Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) celebrated the full $21.8 million renovation of the airport Central Terminal, which added more dining options, seating, charging stations and ADA accessibility improvements.
Seattle Food Partners – a partnership between Atlanta-based Concessions International, LLC, Grove Bay Hospitality and Seattle-based Well-Buttered Bread, LLC, recently opened Salty’s at the SEA and BrewTop Social, which combined occupy 11,647-square-foot of space, marking CI’s largest concession concept to date. CI’s relationship with SEA dates back to the early 1980’s as an ACDBE partner and grew to a multi-national prime concessionaire in the mid 1990s. Over the years, CI has operated various food and beverage concessions in several locations throughout the airport.
Salty’s at the SEA is a seafood and steak restaurant with a regional oyster bar and full-service cocktail and sports bar. Located above Salty’s at the SEA is BrewTop Social, a beer and wine garden concept designed to provide a fun and relaxing environment, featuring 16 regional beer taps, and stunning, unobstructed views of the Central Terminal’s atrium and entertainment stage as well as the mountains and runway. Although both are separate concepts offering different dining experiences, they were developed and are managed and operated by Seattle Food Partners.
With SEA’s creation of the new mezzanine level, Seattle Food Partners was able to place BrewTop Social above Salty’s, making the dining footprint in this flagship location twice as large. Designed aesthetically to evoke their local waterfront restaurants, Salty’s at the SEA offers an elevated dining experience in service and decor, while BrewTop Social offers a neighborhood wine and beer garden vibe for a more casual experience. Both locations provide direct access to some of the best views at the airport with the Central Terminal’s 350-foot wide, signature floor-to-ceiling window wall as a backdrop to both spaces. While dining and drinking, guests can enjoy sunrise to sunset scenic views of the Olympic Mountain range, watch planes take off and land just yards away, and pass time enjoying entertainment on the Central Terminal’s portable stage.
“It’s often said every project has a story, no matter how small or large, but the magnitude of the Salty’s/BrewTop Social project, married with the societal and economic challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, made for an extraordinary development and construction experience at SEA,” said Donata Russell Ross, CI’s president and CEO and majority partner with Seattle Food Partners. “It really did take a village to show up (nearly 80 people and more than 40 different companies) to keep the project on track, and it would have never been completed without the dedication, patience, persistence and teamwork exhibited by all involved. We knew it was a project we needed to accomplish, and we all had the common vision and navigated obstacles from day to day to see it to fruition.”
Khalia Moore, senior manager, airport dining and retail for Port of Seattle, said CI has been a valued partner for years. “With this project we were impressed with the locally inspired brand and concept they came to us with that not only celebrates Pacific Northwest cuisine and beer, but also gives our guests an exceptional and unique elevated casual dining experience. It took a lot of energy, input, effort and dedication to the very end from everyone involved, and we couldn’t be prouder of the final result we are able to deliver for SEA and our traveling guests.”
The overall Central Terminal renovation project also included an expanded 13,800 square foot Centurion Lounge by American Express the restoration of the 350-foot-long, 60-foot-high window to bring in natural light and views of the nearby mountains. The renovation project began in 2018 and included ADA-accessible charging stations and tabletops featuring Pacific-Northwest inspired wood finishes.
“The Central Terminal renovation transforms the travelers’ experience while advancing the Port’s triple bottom line,” said Fred Fellerman, commissioner of the Port of Seattle, which operates SEA. “In addition to providing more choices for where to eat and relax, the renovation also provides greater accessibility, better seating, and more charging stations – all while immersing travelers in expansive views and classic ‘northwest chique’ amenities.”
Dining options in the new space also include Evergreens Salad, Pallino Pastaria, Pei Wei Asian Kitchen, and Koi Shi Suchi Bento, also of which opened when the first project phase was completed in 2019. The formal opening of the completed Central Terminal was originally set for 2020 but was delayed by the COVID pandemic.
