Editor’s Note: The June issue of Airport Experience News includes a feature story on the growth of celebrity chef-backed fast-casual concepts in airports. Below is an abridged version of the feature article. For full access to the article, please log in, subscribe, or check your printed edition of the June issue.
Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck has operated in airports for 30 years. His company has everything from high-end restaurants to fast-casual venues, offering a “custom-solution approach,” according to Vince Modica, executive vice president of license business for Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc., which handles the chef’s non-traditional business.
For instance, when the trend in North American airport RFPs began favoring concepts from smaller, local chefs for larger sit-down restaurants, Wolfgang Puck Worldwide pivoted to expanding its sit-down concepts internationally and focused on its more casual concepts with smaller footprints – and typically less expensive associated labor and buildout costs – for North American airports.
With Puck leading the way, more and more high-profile chefs are taking similar note and introducing QSR and fast casual concepts of their own to the airport space.
“Early ventures by celebrity chefs in airport QSR spaces, like Wolfgang Puck Express, proved successful, and this demonstrated the viability of the model and encouraged other chefs to join the trend,” notes Liz Grzechowiak, senior director of brands and concept development for Delaware North. “We’re seeing a really big push with the Food Network chefs of the world – especially post-pandemic, they’re increasingly interested in QSR concepts. Chefs who previously would have only wanted to be associated with best-in-class, high-end, full-service concepts are now very interested in a premium offering at the QSR level with a tightly controlled menu.”
Celebrity “It” Factor
Delaware North partners with several high-profile chefs for QSR and fast casual concepts in airports across the country, including Atlanta Hartsfield- Jackson International Airport (ATL), with Wolfgang Puck Fresh Express; Austin International Airport (AUS), with Salt Lick from Scott Roberts and Peached Tortilla from Eric Silverstein; Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), with Wolfgang Puck Pizza and Tico by Michael Schlow; Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), with Wolfgang Puck Pizza and Wolfgang Puck Express; Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), with Dook’s Burgers from Edgar Chase and Folse Market from John Folse; Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), with Northern Soul from Justin Sutherland; and Nashville International Airport (BNA), with Pig Star from Carey Bringle.
“Celebrity chefs are the new rock stars of our time, with some chefs having multiple TV shows, speaking engagements, and more,” says Maximillian McClelland, senior manager of brands and concept development for Delaware North. “They bring with them established brand identities and loyal fan bases, which can help drive traffic to new outlets, and they lend credibility and trust, reassuring travelers of the quality and consistency of the food, making for a great experience.”
Brand recognition and familiarly are important in airports, two things celebrity chefs certainly offer, notes Tyler Pitman, senior vice president of concept development, brand partnerships, and adult beverage for North America for Avolta. “Oftentimes, restaurants operated by such chefs become a destination in an airport, with people going out of their way to experience the food, whether that means venturing to a different terminal during a layover or deliberately flying through a city for the airport’s food,” Pitman says. HMSHost, part of Avolta, operates several quick-serve concepts in partnership with high-profile chefs across North America, such as Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless in Terminals 1 and 3 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD); Love Shack with Tim Love at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW); and Border Grill with Susan Feniger and Mary-Sue Milliken at LAX.
Charles Bluemle, senior vice president of operations and partner relations for Concessions International, says well-known chefs can offer a tipping point to airports. “Celebrity chefs bring a level of cache to a concessionaire’s portfolio and a value to the bid because the chefs come with an established following, a strong social media presence, offer a destination experience based on their personal brand and they are backed by a strong marketing team,” he says.
Concessions International has operated Bobby’s Burger Palace from Food Network star and chef Bobby Flay at ATL since 2018. “The power of the celebrity chef will continuously drive attention to wherever their location may be in an airport through brand recognition and word of mouth,” Bluemle says. “They are always on trend. Because celebrity chefs are elevated on platforms like the Food Network and social media, they offer highly sought-after dining experiences based on well-known personalities and stellar menu-related reputations.”
Guy Fieri, another Food Network star, opened his Chicken Guy! QSR concept at LAX in partnership with Earl Enterprises last year. “Guy Fieri is one of the most recognizable chef personalities in the country and his fans know him best for his emphasis on quality, flavor, and fun – we couldn’t have a better partner,” notes Jason Taliaferro, senior vice president of the brand. “Celebrity chefs have unique insight into current trends and an understanding of what consumers want and need from restaurants. More than ever consumers are looking for quality food and service with a fast, frictionless experience.”
Accessibility And Reach
Many high-profile chefs are associated with more upscale operations on the street that may be out of reach for many everyday consumers. A fast-casual take on these operations or an entirely new QSR concept with the chef’s own menu creations broaden the chef’s audience, especially in an airport setting.
“Passengers and airport employees can try the celebrity chef’s ‘greatest hits’ without committing to a longer, sometimes more formal, dining experience,” notes Michael DiCosola, president of MarketPlace Development, developer and manager of the concessions program at BOS, including the Tico by Michael Schlow concept.
Delaware North’s Lynch points out that celebrity chef-backed QSRs offer the ideal combination of high-quality food with speed of service and affordability. “In addition, the QSR format is easier to duplicate and scale and creates a natural baseline for brand awareness by leveraging the chef’s celebrity status,” he says. “The chefs garner more attention and followers than could reasonably be accommodated through a traditional sit-down restaurant model.”
Grzechowiak adds that as a new prominent generation of travelers, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, emerges, airports need to be laser-focused in offering more interesting and high-quality food options to tailor to these demographics. “This generation is known for having grown up with more diverse culinary experiences and higher expectations for quality, even in fast-casual settings,” she explains. “Celebrity chefs entering the QSR space capitalize on this by offering familiar names and showcasing their culinary talents in a convenient format. This can be a win-win for both the celebrity chef, who gets increased brand exposure, and the airport, which gets improved customer satisfaction, creating a more elevated and competitive dining experience for the modern traveler.”
Concessions International’s Bluemle notes that the emergence of more celebrity chefs in the QSR airport space reflects a keen strategic move on the part of the chefs. “It’s about these chefs taking advantage of the opportunity to put their brand in an airport space when they don’t want to wait for the full-service, chef-inspired RFPs to come out,” he says. “It’s about having one more tool in the toolbox and being available for the variety of opportunities that come out.”
