Airport Experience® News - Food & Beverage Issue 2023

RENDERING TO RE AL I T Y

DELIVERING ON A VISION TO CREATE A UNIQUE KC EXPERIENCE

4x THE GOAL OF 16%

ACDBE

60% ACDBE PARTICIPATION AT EVERY LEVEL OFFEROR, PRINCIPAL OPERATOR JVS, DIRECT OPERATIONS

11 UNIQUE ACDBES

INSPIRED BY KANSAS CITY 80% OF THE EATING & SHOPPING EXPERIENCES ARE LOCAL

$1.5B CONCESSION SALES $50M SALES TAX GENERATED

$20M OPPORTUNITY FUND AND MENTORING PROGRAM

10 LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS DIRECTLY OPERATING 13 SHOPS

KEY PRIME OPERATING PARTNERS

FOR SMALL, LOCAL, ACDBE OPERATORS

$65M MINIMUM INVESTMENT

RETAINED CURRENT WORKFORCE, TRANSITIONED, AND NEW JOBS CREATING MORE THAN 1,000 JOBS

then more of each throughout each terminal node. “Passengers always know they’re going forward, they’re not ever lost in the building,” he says. “We’ve tried to create maximum visibility for all the concessions.” Two prime concessionaires handle the bulk of the offerings. OHM Concession Group, an Ai r por t Conces sions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certified firm, operates 25 food and beverage locations throughout the terminal while Marshall Retail Group leads the retail of fering with eight locations. The remaining locations are run by smaller, often local, concerns. Sammy Patel; Rich Rosamilia, business development divisional vice president at Marshall Retail Group; Milan Patel, president and CEO of OHM; and other colleagues recall the give and take operators went through when devising the concessions map of the new terminal. “I can’t tell you how many hours we worked on that map,” recalls Rosamilia. “What was really cool, though, is how the two [operator] companies were very respectful of each other in discussing what would be a retail location and what would be food and beverage,” he says, also noting

concessions,” he says. “Concessions are a big part, for sure, and they certainly drive the experience overall. But the best implementation is always when you think about it holistically, looking at the entire terminal experience. Not that we can control the curb or garage or ticketing area, but how can we partner with our client to make sure that the process is seamless for the passenger.” To ensure Vantage met the goal of local participation at every level of the operation, the firm sought local entrepreneurs to become equity partners in Vantage’s Kansas City business. In addition to offering select locals a piece of the action, the move also bolstered Vantage’s Kansas City bona fides. “Frankly, I’m not from Kansas City,” Sammy Patel says. “I have a lot of learning to do so I need a lot of good people around me to help.” The Concessions Offering Sammy Patel says the concessions vision included a heavily local program that was easily accessible for all travelers at the airpor t. The post-secur ity depar tures node of fers prominent restaurant offerings f lanked by retail,

the occasional butting of heads in trying to formulate the best layout. “We built it piece by piece, with Sammy leading the train.” Extensive passenger research informed the decisions, says Sammy Patel. “We wanted an understanding of who the user of the terminal was going to be, including a substantial connecting amount of traffic through Southwest Airlines . We took that all into account, then [drilled down] into how much food and retail we wanted across the board. “In terms of concepts and the best use of space, I think it goes back to the collaboration piece of actually bringing everyone to the table to making sure that we’re driving service, driving sales,” Sammy Patel says. One key centerpiece of the food and beverage program is the Kansas City BBQ Restaurant. OHM partnered with the Kansas City Barbeque Society in a “Made for KC BBQ Championship. Now in its second year, the winning team is awarded a licensing deal to feature their winning BBQ recipes on the menu and in the restaurant for one year. Milan Patel says Kansas City residents are passionate – and sometimes divided

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