrini chairman of Slow Food International, the architect Michele De Lucchi and chef Niko Romito. “We decided to turn Milan into the Group’s main innovation and experimentation workshop,” said Gilberto Benetton, “because we believe in the potential of this city and its territory and of our company. With Il Mercato del Duomo we are going back to our historical roots to look to the future, a future that promises innovation and excellence”.
Autogrill plays the card of entering in the premium food service with the help of Carlo Petrini, inventor of the university of gastronomic sciences of Pollenzo. “The University of Gstronomic Science provided support in term of knowledge, products and case histories of excellence for a project like Autogrill’s Duomo Store where the focus is on quality food and the closer relationship between producer and consumer” Petrini declares. Mercato del Duomo is on four floors covering around 5,000 square metres of which 3,000 meters open to public and reflecting various stages in the processing raw materials.