Airport Experience® News - Post-Conference Issue 2025

BUSINESS PITCH SHOWCASE From Robot Chefs to Clean Kitchens, Entrepreneurs Share Fresh Concepts

BY JOHN QUINNIES

development at Newslink Group ; Pete Fullerton, deputy director of properties and commercial development at Kansas City International Airport (MCI); Simon Lorady, vice president of business development and brands at Jackmont Hospitality ; and Cristen Mosley, concessions manager at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). Exhaust Hood Solution Caulen Foster, vice president of D&V Pro Cleaning Services , opened the showcase with a story about how his company transformed by deprioritizing the traditionally fragmented hood cleaning market and moving into a more scalable model through airports and other large venues. A key innovation for D&V – beyond pitching reliable service in an industry with a negative reputation – is its concentrated scale approach, Foster said. The strategy reduces employee travel time and allows technicians to spend more time delivering services. “Instead of sending six technicians to four locations across an entire state, we could send six technicians to do 10 [restaurants] in a single location,” Foster said. Judges offered myriad advice for the growing business from new ways to find customers to potential ways to streamline the business. At one point, Mosley emphasized the importance of understanding each airport’s specific requirements, such as how to handle grease disposal, as a potential differentiator. Nashville Heat Shannon Swenson, senior vice president of franchise development for Dave’s Hot Chicken , presented the company’s growth story from a parking lot pop-up to the “fastest growing restaurant chain in the US” with 284 locations.

From autonomous micro-restaurants to specialized exhaust hood cleaning services, spicy chicken sandwiches, and greeting card kiosks, entrepreneurs from various niches are exploring new ways to meet travelers’ needs within airport environments. At the Business Pitch Showcase panel at AXC 2025, four entrepreneurs took to the stage to pitch their unique concepts to a panel of industry veterans. There were no plans to sell equity or name winners, but across the session, presenters spoke to common pain points including after-hours dining, efficient space utilization, reliable restaurant cleaning support, and even personalized greeting cards. The panel of judges, who listened in and offered advice, comprised industry veterans including: Catalina “Kika” Collazo, vice president of operations and business

Above: Caulen Foster of D&V Pro Cleaning Services promised reliable service – always challenging in the hood cleaning industry – in large scale venues such as airports.

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AX NEWS MAY 2025