Autogrill and PizzAut continue journey towards an increasingly inclusive future

As part of an initiative linked to the GourmAut sandwich, Autogrill – a leader in foodservice for travelers and part of Avolta – has donated €150,000 (US$174,500) to PizzAut Onlus.

This underlines Autogrill’s commitment, alongside the association founded by Nico Acampora, to raise awareness on the issue of employability for people with autism.

The initiative – launched on July 15 and ending on October 15, 2025 in all participating stores in Italy – is intended to finance PizzAut’s ‘Palestre di Autonomia Abitativa’ project, which offers young people with autism apartments and spaces to experiment with ways of approaching independent living.

With the amount donated by Autogrill, PizzAut will purchase the fourth apartment in the CasAutentica project - the first one made possible through Autogrill’s support. The apartment, located in a typical Lombard courtyard, will be an essential part of the independent living project that PizzAut is implementing a few hundred meters from the restaurant in Cassina de’ Pecchi.

“We are proud of what we have built over the years and of the work we are continuing to do in synergy with PizzAut, with whom we are not only committed to an increasingly inclusive society, but also share the values of acceptance and the promotion of diversity,” said Massimiliano Santoro, CEO Italy at Avolta. “In line with Avolta’s sustainability strategy, we act to promote inclusion at all levels and, through concrete projects and actions, the employment of the most vulnerable, always putting people at the center.”

“Autogrill is now a well-established partner of PizzAut,” added Founder Nico Acampora. “Over the years, the company has become a point of reference in our journey. The GourmAut sandwich project, which has delighted all travelers on Italian motorways since the summer, has translated into generous support. This is another concrete step towards realizing our ‘Palestre di Autonomia Abitativa’ and offering young people real opportunities for growth and independence. Autogrill’s collaboration confirms that only by joining forces can we build a more inclusive society.”

The initiative is part of Autogrill’s broader commitment to social and workplace inclusion alongside PizzAut, with whom the company began collaborating in 2023 with the hiring of Edoardo. He signed his first permanent contract with Autogrill and worked on secondment at the PizzAut outlet in Monza. Having acquired new skills and awareness, Edoardo is now ready for a new phase: from 2026, he will be working at the iconic Autogrill outlet in Mercato del Duomo.

But that’s not all: Autogrill will hire another young person with autism on a permanent contract who will be seconded, in Edoardo’s place, to PizzaAut in Monza, thus creating a virtuous ‘work relay’.

The synergy has grown stronger over time with other activities, such as the self-produced campaign by PizzAut for the initial launch of the GourmAut sandwich, which in 2024 enabled €200,000 to be donated to PizzAut to finance the purchase of a food truck as part of the PizzAutobus project.

As proof of the high social value of this collaboration, in 2024 Autogrill’s work with PizzAut received the Highly Recommended - People & Planet Award: Diversity & Inclusion Champion at the Frontier Awards, an international program that recognizes excellence and innovation in the travel retail sector, for its important work promoting the social and professional inclusion of people with autism.