After months of buildup, jetBlue Airways’ new Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy International (JFK) will open Oct.1. The venue will include several specialty retail and service options for travelers, as well as a variety of dining options that range from fancy, white-tablecloth sit-down venues to fast-food outlets and coffee shops.
“One of the greatest results of Terminal 5 is how much more selection and variety of both food and beverage and specialty retail concessions we will have compared with what we have today in Terminal 6,” says Bryan Baldwin, jetBlue’s spokesman. “We really have very little specialty retail in Terminal 6. This move to the new terminal will introduce a whole host of options that are beyond what we have had before.”
OTG Management will operate all of the food and beverage space, which will include nine full-service restaurants, bars and cafes; a gourmet food hall featuring eight quick-serve restaurants; several gourmet markets and grab-and-go options; three coffee bars; and six bars and lounges.
Among the options are 5ive Steak; Aeronuova, a traditional Italian restaurant designed with “a distinctive atmosphere of chic Italy”; Deep Blue, which offers sushi and Asian fare; and Revolucion, a celebration of the authentic flavors of Mexico.
“OTG is determined to revolutionize the airport dining experience and establish a new, higher standard for airport cuisine,” says Rick Blatstein, chief executive officer, in a statement. “We want to bring humanity and warmth to airport dining and help relax the travel experience overall.”
One strategy for doing so is a unique, gate-area program that offers passengers the opportunity to order from 10 re:vive locations located throughout the terminal and gate areas. That will provide a convenience for passengers and also create additional revenue opportunities for OTG, and jetBlue as customers who don’t want to leave their gates can scroll through menus, order, swipe a credit card to pay for their meals and receive gate-side service, generally in 15 minutes.
OTG, which has been testing the model in existing Terminal 6 locations, is simply making the “logical next step to ‘why don’t we bring the food to the customer,'” Baldwin says.
The airline’s largest retail partner at Terminal 5 is The Paradies Shops, which will operate five stores that range from national brands to New York favorites. Through a licensing agreement with Sports Radio 66 WFAN, Paradies will open WFAN “The Fan,” a store selling merchandise while sports news echoes from a speaker.
Paradies will also offer CNBC News New York, LACOSTE, Brighton Collectibles and BlueSky Traders, a news operation with magazines, books, drinks and other merchandise.
“Innovation and culture are two core values we share with jetBlue and we welcome the opportunity to assist them in bringing humanity and service back to air travel,” says Gregg Paradies, president and CEO, in a statement.
Several other retail companies, including Borders Group Inc., ExOfficio, Harmony Pharmacy, International Shoppes, Muji U.S.A. Limited, Stellar Partners, Taxco Sterling, Techshowcase and XpresSpa will operate stores and shops in Terminal 5, as well.
