Airport Experience® News - ACDBE 2023

Right: Anthony Manor, owner of MB Concessions, partnered with HMSHost Corp. to open Shake Shack at Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport in 2019.

strategic alliances. They intend to maintain and increase the efforts. Whereas Gomes says he was working the market on a solicitation-by-solicitation basis, Scales and Ray intend to try to get ahead of the contracts. Scales adds that HMSHost tries to be market specific about bringing in potential partners. After that, the company looks at its own brand standards and quality. In addition to focusing on ACDBE partners, the company looks for other small- and women-owned businesses. “I see more airports asking us to do that, to consider the small businesses within their communities, not even necessarily ACDBEs,” she says, adding that studying a market’s entire ecosystem helps HMSHost keep its offerings fresh and relevant. A lot of it comes down to traveling to the individual markets, talking to local business organizations and hyper-focusing on what’s trendy, hot and new. The company also communicates regularly with airport officials to see who has approached them about getting into business there. “Can we bring in new concepts? Can we bring in new brands that meet the needs of that particular marketplace,” Scales says.

“Part of the strategy is boots on the ground and going to research the marketplace.” Part Of The Culture Encouraging diversity within an airport’s concessions has been a part of the culture at SSP America dating back well before the OIG report, says Pat Murray, senior vice president of business development. “We’ve always had a goal of bringing in new people because the nature of the ACDBE program is to provide opportunity for new business,” he says. In many cities, like Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago, that’s easier because of larger numbers of opportunities and more potential partners, he says. But there are opportunities to partner with companies in any market, Murray says, noting that of the entire population of restaurant owners, the percentage currently certified is miniscule. “There is a huge pool of people who aren’t,” he says. Murray talks weekly with Heather Barry, the company’s vice president of strategic partnerships, discussing partnership progress city by city. In each of those cities, company officials seek out municipally connected people who know the restaurant business to help find the right potential

Above: Airports have been asking for not only more ACDBE operators but small- and women-owned businesses, as well, notes Shelby Scales, who will replace Ron Gomes at HMSHost.

Above: HMSHost Corp. stepped up its recruitment of new ACDBE entrants after the U.S. DOT’s OIG noted a decrease in the number of participants, says Ron Gomes, outgoing vice president of strategic alliances.

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