Eataly

Schiphol Airport’s partner Avolta was wanted to launch a new F&B concept at a vacant location at the airport. They talked about this with Eataly, an internationally renowned Italian food concept that brings together high-quality Italian products, gastronomy, and education in a casual, welcoming setting. Founded in Turin in 2007, this concept has since grown into an international chain with locations in global cities such as New York, Tokyo, Paris, and Dubai. Eataly was open to adding Amsterdam to that list.

However, developing a full-scale, permanent Eataly location is an intensive, long-term process. That’s why Avolta asked Next Level Concepts to develop a temporary concept – an Eataly pop-up restaurant – to give the location purpose in the short-term and offer the public a preview of what was to come.

Thoroughly designed pop-up concept became the blueprint for a permanent location

We came up with a unique pop-up concept and drew up the plans in full. What made this design so extraordinary was that, from the outside, it looked like a full-fledged restaurant. But on the inside, there was absolutely no permanent connection to the existing space – to the airport’s floors and walls. So the entire interior could be built up in the space within literally two days. But it could also be taken down just as easily, all without any construction work. A genuine and proper pop-up concept.

However, we had thought this through so well and developed and designed it so thoroughly that, to Schiphol, it didn’t feel like a pop-up, but rather like a permanent design. Like a full-fledged location. Because the design was already so well-crafted, the construction and implementation process could proceed more quickly. And so, ultimately, the pop-up concept and design served as the blueprint for the permanent restaurant that opened at Schiphol Airport in 2025. The first Eataly location in the Netherlands.