USA. Chicago Midway International Airport is adding 21 new food & beverage and retail outlets as part of a three-year, US$75 million modernisation programme.
Midway Partnership (MP), comprised of Vantage Airport Group, SSP America and Hudson, will operate the new concessions programme at the airport. It will feature a number of “iconic” Chicago establishments, such as the Go Go White Sox; Home Run Inn; Dunkin Donuts; and DeColores Burrito Joint.
For the first time at Midway, travellers will be able to enjoy freshly prepared sushi at Tabo Sushi, a local brand from the chef of downtown establishment Slurping Turtle.
Midway will also now offer three full-service, sit-down restaurants (it previously had one location), while an expanded menu of wines will also be available.
New retail outlets include Tech On The Go and Sweet Indulgences.
Nearly all of the food & beverage and retail locations at Midway will be rebranded over the next nine days under the airport’s new concessions programme, MP said.
“We are thrilled to offer travellers a world-class travel experience at Midway, complete with a wide range of new dining options and some of Chicago’s best brands through the first major upgrade to concessions in more than 15 years,” said Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans. “This investment in Midway will engage the community by showcasing local business and creating hundreds of new jobs – while marking an important milestone in Mayor Emanuel’s plan to bolster Midway’s competitive edge and our local economy.”
MP has hired over 1,000 employees for concessions jobs, including all existing employees who chose to remain employed at the airport under the new management team. More than 20 job fairs have been held citywide to recruit more residents for new jobs as part of MP’s commitment to hire locally.
MP was selected as the master concessionaire for Midway following a Request for Proposals (RFP) process that began in 2015 and was approved by the Chicago City Council earlier this year.
The modernisation programme will be carried out in phases. Phase 1 includes an overhaul of the existing concessions areas, stores and restaurants, to be followed by a major renovation to increase the concessions area by 26,000sq ft for Phase 2, yielding a total of nearly 70,000sq ft of concessions space at Midway.
Through increased concessions space and a greater variety of offerings, the Chicago Department of Aviation projects sales per enplanement to double after the project is completed in 2020. The new programme is expected to increase annual sales tax revenue to the city by US$10 million annually.
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.
FAB 2017 , hosted by Greater Toronto Airports Authority, will take place in Toronto on 21-23 June. For details, click here.
