F&B operations scoop key awards for customer service at Dulles International and Reagan National airports

USA. Two food & beverage operations and one retail unit took four of the top prizes at the Customer Service Excellence Awards for 2018 at Washington Dulles International and Ronald Reagan Washington National airports.

At Dulles, Five Guys Burgers and Fries (MEM Concessions) claimed both the Merchant of the Year and Best Overall Operations awards, while at Reagan National, Merchant of the Year went to Matsutake Sushi (Matsutake National), and Brooks Brothers (Paradies Lagardère/ BZB International) picked up Best Overall Operations.

A total of eight awards were made for each airport by MarketPlace Development, the concessions program manager together with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). A record 46.6 million passengers passed through the two airports in 2017.

“We are proud to acknowledge the merchants who continue to deliver a first-class shopping and dining experience for passengers,” said Paul McGinn, President of MarketPlace Development.

MWAA Director of Customer Concession Development Deven Judd added: “We applaud each of our concessionaires and thank MarketPlace Development for their continued work to refine the shopping and dining experience at Dulles International and Reagan National airports.”

Big winner: General Manager or Five Guys Burgers and Fries Abraham Woldeyohannes (left), with Jane Mellenkamp, General Manager of MarketPlace Development at Dulles International Airport.
Heesook Chun (centre), owner of Matsutake Sushi, accepts the Reagan National Merchant of the Year award.
Reagan National Airport Best Newsstand Customer Service winner Hudson News’ General Manager Tony Tucker (left) accepts the award from MWAA Director of Customer & Concessions Development Deven Judd.

The Customer Service Excellence Awards were created to reward airport establishments for outstanding performance in both operations and customer service. Merchants are eligible based on their performance in MarketPlace Development’s customer service mystery shopper programme. This year, nearly all winners are certified Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (ACDBE).

The full list of award winners is shown below:

DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Merchant of the Year – Five Guys Burgers and Fries (MEM Concessions)

Best Retail Customer Service – L’Occitane (Duty Free Americas/ Concourse Concessions)

Best Restaurant Customer Service – The Chef’s Table by Wolfgang Puck (HMS Host/Morgan Group Ventures)

Best Retail Merchandising Unit or Kiosk Customer Service – Kids Stop (Language Tools)

Best Newsstand Customer Service – Stellar News, Gate B73 (Host International/ Stellar Partners)

Best Food Customer Service – Capitol Grounds Coffee, Gate B64 (Aptitude)

Best Customer Service Score Increase from 2017 – iTravel 2 (Crews of California/ SAS Management/ Nicholas & Associates/ RC3 Enterprises)

Best Overall Operations – Five Guys Burgers and Fries (MEM Concessions)

REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT

Merchant of the Year Matsutake Sushi (Matsutake National)

Best Retail Customer Service – Smithsonian Museum Store (Smithsonian Institution)

Best Restaurant Customer Service – Grille District (Air Ventures)

Best Retail Merchandising Unit or Kiosk Customer Service – Capital Image (Capital Image)

Best Newsstand Customer Service – Hudson News, Terminal C (Hudson Group/ Newburns Management Group/ The Jarvis Company)

Best Food Customer Service – Dunkin’ Donuts, National Hall (The Grove)

Best Customer Service Score Increase from 2017 – Hudson News, Terminal C (Hudson Group/ Newburns Management Group/ The Jarvis Company)

Best Overall Operations – Brooks Brothers (Paradies Lagardère/ BZB International)

Massachusetts-based MarketPlace Development is also responsible for the concessions programmes at the airports of Boston Logan International and Philadelphia International, as well as Reagan National and Dulles International airports.

NOTE: The Moodie Davitt Report also publishes The Foodie Report, the world’s only media focused on airport (and other travel-related) food & beverage. The Foodie Report e-Newsletter is published every two weeks and The Foodie Report e-Zine every month.

Please send all news of food & beverage outlet openings, together with images, menus, video etc to Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com to ensure unrivalled global exposure.

The company also organises the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards. This year’s FAB took place on 20-21 June in Helsinki. FAB 2019 will be held in Dallas, Texas, on 26-27 June.

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