Amadeus expands catering at the ICC
05 February 2019Amadeus has boosted its selection of on-site food and drink at the ICC by adding leading sandwich chain Subway to its growing list of retail F&B outlets.
The new store – located in The Mall of the ICC – will be operated by in-house caterers Amadeus as a franchise operation.
A £140,000 investment from Amadeus has seen an outdated catering unit at the ICC remodelled into the new Subway ‘Fresh Forward’ designed store, in a bid to attract passing visitor trade through The Mall with an internationally renowned brand.
Amadeus continues to develop the F&B offering available at the ICC to cope with the growing number of visitors and delegates attending events year on year. In addition to the new Subway store, The Oak Kitchen – an in-house retail concept designed by Amadeus – will now be deployed as a mobile concept at particularly busy events at the ICC or the Symphony Hall, also located in The Mall, further enhancing the range of food and beverage on offer.
Craig Hancox, General Manager for Amadeus at the ICC, said: “One of the ICC’s most popular features is The Mall, which not only connects the halls and meeting rooms, but also links Birmingham's Brindleyplace and Convention Quarter to the rest of the city centre.
“Alongside the delegates that are attending events at the ICC, The Mall sees over 350,000 visitors and delegates pass through every year– we saw the opportunity to launch an established ‘grab and go’ offer which would appeal to this captive audience. With ample seating adjacent to the retail outlet we also hope people will linger to enjoy the wider facilities the ICC offers, whether a guest or delegate.”
Craig explains why the brand was a great fit for Amadeus: “Subway as a brand really appealed to Amadeus due to its commitment to responsible, sustainable sourcing and the fact that absolutely everything is cooked and prepared fresh on site. And our staff have really enjoyed being trained up and becoming part of the Subway family, understanding the Subway ethos, standards and ways of working.”
The new franchise adds clout to Amadeus’ retail arm which already sees it run highly profitable franchise operations for Starbucks at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and the ICC, alongside its growing portfolio of venues and events.