Airport Experience® News - ACDBE Issue 2026

to establish 15 Starbucks units at DFW. A decade later, Star Concessions partnered with HMSHost and Hudson Group to add food and beverage and retail units at DAL. The company has operated there for 31 years. The Staff That Stayed If there is one thread running through Aranza’s three decades in airport concessions, it’s this: take care of your people and the rest follows. “My view is if we’re good operators and we deal well with all of our employees, we’ll make money,” he says. That philosophy was tested during Covid. On March 17, 2020, Aranza called his managers and directors into his office and asked how many could stay without pay. Those who agreed received a promise. “All the money that they give up to stay with me, I will pay them back first when business comes back.” He kept it. Star Concessions was the only operator at DAL that remained open throughout the shutdown. When travel returned, the company was fully staffed. Sales in 2021 came in at 140% of 2019 levels. “No one else was able to do that,” Aranza says. The company has earned the employee engagement award at DFW multiple years running. Every employee receives an annual bus pass and every manager has an Uber account. The volume of airport work demands a workforce that shows up. “On the street, an average Chili’s turns its seats 2.7 times a day,” Aranza says. “In the airport

AT A GLANCE NAME OF COMPANY: Star Concessions HEADQUARTERS: Dallas, Texas OWNER(S): Gilbert Aranza and his siblings have been partners since 1978. YEAR OF ENTRY INTO AIRPORTS: 1994 AIRPORTS: Dallas Love Field, Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Austin Bergstrom International Airport (later this year) CONCEPTS OPERATED: 40 stores. 12 brands. ACDBE Operator: Chili’s Bar & Grill, Whataburger, Pizza Hut, Maggiano’s Little Italy, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Dallas Cowboys Club, Dallas Cowboys Pro Shops, Sundance Travel Essentials, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Amazon Grab & Fly and Shell mixed-use service stations NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 900 FUTURE PLANS: Looking ahead, Star Concessions was recently awarded four spaces at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, with openings slated for later this year and into 2027. Expansion plans extend further across Texas, with both Houston and San Antonio in the sight line for potential growth.

environment, we turn those seats 7 to 11 times a day.” Today, 79% of Star Concessions full-time employees are female or ethnic minorities, a figure Aranza describes as central to his mission from the start. “I wanted to create a business where people could progress naturally, people of every race, sex and alternate lifestyle. I didn’t give a hoot.” Steve Johnson, Avolta’s North America president and CEO, sees it the same way. “I met Gilbert early in his career as an operator and have had the pleasure of watching his impressive growth and success. He is a valued partner who brings a personal commitment to every opportunity, with a hands-on approach and a passion that elevates everything we do together. That same dedication is reflected in his

team, who share his focus on delivering exceptional guest service and memorable travel experiences.” Building What Lasts Aranza has watched the ACDBE program face mounting pressure and is pragmatic about what comes next. “Trump is taking away the ACDBE [program],” he says. “But I will graduate out of the small business category.” He sees that transition as a handoff. He currently mentors five minority business owners he intends to bring along with him. “Once I graduate, they’re going to be my go-to people, so I’m teaching them how to take on this business,” he says. “I’ve been mentoring since 1994. It’s something I think is absolutely necessary.” That mentorship runs parallel to an ambitious expansion push. Star Concessions was recently awarded four spaces at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) , with openings planned for later this year and into 2027. Aranza also has his eye on IAH with hopes of bringing Raising Cane’s into the market, and on the new Terminal C at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) . Thirty-one years at DAL is a long time by any measure. Aranza built this business on the conviction that he could win airport contracts honestly, treat his employees well and still outperform everyone else on volume. “Looking ahead, I have no doubt Gilbert and the Star Concessions team will continue to grow and strengthen their reputation as industry leaders,” Johnson says. “We’re proud to have been part of that journey and look forward to continuing our partnership.” “Always do the right thing,” Aranza says. “Always be ethical. Always be honest. And I think that is what has gotten me where I am.”

Below: Star Concessions is entering AUS with this Starbucks and Pantry House , set to open at the end of 2026. Right: This Piada Italian Street Food at DFW will be the chain’s first storefront to open in a U.S. airport.

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AX NEWS JUNE 2026