Airport Experience® News - Retail & Amenities Issue 2023

L ATES T BUZ Z

Right: Barney’s Beanery and Native are two of the many new concessions recently opened as part of LAX’s Terminals 2 and 3 upgrades.

offers a wide variety of local brands that represent the best of our city and provide guests an authentic LA experience,” says David Jones, deputy executive director of commercial development at LAX. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has invested a collective $200 million into LAX’s culinary offerings and are currently contracted as retail and dining operators through 2034. “Our concessions program also champions inclusivity,” says Jones, “and we are committed to creating opportunities for small, local and minority-owned businesses to serve our guests and be part of our airport.” The developer has worked to open more than 120 total dining and retail spaces with both local favorites and celebrity-backed brands alike — this is LA, after all — including new offerings in Terminal 2 and 3. Those include Jackmont Hospital ity’s Chicken + Beer Southern comfort fare, offered in partnership with entertainer Ludacris; Top Chef star Nyesha Arrington’s Native; LA-based Alfred’s innovative coffee and tea drinks, an airport outpost of the 100-year old Barney’s Beanery; and the popular mission-driven bakery Homeboy, featuring fresh handmade sandwiches, baked goods and express checkout through digital ordering and mobile pickup system. More Improvements Coming Also set to be completed shortly is the airport’s innovative Terminal Core project, a $490-million investment in creating new pathways of access for passengers to access the airport’s forthcoming People Mover train system. Scheduled to open in 2024, the expanded access will create “a sustainable and interconnected network for getting to and from the airport that has the added benefit of alleviating congestion and passenger wait times,” says Erbacci, noting that the project will also connect travelers to the city’s public transportation system. LAWA’s Capital Improvement Program team has also set its sights on completing

in-process projects such as overhauls to Terminals 4, 5 and 6, a consolidated rental car system and a $157.8 million power facility, as well as planning for next-phase projects like the 1.4 million square foot construction of Terminal 9, the Midfield South Concourse, and the half-million square foot extension of Terminal 1 known as Concourse 0. LAX’s exterior grounds will also get a significant overhaul, with a campus-wide Landscaping Improvement Program that will install native and drought-resistant plants at the street-level to give passengers and employees a “park like atmosphere” to enjoy.

The ambitious to-do list is all part of a plan to make LAX not only one of the world’s busiest airports, but also its most functional, says Merritt, who says the Capital Improvement Program will create “an airport where economic and environmental pledges move beyond policy into reality.” Merritt adds that LAX’s transformation is also “ensuring the vitality of LAX’s community and the greater Southern California region — we can’t wait to welcome guests to a new LAX where efficiency, thoughtful design and unexpected delights elevate our guests’ experiences.”

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