Airport Experience® News - Food & Beverage Issue 2024

Left: Operated by Crews, Lemonade at LAX offers passengers with dietary restrictions a wealth of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free meal options. Photo credit: Courtesy Los Angeles World Airports and Crews Companies Right: Sambazon Açaí Bowls deliver a healthy option for travelers, and early results show revenues comparable to a QSR option, the company says.

also “not a cannibalization” of other airport concessions, as Farmer’s Fridge products are available outside of traditional concessions hours. Where the brand faces challenges, Saunders says, is in getting passengers who are accustomed to traditional concessions to take the leap and try Farmer’s Fridge. Unsurprisingly, flight attendants are some of the brand’s core customers, he notes, adding that many of their first-time customer conversions come after travelers witness flight attendants using a Farmer’s Fridge machine and ask them about its benefits. Streamlining the purchase process is a key priority for Farmer’s Fridge, he adds, noting that the brand has implemented a mobile app with first-time user rewards, loyalty benefits, and even lower prices for those who purchase through the app as a way of encouraging repeat users. Despite the learning curve, the convenience and culinary lure of Farmer’s Fridge is making waves, says Saunders. “Travelers are asking for more options that are affordable, fast, and healthy, where we’re positioned is helpful.” Other brands have amassed a following through traditional concessionaire structures married with healthier cuisine. Lemonade , known as a “modern cafeteria serving seasonal, California-inspired fare,” has been in Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) since 2012, amassing numerous industry accolades for its high-quality, locally sourced options. “Lemonade has been a hit with the LAX travelers,” says Nicholas B. Crews, CEO and managing partner of concessionaire Crews Companies , which operates the brand’s LAX location. He considers Lemonade a “delicious, healthy change of pace from the

For frequent travelers, the last several years have brought a welcome wealth of choice beyond concourse cheeseburgers as wellness-focused brands move more and more into the airport concessions space. With offerings ranging from freshly prepared açaí bowls to artisan salads available 24/7, airports are not only keeping up with consumer tastes but changing the perception of airport fare long-term. Luke Saunders was one of those frequent travelers searching for healthier transit food before founding automated vending company Farmer’s Fridge , which offers freshly prepared salads, wraps and snacks in easily transportable jars, all available anytime from the brand’s many airport “fridges.” First launched in airports at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Farmer’s Fridge is now available in hundreds of terminal fridge locations as well as retail stores. Bringing locally-sourced, portable meals that travelers can enjoy in terminals, on the plane, or even post-arrival make the brand “a natural fit” for the airport space, says Saunders. “We’re the crossover of healthy and automated retail,” he adds, citing the unique vending machine format as not only advantageous to travelers but

once predictable ‘dreaded’ airport food,” specifically through offering passengers with dietary restrictions a wealth of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free meal options. Some wellness brands are just breaking into the airport space. Sambazon Açaí Bowls — already a well-established California-based açaí bowl company — joined the airport fray last year, opening its first transit location at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in 2023 and locations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and John Wayne Airport (SNA) in 2024. Sambazon President of Hospitality Group Vito Buscemi was well-prepared for the intricacies of bringing an outside brand to the airport market. “Our [business] model was built perfectly for the non-traditional airport world,” says Buscemi, adding that while Sambazon focused on perfecting its street locations before exploring transit, its first three airport outposts “really started to build some steam” toward further airport stores. “We’ve been able to take that small footprint —

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AX NEWS JUNE 2024