Concessionaires Turn To ‘Celebrty’ Chefs To Drive Sales
It’s remarkable how much weight a name can carry.
As concessionaires seek to up their games in the food and beverage arena, many are turning to partnerships with chefs who have some level of celebrity. The chefs might be local icons with one or more successful restaurants, they might make television or radio appearances at a local or national level, or they might have authored a book or launched a cookware line.
These chefs bring added elements of authenticity, quality and excitement to a concessions program, concessionaires say. With a well-known chef, “there is an expectation that food is going to be of higher quality,” says Frank Sickelsmith, senior director of adult beverage and concept development for HMSHost Corp.
“It’s an image thing, but it goes more to the quality of the concepts,” he says. “With celebrity chef restaurants, youwould expect them to be like fine-dining experiences.”
Bob Stanton, vice president of business development for Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, says the move toward restaurants with a “name” attached to them is appealing to a new and evolving group of consumers who have high expectations of authenticity.
“From a customer’s perspective, people walk by and they see a celebrity chef or even a regional chef, and they equate that with fresh products, locally sourced, regional flavors, customized meals made to order,” he says. “Depending on the popularity of the chef, the name adds to the profile of the facility that you build, and it also impacts the consumer perception of quality and value.”
Local, Bumped Up
The move toward chef-driven concepts essentially ups the ante in the quests of many airports to focus on local brands and concepts that give an airport a “sense of place.” Concessionaires say most food and beverage requests for proposals from airports don’t specifically ask for celebrity chefs. Instead, they ask for local or regional concepts.
“I think that airports, more important than celebrity, are seeking out locals,” says Stanton. “If the local chef can be a celebrity chef, as well, even better. But if you can’t get the celebrity, there are many, many location and regional chefs that have tremendous reputations for high quality and fresh food, and they bring out the character of the market, as well.”
Patrick Murray, executive vice president of business development for SSPAmerica,
agrees, noting thatmore than just celebrity chefs, airports are looking for “local, iconic
businesses.”
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