Fraport USA and Nashville International Airport (BNA) today announced a new, locally focused concessions program that will bring some of the best of Nashville cuisine, including Biscuit Love and Prince’s Hot Chicken, to airport passengers.
Fraport USA will develop and manage more than more than 90 new food & beverage, specialty retail, passenger services and news and gifts outlets in 133,000 square feet of BNA concession space, under a 10-year contract that begins this month and runs through January 2029. Fraport USA is investing $17.4 million at BNA, and its concessionaire subtenants will invest $30-40 million more.
The lineup includes a slew of local concepts. Ben Zandi, president and CEO of Fraport USA, said the new concessions are more than 90 percent local and include an Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise participation rate in excess of 50 percent. The goal going into the leasing process was 40 percent.
“After months of planning, recruitment and outreach, including reviews of more than 430 RFP responses, today we celebrate the launch of what will be an iconic concessions program at BNA – one that emphasizes participation by local restaurateurs and retailers and includes unprecedented opportunities for small, minority, and woman-owned businesses,” says Zandi. “These local innovators and independent operators will transform the BNA environment and provide travelers with a truly authentic Nashville experience.”
The program also brings “street pricing” to BNA – an assurance that customers will pay no more for goods at the airport’s concessions than they would at a comparable location on the street. In addition to Biscuit Love and Prince’s Hot Chicken, other restaurants in the concessions program include ACME Feed and Seed, Tootsies, Slim and Husky’s, Parnassus and Draper James, among many others.
“When we first started the process of revamping the BNA concessions program more than a year ago, we knew we wanted to create a more authentic Nashville experience for our travelers,” says Doug Kreulen, president and CEO at BNA. “From the moment our customers enter the terminal or step foot off the plane, they will experience the sights, sounds and flavors that make Music City so distinctive. We can’t wait to get started.”
The concessions overhaul is part of BNA Vision, a plan launched in 2016 aimed at fueling growth and expansion at the airport. Set to be completed in 2023, the plan includes additional parking garages, a new Concourse D, expanded central terminal and security checkpoints, a new International Arrivals Facility and a new airport administration building, hotel and a potential transit connection.
