DGAP-News: Vapiano

VAPIANO expands Management Board team: Cornelius Everke appointed from May 1 as COO of the rapidly growing fast-casual restaurant concept

Cologne, 21 March 2018 - At its meeting yesterday, the Supervisory Board of VAPIANO SE (ISIN: DE000A0WMNK9, ticker symbol: VAO) appointed Cornelius Everke (53) as a new member of its Management Board and its Chief Operating Officer (COO) from May 1, 2018. In this role, Cornelius Everke will be responsible for the "Rest of Europe" and "Rest of World" segments, as well as further central service departments, and will complement the current Management Board team consisting of CEO Jochen Halfmann and CFO Lutz Scharpe.

Cornelius Everke has many years of international management experience and a broad expertise in the field of system and transport gastronomy. Born in 1964, Everke previously spent ten years in senior positions at listed UK company SSP Group. As CEO Central Europe, he was responsible for the profitable growth of his specified areas at the global transport gastronomy provider, which is responsible for running the business for well-known catering brands such as Burger King, Gosch, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks, as well as its own brands at airports, rail stations and freeways. In the DACH region, France, and the Benelux countries, he was responsible for around 7,000 employees and annual sales of almost EUR 500 million. Before working at SSP Group, Cornelius Everke was Managing Director of Starbucks, where he was responsible for developing and leading the business in Germany.

With the expansion of the Management Board, VAPIANO SE is taking account of the significant growth in its business: "VAPIANO is in a strong expansion and growth mode. As a result, the Board is facing significantly increased challenges. With Cornelius Everke, we have gained an ideal addition to the existing Management Board team, making it a three-person management team once again," said Dr. Thomas Tochtermann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

CEO Jochen Halfmann commented on their future collaboration: "With Cornelius Everke, we are welcoming a highly renowned international sector expert to our team. I am convinced that our future Management Board team will be able to take advantage of the growth opportunities offered to us. I am very much looking forward to that."

About VAPIANO

The Italian lifestyle brand VAPIANO founded in 2002 an innovative "Fresh Casual Dining" concept that established a new category in system catering, combining elements of "fast casual" and "casual dining". The restaurant concept centers around quality, uncompromisingly fresh ingredients, and transparency. Pasta, pizza dough, sauces, dressings and dolci are all made fresh every day on site at each VAPIANO. Food is prepared "à la minute" directly in front of the guests and "customized" to the guests' special requests. The cosmopolitan ambiance is also part of the success story. The cozy atmosphere in each VAPIANO is enhanced by long oak tables that foster communication, a tall olive tree, and a comfortable bar and lounge area. VAPIANO stands for self-determination and individuality allowing each guest to choose between different guest journeys. Guests can order their food from the Vapianisti, at the terminal, or via the VAPIANO app, and pay for it by chipcard or app. Alternatively, the company offers take-away and delivery services at a growing number of its restaurants, allowing guests to enjoy VAPIANO anytime, anyplace, anywhere. From its origins in Hamburg/Germany, the VAPIANO idea spread quickly to the world: As of December 31, 2017, the VAPIANO portfolio encompasses 205 restaurants in 33 countries on five continents. VAPIANO shares (ISIN: DE000A0WMNK9) have been listed in the Prime Standard on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange's since June 27, 2017. For further details, please go to www.vapiano.com.

Investor Relations contact:

Dr. Andrea Rolvering
Cellphone: +49 151 5445 9750
Phone: +49 221 67001 301
Email: a.rolvering@vapiano.eu

Financial and business press contact:

Dariusch Manssuri, IR.on AG
Cellphone: +49 173 566 2776
Phone: +49 221 9140 975
Email: dariusch.manssuri@ir-on.com