HMSHost Corp. has been awarded dining contracts at two airports: George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International (YUL).
At IAH, HMSHost will open 15 restaurants and six Starbucks throughout Terminals A, B, C and D. Nearly all locations are part of a joint venture with The Houston 8 Team LLC, and all are slated to open by early 2016.
Locally inspired cuisine will include Landry’s Seafood, El Real, Ray’s BBQ and The Breakfast Klub Express. Also in the mix will be Cadillac Mexican Kitchen and Bar and Hugo’s Cocina, which specialize in recipes typical of Mexican food and wine traditions. Red Mango, Chick-fil-A and Blaze Pizza will offer faster meals, and for those who want to sit down and have a beer or cocktail with their meal will find American Craft Tavern and Mockingbird Distillery & Smokehouse.
“We were looking for great service support on the frontline or in the after-sale period – attentive standby assistance and no-questions asked return policies, as examples,” Houston Aviation Director Mario C. Diaz says. “This new lineup of choices offers world-class products, world-class service, and a world-class feel to a city and airports that are recognized for growth and innovation worldwide.”
Anthony Alessi, vice president of business development at HMSHost, says the company is honored to be chosen by the Houston Airport System.
“Our partners at the airport, with each local restaurateur, and our local partner group, The Houston 8, have made possible a new set of dining options that truly raises the bar,” he says. “These restaurants and the great food they serve will capture for travelers Houston’s diverse and exciting culinary flavors.”
HMSHost also will debut its first location at William P. Hobby (HOU) with Starbucks.
At YUL, it will open 19 dining spaces; the new contract includes five new restaurant spaces, as well as some refurbishments at locations where the company already operates.
In the International Terminal, L’Auberge St. Gabriel will have a restaurant, bar and lounge bearing the inn’s namesake; menu items will include Cornish hen with baby Quebec lettuce, french fries and garlic thyme gravy. Also in the International Terminal will be Montreal Cuisine de Rue, with cuisine served “street-style” from a food truck; La Cage Aux Sports, modeled after the street-side sports bar; and Starbucks Reserve, the brand’s latest coffeehouse experience featuring the Clover-brewing system and a rotating selecting of beans from coffee estates around the world.
Avenue des Canadiens, a restaurant and bar featuring a Montreal Canadiens hockey ambiance, will be in the Domestic Terminal. The Joe Beef team of Frederic Morin, David McMillian and Marc Olivier Frappier will consult on the menu, and guest chefs will be invited to create special items and seasonal additions. Another Domestic Terminal addition will be Six Pints – Academie de la Biere, in partnership with the Six Pints Specialty Beer Co. Proprietary concepts in the terminal will include Pork & Pickle, a proprietary gastropub and smokehouse serving in-house smoked meats, sides, appetizers and beer; Ice, an upscale bar and lounge serving cocktails made with designer ice; and Bistrot Montreal, offering traditional, regional, artisan-style cuisine and sustainable values in an open Mediterranean marketplace format with cafe seating.
In the arrivals area, The John Molson Public House, another local brand, will serve Canadian beers and specialty coffees in atmosphere that reflects the 229-year history of the Molson Brewery.
The company plans to expand the St. Hubert restaurant from an express venue to a full, casual-dining restaurant. Other restaurants slated for an update include Burger King in the pre-security departures area; two Starbucks in the Trans-border Terminal and one in the Domestic Terminal; and Tim Hortons in the pre-security arrivals area and Domestic Terminal. The company’s Houston restaurant will continue serving travelers in the Trans-border Terminal.
“We are extremely excited to be partnering with Montreal-Trudeau Airport to bring this lineup of restaurants to travelers because it has been designed to showcase the distinct spirit of Montreal’s iconic brands and local entrepreneurial chefs,” says Stephen Douglas, HMSHost’s vice president of business development. “The selected brands and their associated regional artisanal food and heritage will set a new standard, while running the gamut of flavors and dining styles and giving travelers access to a great assortment of choices.”
