SSP America took another step
toward re-creating the food and beverage landscape at George Bush
Intercontinental’s (IAH) Terminal C last month when it celebrated the
grand openings for Le Grand Comptoir and Real Food Co.
Le Grand Comptoir is a French brasserie, notable for its wood finishes,
leather stools and bistro fare. It’s also a wine bar, featuring more
than 80 options by the glass and several high-end beers.
Real Food Co. is a 6,200 sq. ft. marche-style restaurant with eight
serving stations where servers prepare and dish different fresh menus
theater-style simultaneously so travelers can watch.
The eatery features an open kitchen with fresh food, artisan breads,
several main course options such as barbeque brisket and roasted
chicken, and side dishes. The upscale venue sits in space formerly
occupied by fast food restaurants.
“We stripped it out and said, ‘Let’s do something very, very
different,”‘ Les Cappetta, president of SSP, told event attendees
during a brief presentation. “We think this is a perfect representation
of what it is we’re trying to accomplish. If you don’t remember
anything else about SSP, recognize that we are a restaurant company
that does business in airports.”
The event, which started with cocktails at Le Grand Comptoir before
moving down the hall to Real Food for dinner, drew nearly 70 attendees,
including SSP and airport employees, current and former city council
members and representatives from their staffs, and some city government
employees.
Eric Potts, interim director of aviation for the Houston Airport
System, thanked SSP for taking a chance on debuting the new eateries at
IAH and for making a statement about how food and beverage at airports
can look.
“Houston likes to be first in a lot of ways,” he told the audience. “This is out-of-the-box thinking for an airport.
