Sodexo announces the signing of a share purchase agreement to acquire Antell’s restaurant businesses in Finland. The acquisition would strengthen Sodexo Finland’s position in the food services market and supports the company’s growth strategy.
Founded in 1880, Antell is a Finnish family-owned company and an operator of lunch and staff restaurant services, headquartered in Oulu. The company operates nationwide and has a strong presence in key cities such as Oulu, Turku, Kuopio, Tampere, and the Helsinki metropolitan area.
The acquisition, subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities, would support Sodexo’s strategic objectives by strengthening the market position in Finland, expanding the footprint, and enabling further value creation for clients and consumers. It would create growth opportunities by leveraging Antell’s strong client base and domestic reputation and broad geographical footprint, while generating operational synergies and efficiencies that benefit both clients and consumers. Together, Sodexo and Antell would form an even more competitive entity, fully equipped to respond to changing client and consumer needs and market dynamics, and to support sustainable growth in Finland.
“In line with our strategy, we are strengthening our position in the Finnish food services market and building a portfolio of strong, high-quality brands. Antell is a well-known family-owned company and a highly respected player in the industry. We share an entrepreneurial value base, professionalism, a strong commitment to quality, and a genuine service mindset. Once completed, the acquisition will strengthen our ability to serve our customers more broadly and with a more comprehensive range of services”, says Mikko Lindh, CEO Sodexo Oy.
“In the transaction, the well-regarded Antell brand, along with its restaurants and their employees, will transfer to Sodexo’s ownership. Sodexo values Antell’s high quality, skilled personnel, and recognizes the value of our long-term work, and I believe Sodexo is the best possible player to further develop our operations, says Tomi Lantto”, CEO of Antell.
Sodexo and Antell share a common vision around excellence in catering services and customer satisfaction and are committed to ensuring business continuity and a smooth transition for all stakeholders.
Media contacts
Sodexo
Mira Perander
Director, Brand & Communication and Corporate Responsibility
Sodexo Oy
+358 50 300 2096
mira.perander@sodexo.com
Antell
Tommi Manninen
tommi@tekir.fi
+358 400 437 515
About Sodexo
Founded in Marseille in 1966 by Pierre Bellon, Sodexo is the leader in Food and Services, shaping better everyday experiences at every moment in life: work, heal, learn and play. The Group stands out for its independence, its founding family shareholding and its responsible business model. With its services, Sodexo meets all the challenges of everyday life with a dual goal: to improve the quality of life of our employees and those we serve, and contribute to the economic, social and environmental progress in the communities where we operate. Our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone to build a better life for all. Sodexo is included in the CAC Next 20, CAC SBT 1.5, FTSE 4 Good and DJSI indices.
In Finland, Sodexo started its operations in 1993. Our offer includes a wide range of food services, workplace services and property management services. In Finland, Sodexo achieved Level 1 recognition in the Zero Accidents Forum classification in 2025, and our services are certified according to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards. For more information, visit Sodexo Finland website: fi.sodexo.com.
About Antell
Antell, a lunch and staff restaurant company, offers delicious dining experiences in around 60 restaurants across Finland. Our story began in Oulu in 1880. At the heart of our expertise is versatile, wholesome and delicious food. We want to play a role in building and supporting our customers’ wellbeing. Around 270 skilled professionals work for our family-owned company. We are developing the restaurant industry by combining the strong professional expertise of Antell employees with the latest technologies, such as artificial intelligence. For more information, visit Antell’s website: www.antell.fi.