St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) has awarded a 10-year master concessionaire contract to SSP-Hudson PIE Concessions, LLC. Under the agreement, The Hudson Group and SSP America partnership will provide a new mix of national and local brands to PIE’s food and beverage and retail concessions beginning June 1, 2019. All new concepts are expected to be opened by the end of the year.
“We’re excited for our partnership with St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport with expanded and new retail concepts that modernize the travel experience for PIE’s 2.2 million plus annual passengers,” said Roger Fordyce, chief executive officer of Hudson Group. “This new contract win reflects our focus on maximizing our passenger traffic exposure in North America’s airports, while also diversifying the concepts and products we offer to better meet the needs of travelers.”
SSP-Hudson PIE Concessions will invest more than $4 million for the refurbishment and development of retail, food, and beverage facilities.
Among the concepts to open are local brands Mazzaro’s Italian Market and 3 Daughters Brewing, both of which will be post-security. A second-floor restaurant called District Pub will open in the non-secure area, as will Dunkin’. Retail stores will be locally themed, such as Market 361, named for the average annual days of sunshine in Pinellas County.
“We are very excited to enter a new era with Hudson Group, [which] operates concessions at many airports across the U.S.,” said Tom Jewsbury, airport director. “Adding the local flavor of Mazzaro’s and 3 Daughters Brewing is exciting for our local passengers and will certainly create fans of our visiting passengers. We look forward to a long and successful partnership.”
