Airport Experience® News - Food & Beverage Issue 2024

Puck Express; Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), with Dook’s Burgers from Edgar Chase and Folse Market from John Folse; Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), with Northern Soul from Justin Sutherland; and Nashville International Airport (BNA), with Pig Star from Carey Bringle. “Celebrity chefs are the new rock stars of our time, with some chefs having multiple TV shows, speaking engagements, and more,” says Maximillian McClelland, senior manager of brands and concept development for Delaware North. “They bring with them established brand identities and loyal fan bases, which can help drive traffic to new outlets, and they lend credibility and trust, reassuring travelers of the quality and consistency of the food, making for a great experience.”

Brand recognition and familiarly are important in airports, two things celebrity chefs certainly offer, notes Tyler Pitman, senior vice president of concept development, brand partnerships, and adult beverage for North America for Avolta . “Oftentimes, restaurants operated by such chefs become a destination in an airport, with people going out of their way to experience the food, whether that means venturing to a different terminal during a layover or deliberately flying through a city for the airport’s food,” Pitman says. HMSHost , part of Avolta, operates several quick-serve concepts in partnership with high-profile chefs across North America, such as Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless in Terminals 1 and 3 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD); Love Shack with Tim Love at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW); and Border Grill with Susan Feniger and Mary-Sue Milliken at LAX.

Below: Because celebrity chefs often have a loyal fan base, their airport QSR and fast casual operations become destinations in an airport, with travelers going out of their way to visit these spots. (HMSHost-operated concepts Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless at ORD and Love Shack with Tim Love at DFW shown.)

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AX NEWS JUNE 2024