Autogrill is an Italian-based, multinational catering company, which was controlled with a 50.1[3]% stake by the Edizione Holding investment vehicle of the Benetton family.

Pavesi had begun to operate a service area on the Milan-Novara motorway in 1947, replacing it with a bridge-restaurant accessible by travellers in both directions fifteen years later.

Edizione floated the company on the Milan Stock Exchange in 1997, sparking a series of acquisitions in overseas markets: by the end of 1998, Autogrill had secured full control of French operator Sogerba (previously owned by Granada Group);[11] AC Restaurants and Hotels of Benelux[12] as well as 14 branches of the Wienerwald chain in Austria and Germany.

[13] In July 1999 the group made its first entry into both the United States and airport concession markets[10] by acquiring Host Marriott Services, which was then renamed HMSHost.

[20] On 1 October 2013, World Duty Free has listed on the Borsa Italiana in Milan, marking the culmination of the demerger process from parent group Autogrill.