Canadian airport food operator sells up

Cara Operations, the company that provides in-flight meals on Air Canada and operates several food outlets in air terminals, is to sell its airport business to a U.S.-based company.

HMSHost will pay around $62 million for the airport-oriented part of Cara's restaurant operations, which includes well-known brands such as Second Cup and Tim Hortons coffee houses and Sbarro's.

Host will take on contracts to serve customers at nine Canadian airports, including Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver – encompassing around 90 food, beverage, and retail outlets.

Cara's Senior Vice President, Ian Wilke, said that although the company would be moving away from terminal-based businesses it would continue to provide in-flight meals for customers of Air Canada.

"More and more, we're focusing on the restaurant side of our business and less on either institutional catering or airport travel feeding," Wilke told The Globe and Mail.

Cara also owns popular restaurant brands including Harvey's, Swiss Chalet, and Kelsey's.

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