Chef Express, a catering company controlled by the Cremonini Group, perfects the experience of travelers departing from Rome Ciampino airport thanks to the first gate delivery service offered by McDonald's.

The Chef Express and McDonald's project with Aeroporti di Roma represents a novelty in Italy and marks an important step forward in the offer of catering services. Through this innovative service, passengers who have already completed all the necessary safety procedures required within the airport will be able to go to the McDonald's digital checkouts installed in a dedicated area inside the airside and order their meal, personalizing some recipes. The order, which can also be placed via the McDonald's App, will be prepared on the spot by McDonald's staff in the restaurant located in the departures area before the security checks, taken beyond the gates and delivered directly to the dedicated area to customers waiting to leave.

This new service aims to significantly improve the travel experience, allowing passengers departing from Rome Ciampino every year, which numbered around 2 million in 2023, to order and enjoy their meal in a more relaxed and comfortable context to enjoy a moment of total tranquility while waiting for the journey.

“We are proud of this innovative project in the airport market in Italy and even more so because we created it with Aeroporti di Roma, of which we have been partners for over 25 years", comments Gabriele Morisi , Chief Business Development Officer of Chef Express. "This initiative represents an important step forward in the digital integration between quality restaurant services and the travel experience. The Travel context is, in fact, an accelerator of processes and innovation and this project is a concrete example of this. At Ciampino, by combining digitalisation and delivery, we have created a method of purchasing and delivering a product that aims to improve passenger satisfaction".

“We are very happy that our customers will be able to take advantage of this service which increases our level of accessibility. For years as a company we have been committed to constantly innovating the structures of our restaurants and the services we offer, to adapt to the needs of customers also based on the time and place of consumption - and this is the case of what was created in the McDonald's restaurant present at the 'Rome Ciampino Airport,” declared Michele Pietrangioli , Development Director McDonald's Italy.

For her part, Marilena Blasi , Chief Commercial Officer of Aeroporti di Roma commented: “Thinking outside the box is part of the DNA of Aeroporti di Roma, constantly searching for new features to respond to the emerging needs of passengers with a standard of excellence; this initiative is part of the broader digitalisation project in the Food & Beverage sector which already allows you to reserve a table in Fiumicino restaurants or purchase products in advance using your smartphone and go to the selected point of sale only for collection".