Airport Experience® News - Food & Beverage Issue 2025

Below: 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. Left, Above: Bleni Blends offers automating vending for smoothies. Its leaders have found that airports are interested in embracing the model for both their front- and back of-house offerings.

hearty options that aligned with all three traditional [meals], as well as snack and shoulder periods. Based on the success of handcrafted crepes, we were able to expand our food offerings with açai bowls, rice bowls and fresh tossed salads. “‘Healthy’ means different things to different people,” adds Stern. “Our goal is to provide consumers choices that meet their lifestyle goals. Some people are gluten-sensitive, so offering gluten-free options is appreciated. Others are vegan or ‘flexitarians’, meaning they don’t eat meat every day, so having a meatless protein to substitute for chicken offers an additional choice. It’s all about personalizing the experience for the guest.” There’s also Tropical Smoothie Café , which currently has locations operated by Paradies Lagardère at ATL and Will Rogers International Airport (OKC). According to Cheryl Fletcher, chief development officer, time-constrained travelers are increasingly seeking better-for-you options. “Our menu offers on-the-go travelers a variety of freshly made, craveable smoothie, food and bowl options,” says Fletcher. “We serve breakfast, although most of our sales occur at lunch, with dinner also available.” Director of non-traditional development Ryan Nelson attributes the brand’s success to optimizing the available footprint so they can effectively offer the brand’s full menu in airport spaces. “Tropical Smoothie Cafe is constantly evaluating and getting feedback on operations from the Paradies Lagardère team, who are operators of the

space,” says Nelson, adding that the key to success lies in “making sure the menu offerings and operations deliver the brand’s unique experience to the guests.” Innovative Options Beyond smoothies, there are plenty of other health-focused brands hoping to make their way to the forefront of airport

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AX NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2025