The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and JFK International Air Terminal (JFKIAT), the operator of John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4 (T4), have announced nine new food and beverage concepts as part of the terminal’s $1.5-billion transformation project.
HMSHost (Avolta) has been awarded a 15-year contract to manage the new concessions in joint partnership with a diverse group of local entrepreneurs and certified Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) partners, including: Chef Grace Ramírez (owner, Tamalito, Inc.); Allison Dunn (owner, Hibiscus Brew); Petrushka Bazin Larsen (co-founder/co-owner, Sugar Hill Creamery, LLC); Maiko Kyogoku (founder, Kintaro Foods, LLC); Tara Merdjanoff (co-founder, Kismet Cocktails, Inc.); Brian Martinez (owner, Fresco’s Cantina, LLC); and Corliss Stone-Littles (owner, Corliss Stone-Littles, LLC).
The new concessions include Bessou, a Manhattan-based James Beard Foundation alumni serving Japanese comfort food; Fieldtrip, a Harlem-based restaurant with global cuisines; Boqueria, a traditional Spanish tapas bar; Eataly Restaurant & Bar and gourmet Italian marketplace; Brooklyn Tea & Market, a Brooklyn-based tea shop; Dos Toros Taqueria, an authentic Mexican taqueria; Chopt, a quick-serve salad cafe that originated in Manhattan; Villa Russo Café, a Queens-based second-generation family-owned Italian-American eatery; and a fast-casual Good to Go by JBF™ cafe in partnership with the James Beard Foundation (JBF) with a rotating menu of chef-created food and first featuring a menu by the creators of New York-based Due Madri.
“Locally owned, iconic food and beverage concessions at JFK’s Terminal 4 are an important part of our effort to create the world class experience that travelers expect at the nation’s premier international airport,” said Port Authority chairman Kevin O’Toole. “Passengers traveling through JFK International will get to experience the tastes of our region from the moment they arrive until the moment they depart.”
“In a city so renowned for its culinary scene as New York, JFK has evolved into a dining destination in itself,” added Avolta North America CEO and president Steve Johnson. “We embraced the opportunity to partner with JFKIAT, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and our joint-venture partners to be a part of the evolution of JFK and make the journey as exciting as the destination for travelers passing through Terminal 4. These new food and beverage offerings will more than double our presence at JFK, which we are tremendously proud of.”
“The transformation of T4 and JFK Airport has given us a new opportunity to work with local businesses and provide gateways for meaningful local investment,” said JFKIAT CEO Roel Huinink. “I am looking forward to the arrival of our new local partners at T4, and I am pleased that we will be able to offer our customers even more authentic New York flavors and experiences.”
