Airport Experience® News - Post-Conference Issue 2025

Left: Steven Djunaedi, chief commercial officer at Norfolk International Airport.

Below: Isela Toledo, director of business opportunities at Ontario International Airport.

Airport (SMF), discussed SMForward, the airport’s major expansion project, and specifically the Terminal B expansion project. “We have a couple of gates being added to the east side, and a number of additional gates being added to the west side, and importantly, a large food and beverage retail space as a hub in the middle,” Durkee said. “Now we’re still very early in our programming—we expect this facility to be open in maybe the third quarter of 2028, but we’re starting to prepare and we expect to put out a number of RFPs in early 2026 to accommodate this.” The airport hopes to see a common use lounge as a part of the Terminal B expansion as well, and will have an RFP out sometime this year to replace its current vending program. Tomasi Toki, principal property manager at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), spoke on the airport’s upcoming round of RFPs for the Terminal 3 West project, which is about a year into construction. “We typically RFP individual location leases, but times are changing and we felt the need to package some of these locations, so we will have some packages and some single locations,” Toki said. The RFPs will be released this July, with new concepts opening in November 2027. There will be a food and beverage package for an 8,000-square-feet food hall and a sit-down restaurant and bar; a package for two coffee locations, one post-security and one post-security; and then individual opportunities for a grab and go market and either a burger or Asian concept. On the retail side, there will be a package for two post-security newsstands, and individual leases for a bookstore, an electronics store and a specialty retail store. In addition, RFPs will go out this year for the 24,000-square

foot common use lounge space and two locations for a “traveler’s retreat or a sleep and shower service.” Looking ahead, there will be RFPs coming out in 2026 for 22 food and beverage locations scattered throughout Terminals 2, 3, and International. Finally, Laurie Noyes, vice president of concessions and commercial parking at Tampa International Airport (TPA), closed the session with her presentation on opportunities at the airport’s Terminal D, which is currently being designed and will redistribute passengers from four airsides to five airsides. “Airside D will be 16 gates, with eight of those being wide body gates; it’s a two and a half level concourse, and we’re really excited about the design and

where we’re headed,” Noyes said, noting an anticipated opening at the end of 2028.” Opportunities will include a common use lounge for international travelers and about 20,000 to 23,000 square feet of concessions space, with RFPs to be released in the coming year. “We know that the industry is changing and trends are moving, and we will continue to look at methods of potentially creating hybrid uses,” Noyes said. “On the food and beverage side, we’re excited for quick serve and full service, and a new concept to us is the notion of a gourmet market and coffee location. On the retail side, specialty and then of course duty free and news and convenience.”

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AX NEWS MAY 2025