Sources inform "Globes" that Azrieli Malls, a subsidiary of Azrieli Group Ltd. (TASE: AZRG) managed by CEO Arnon Toren, is planning to open the first Israeli branch of international Italian food chain Eataly in Tel Aviv's Azrieli Sarona Tower.
The chain operates dozens of stores, mostly in large cities in the US and Italy. In recent years, however, it has expanded its deployment and now also has branches in Russia, Sweden, Denmark, South Korea, Japan, Turkey, Germany, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.
The chain's concept is large covered areas selling products from Italy displayed like a giant delicatessen divided into categories such as pasta, coffee, bread, cheese, meat, sweets, etc. In addition to the store, every branch has a place with seating where ready meals cooked on the premises made from the raw materials sold in the store can be ordered.
Eataly was founded in 2007 by Italian businessperson Oscar Farinetti on the premises of a closed-down vermouth factory in Turin. This is not the first attempt to bring the Eataly chain to Israel. Negotiations to open the chain's first branch were held in recent years with Hazahav Mall in Rishon Lezion, with an Eataly branch being planned in the market area on the mall's bottom floor. The plan was thwarted by legal struggles between the owners of the mall.
Azrieli Sarona Tower, whose 255 meters height makes the 61-storey tower the tallest in Israel, consists of offices, with the lower part containing 10,000 square meters of space on three floors. The tower is close to the three older Azrieli towers.
Azrieli Group said in response, "As a matter of policy, Azrieli Group neither denies nor confirms media reports about the company's internal operations."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 18, 2018
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