US. The Chicago Department of Aviation and Midway Partnership have officially unveiled Big City Chicken, the latest food & beverage opening at Midway International Airport. The new eatery has been introduced in partnership with brand owner Lettuce Entertain You and SSP America.
Located airside between gates B5 and B7, Big City Chicken’s main offerings are golden brown fried chicken (original or spicy), chicken strips with homemade dipping sauces and three sandwiches – Original Crispy, Hot & Spicy and Crispy BBQ. Fries, cheese fries and green chilli fries round out a “short, easy‑to‑navigate” menu alongside beverage choices including root beer and orange float.
The restaurant’s original location opened on Chicago’s Navy Pier in 2015. It is operated by Chicago-headquartered Lettuce Entertain You, which has more than 50 restaurant brands in its stable.
Local accolades for Big City Chicken include being named Chicago’s ‘Best Fried Chicken Secret’ by the Chicago Tribune and ‘Number 1 Fried Chicken in Chicago’ in 2017 by Eater Chicago.
Big City Chicken is the 24th location of 70 new F&B and retail stores that are scheduled to open as part of a three-year, US$75 million expansion at Midway International.
“Chicago is committed to proving that airport food doesn’t have to be boring,” said Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee. “We are thrilled to welcome Big City Chicken and the Lettuce Entertain You family to Midway, continuing to build on the Chicago Department of Aviation’s commitment to reimagining the travelling experience at Midway.”
Midway Partnership CEO Sammy Patel said the Big City Chicken menu items are already proving to be a “big hit” among visitors, locals and airport employees. He added: “This opening continues to demonstrate our collective commitment to delivering a ‘taste of place’ to Midway by elevating the passenger experience and bringing local ownership and employment opportunities to the transformation of the concessions programme.”
Lettuce Entertain You Executive Partner Kevin Reynolds added: “This is our first opening at Midway, and the initial response we’ve received has been amazing. We thank the Chicago Department of Aviation and our partners for allowing us this tremendous opportunity.”
The concessions upgrade through Midway Partnership, a joint venture with Vantage Airport Group, SSP America and Hudson Group, is part of the Midway Modernization Program, a US$330 million investment at Midway International. It is the largest improvement programme at the airport in nearly two decades.
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The company also organises the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards. FAB 2020 will be held in Istanbul on 23 and 24 June. Istanbul Airport will host the event, which will be a celebration not only of the best in international airport dining but also of Turkish cuisine and culture. FAB 2020 will be supported strongly by Tum & Ictur, the concessionaire managing 34,000sq m of food & beverage space at Istanbul Airport.