(AGI) Rome, Oct 13 - Eataly Distribuzione and Signa Retail haveset up a joint venture to launch the Eataly concept in Germany,Austria and in German-speaking Switzerland. The first step wastaken to create a partnership between Eataly, Signa and EatalyDistribution Deutschland GmbH. To date, Eataly has set up 26stores in the U.S., Brazil, Dubai, Japan, South Korea, Turkeyand Italy, and is currently one of the fastest-growingcompanies in the world in the catering industry and food andwine business. The company's development envisages opening newpoints of sale, since at the end of 2014 the firm had reportedrevenues of 400 million euro. The new partnership between SignaRetail and Eataly includes the expertise of both companies. Itsees Eataly committed to the selection of products, themarketing and the training policy, while Signa will offer itslong-time experience in the catering industry (with Le Buffet),its organisational model (Karstadt Warenhouse) and itsspecialisation in the field of real estate in Germany, Austriaand Switzerland. The first point of sale, to be opened by theend of the year, will be a store in the historic Schrannenhallebuilding near the Viktualienmarkt in the centre of Munich.There are more stores that will be opened soon after in otherlocations. "Eataly is the most fascinating food concept storein Europe. We are pleased to be taking it to Germany, Austriaand German-speaking Switzerland. Our joint venture foresees anexpansion by 2021 with at least 5 more stores, besides the onein Munich. We want Eataly to become an international business,just like what we are envisioning in Munich. And not only this,we would like to develop some of the Eataly concepts in smallerstores. Both the growth of our Le Buffet format and thetransformation of Le Buffet in Eataly stores are being examinedclosely by the KaDeWe Group and Karstadt Warenhouse," saidStephan Fanderi, Karstadt CEO, and manager of Signa Retail.Eataly's CEO, Luca Baffigo Filangieri, said that "Munich willbe our first point of sale to be opened in Europe, followingthe overseas stores in Japan, the U.S., Turkey, Dubai, Braziland South Korea." (AGI).