Airport Experience® News - Food & Beverage Issue 2025

Left: Tropical Smoothie Café optimizes the

available footprint to effectively offer the brand’s full menu in airports.

Coffman believes that “for travelers specifically, we really want to focus on the ‘better for you’ segment – we really want to make sure that we can deliver that experience to them in an airport environment.” Each bowl takes less than 90 seconds to make, says Coffman, adding that she believes the Everbowl model will be able to deliver the experience and consistency that travelers look for in healthy, on-the-go foods. “You can get it before arriving at your gate,” says Coffman. “It’ll last you through boarding, and you’ll still be able to enjoy it on the plane.” Smooth Move As for the most prominent airport health food trend? The equally portable, nutrient packed smoothie, which continues to rise in popularity thanks to brands like smoodi, Bleni Blends, Tropical Smoothie Café and Smoothie King. Smoothie King, which operates locations at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Kansas City International Airport (MCI), Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), has seen a rise in repeat business as travelers take an increased interest in healthy options. “Consumers are trying to evolve their health and wellness journey – I think they’re realizing that an offering like ours certainly fits within that,” says Chris Bremer, chief

development officer of Smoothie King. “ And secondarily, I think the airports in and of themselves realize that it’s important to have brands that fit within that spectrum as well. There are always going to be plenty of fast-food options, which is great. But we certainly resonate on their radar as something that is going to [have] future forward growth, and they want to have somebody who can participate along that path with them. We’ve had more airports recently reach out that have interest in our brand.” Smoodi is also attracting interest. “We’re going live in five airports next year,” says Pascal Kriesche, co-founder and CEO of smoodi, a fresh smoothie brand partnering with concessionaire Paradies Lagardère . “Airport operators are eager to expand fresh food offerings, but labor and food waste remain major challenges. That’s where we come in,” he says. “Smoodi delivers real fruit freshness without the staffing burden or spoilage, thanks to our proprietary self cleaning technology. Our machines work 24/7, never take a day off, and require no maintenance, just simple restocking of our frozen fruit cups.” For Peter and Stuart Shapiro, CEO and COO of rival smoothie vending machine company Bleni Blends, seeing the success of fellow healthy brands like Farmer’s Fridge helped them envision a plan to transition to airports. “Our model is very similar,” says Stuart. “It’s the competitive advantage of no water line, no waste line, no power upgrade. Basically, we roll it in, you give us a normal

outlet, and that is it.” The product, which is plant-based, dairy-free, nut-free and kosher, is low-maintenance, too: “all the fruit that goes inside is shelf stable and real fruit, with no preservatives,” says Stuart. The Bleni Blends vending machines are also programmable to adjust for allergens and other dietary restrictions, making their product highly customizable for travelers with specific needs. While they believe that some will find the automation aspect daunting, Stuart and Peter noted that airports are interested in embracing the model for both their front- and back of-house offerings. “We’re at that cusp, and that’s why we love this industry,” says Stuart. Smoothie and health-forward brand Freshens currently operates in 155 locations across higher education, healthcare and military venues, as well as in four airport locations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), a location at Orlando International Airport (MCO), two locations at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and a location at Denver International Airport (DEN), with additional locations planned for IAH and DEN. “We were able to initially gain traction through our locations in ATL,” says John Stern, president. “These spaces were designated to offer snacks and treats. To compliment our smoothies and frozen yogurt, we introduced handcrafted breakfast, savory and dessert crepes. We were able to offer travelers healthy and

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AX NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2025