Autobahn Tank & Rast Gruppe GmbH & Co. KG is a private German motorway services company headquartered in Bonn. It holds the concession for the vast majority of motorway service areas and associated filling stations on the German Autobahn network. In addition to fuel sales, it operates or licenses restaurants, hotels and related roadside services.[1]
History
Tank & Rast was founded in 1994 as the successor to two federal companies, the Gesellschaft für Nebenbetriebe der Bundesautobahnen and the Ostdeutsche Autobahntankstellengesellschaft.[2]
In 1998, the federal government privatised the enterprise. Political guidelines for the sale included maintaining the existing motorway refuelling and rest system, preserving a medium-sized leaseholder structure and avoiding monopolies.[3] Shares were sold to Lufthansa (30.6%) and private-equity investors including Apax and Allianz