Areas’ TRG Concessions Move: New Scale at UK Airports

Areas, which manages food and beverage and retail operations at travel points, has reached an agreement to acquire TRG Concessions, the franchised operations division of The Restaurant Group. Announced on July 16, 2026, the transaction will enable Areas to enter the UK market directly for the first time.

The scope of the agreement is larger than just a few restaurant branches changing hands. According to Areas, TRG Concessions operates 38 food and beverage locations at 10 UK airports, with approximately 2,200 employees and annual revenues exceeding 240 million euros. The portfolio includes well-known brands such as Wagamama and Giraffe, as well as travel-specific concepts like The Curator at Heathrow, Sonoma at Gatwick, and Smithfield at Luton.

The completion of the transaction was expected by July 26, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. However, as of July 31, there has been no new corporate announcement confirming the closing on the parties' accessible official channels. Therefore, it is more accurate to describe the current stage of the development as a "purchase agreement."

Why is Areas entering the UK with direct operations?

Areas currently operates approximately 2,000 sales points at airports, train stations, highway service areas, and entertainment venues. According to the company's own data, its operations reach 11 countries, 81 airports, and approximately 350 million customers annually.

If the TRG Concessions transaction closes, the UK will become a separate business unit for Areas. The company anticipates that its total network will grow to approximately 2,200 sales points, with the number of employees exceeding 26,000 and the number of countries of operation increasing to 12. These figures reflect the company's expectations for the post-transaction period.

The UK airport market provides a strong foundation for this growth strategy due to passenger volume. According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the country's airports served 302 million passengers in 2025. This figure represents a 2% increase compared to 2024 and sets a new annual record for air travel in the country.

High passenger traffic creates a large customer pool for food and beverage operations at airports. However, an increase in passenger numbers at airport restaurants does not automatically mean a proportional increase in revenue and profitability.

Why is operating an airport restaurant different?

Airport food and beverage operations have different conditions compared to city center restaurants. Demand can intensify quickly based on flight times. Customers have limited time to place and consume their orders; security procedures can complicate delivery, staff entry, and goods acceptance processes.

In this environment, the same operation may need to manage table service, quick service, packaged products, coffee, bar, and "grab-and-go" formats simultaneously. Rapid menu preparation, adaptation to different terminal profiles, and the ability to operate early in the morning and late at night become critical.

The value of TRG Concessions largely stems from this operational experience. Over the past three years, the company has renewed airport contracts, refurbished existing locations, acquired new areas, and expanded its franchise brand portfolio. In June 2026, it launched the travel-adapted Wagamama "on the move" concept at Heathrow Terminal 5.

Wagamama will continue to operate at airports

Following the transaction, TRG Concessions plans to continue operating the Wagamama brand at UK airports under a franchise agreement. The parties also state that they will evaluate growth opportunities for the brand at other European airports.

This detail indicates that the acquisition is not solely about taking over existing revenues and locations. Areas aims to combine TRG Concessions' local contract and operational knowledge with its own international brand portfolio.

However, managing a broad brand portfolio requires a delicate balance between standardization and local adaptation. A menu that performs well in one airport may not yield the same results in another terminal. Passenger profile, flight type, time spent in the terminal, and nearby competitors all affect each location's performance individually.

Transition process for approximately 2,200 employees

The most significant aspect of the transaction from the employees' perspective is the planning for the integration of an approximately 2,200-strong team into Areas. TRG has stated that it will provide services during the transition period to maintain operational continuity for partners, suppliers, and employees.

However, there are no details available regarding potential changes in pay, shift systems, benefits, management structure, or task distribution in existing resources. It is not possible to draw definitive conclusions on these matters.

A critical issue in large-scale acquisitions from an employee perspective is not so much the change of the company name but how systems will be integrated. Changes in payroll, training, product standards, food safety, performance measurement, and shift software can disrupt daily service if not well planned.

Areas' global scale can offer employees career opportunities across different brands and countries. However, for this to translate into real benefits, it will depend on the clarity of career paths, accessibility of training programs, and the preservation of local teams' operational knowledge.

What does this mean for businesses in Turkey?

For businesses operating in airports, highway service areas, marinas, and transport hubs in Turkey, the transaction indicates two trends.

The first is the increasing importance of scale in the travel food and beverage market. Companies managing multiple brands and locations can gain stronger bargaining power in purchasing, technology, training, and franchise agreements.

The second is the need for developing travel-specific concepts. Simply transferring a city restaurant's menu to an airport is often insufficient. Shorter service times, portable products, clear allergen information, multilingual communication, and production planning suitable for different hours are required.

Therefore, brands looking to enter the travel hospitality sector need to consider not only passenger numbers but also the time spent in the terminal, operating hours, logistical constraints, and contract costs.

Stafflink’s view

According to Stafflink, the key factor determining the success of Areas' TRG Concessions move will not be the consolidation of 38 locations in the purchase table but the ability to create scale advantages without disrupting the daily flow of airport operations.

Centralized purchasing, technology, and brand portfolio can provide cost advantages. Conversely, rapidly forcing all locations into the same system may weaken the local knowledge and airport relationships that TRG Concessions has built over the years.

Particularly important is how the 2,200 employees are integrated into the process. If teams are only expected to adapt to new procedures, it may create pressure on service quality during the transition period. Integrating employees' local operational knowledge into integration decisions could be one of the strongest advantages of the new group.

In airport food and beverage operations, speed, continuity, and employee experience are as important as the brand. The ultimate outcome of this transaction will be measured more by the capacity to manage these three areas together than by the size of Areas.