Airport Experience® News - Conference Issue 2026

ONE-ON-ONE

It’s a monumental task. It has been going very, very smoothly. We have a small army working on making sure that we don’t disrupt anything for our team members, we don’t disrupt anything for our customers that are buying from our restaurants and retail stores, and that we offer a great experience for our clients. That doesn’t just happen overnight. We use the term One Areas. We’re no longer two separate companies, we’re one company. That part has been

kind of phenomenal, how well the [two operations] have come together as one company. I’m sure there’ll be some bumps along the way, but we’ll smooth those bumps when they pop up. WARD: What’s your timeline for full integration? BERNAL: We’re anticipating [full integration] by the end of July, assuming everything goes on schedule. There will be more work after that in terms of fine tuning and some of the other things that we need to do. But our goal is to have everything fully integrated, from an airport perspective, by the end of July. We have a pretty aggressive timeline to get it done and a really good plan to get it done. WARD: Let’s talk about personnel. First, on the corporate side, what percentage of the Delaware THS team did you bring over to Areas? BERNAL: I would say it’s probably 99%. There was only a handful of people who didn’t come across for a variety of reasons. Operationally, on the field side – the folks working in the restaurants, the VPs and regional staff – 100% of the people came across. WARD: That’s impressive. Can you talk a bit about cultural differences and how you’re addressing those or merging those? BERNAL: I worked for Delaware North twice in my career, but it was all on the sports entertainment side. I have the ultimate respect for Delaware North and the Jacobs family, which owns the company. For me, it’s hard to compare cultures. Everybody’s got their unique things. I really like our culture, so I’ll speak to what we have. Our culture is built on transparency, teamwork, accountability and trust. Those are the four pillars [that connect us] as team members. Since I joined the company six years ago, that’s been my messaging to the team – if we do those four things, we get results in the business. I think if you were to talk to any of the Delaware THS people that came across, I think they’re seeing that. For us, it was very important that they’d have a feeling of belonging, that they’re part of our company. We have a very hands-on organization at all levels of the company. I may be the CEO but I’m really involved in everything we do, not just on the business development side. I’m involved in the operations, involved in what’s happening with our team members – that’s how we are.

Below: Areas USA was thriving before the acquisition, with high profile wins in airports like San Diego International Airport and William P. Hobby Airport. Now, the company has nearly tripled in size, growing from presence in 10 airports to 27 airports post-acquisition. (The Spot at HOU and Novecientos Grados by Tony Hawk at SAN pictured.)

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AX NEWS MARCH 2026