SSP America secures two major food and beverage concession agreements at San Diego International Airport
SSP News Release 3-October-2011
SSP America has won two 10 year concession agreements with San Diego International Airport. In a line-up that brings the familiar face of southern California to the travellers of San Diego, SSP’s new outlets will feature a number of locally-owned brands.
‘At SSP America, we celebrate the most innovative culinary leaders and visionaries in a community. Wherever we operate we source the local legends, the best and brightest stars of the area – keeping jobs local and in-state wherever possible. We are very proud to be partnering with San Diego International Airport and to bring the best of California’s regional cuisine to the travellers at SAN,’ said Les Cappetta, president and CEO of SSP America. ‘We’re very proud to be operating at San Diego - a city renowned as one of the most attractive in the US. The planned re-development will transform the airport landscape and set new standards, and we’re delighted to be playing a part in that change.’
Nyle Marmion, manager of SAN Concession Development commented; ‘The Airport Authority is excited about the line-up of concepts that SSP will bring to SAN. They contribute to our goal of capturing the spirit of the San Diego region while ensuring a diversity of local, regional and national concepts.’
Vin De Syrah is the latest concept from the Cohn Restaurant Group - a creative and diverse partnership headed by David Cohn and Chef Deborah Scott. Known to locals as the hidden gem of the Gaslamp Quarter, Vin De Syrah offers spirits, unique beers and an array of wines by the glass. This new venture will mark the brand’s first appearance at an airport location.
The award-winning restaurants Pacifica Del Mar and Pacifica Breeze are the inspiration for the Pacifica San Diego Airport. Carefully crafted gourmet fare is the central focus of this latest creation by Kipp Downing. Local enthusiasts of Pacifica will be able to enjoy coffees, hearty breakfasts, or soups, salads and sandwiches together with a full range of micro brews, wines and cocktails.
A traditional family-run favourite in San Diego since 1994, Ryan Bros. Coffee was founded on the simple principle: ‘Life is too short to be bitter!’™ . The Ryan family’s commitment to using the best fresh roasted beans, exotic leaf teas and the finest in cocoa infusion together with delivering the warmest hospitality has won the coffee shop a loyal local following. The new outlet at SAN will be Ryan Bros. Coffee’s first airport location.
Jack in the Box will also be opening its first-ever airport location at SAN. San Diego-based, Jack in the Box is among the United States’ leading fast-food hamburger chains, with more than 2,200 quick-serve restaurants in 19 states. As the first major hamburger chain to develop and expand the concept of drive-thru dining, Jack in the Box has always emphasized on-the-go convenience, and is perfect for busy airport passengers on the move.
Jack in the Box offers a broad selection of products targeted at the fast-food consumer, including hamburgers, specialty sandwiches, salads and real ice cream shakes.
SAN represents the first announced San Diego location for one of the nation’s most popular fast-casual Mexican concepts, Qdoba Mexican Grill. At Qdoba, travellers to SAN will be able to enjoy a fast, handcrafted meal prepared right in front of them. High-quality ingredients, innovative flavours and freshly prepared dishes are central to the brand, and diners can choose from a range that includes signature 3-Cheese Queso and hand-smashed guacamole to shredded beef and slow-roasted pulled pork. Founded in Denver in 1995, Qdoba has more than 550 restaurants in 42 states and the District of Columbia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jack in the Box Inc.
Panda Express, is the United States’ leader in Chinese fast-casual restaurants. Andrew Cherng and his father, Master Chef Ming Tsai Cherng emigrated from China three decades ago, and began their quest to introduce the robust flavours of Mandarin and Szechuan cuisine to America. Today, Andrew and his wife Peggy, Co-Chairs and Co-CEOs, have grown the business to 1,400 locations in the US, Puerto Rico and its most recent international location in Mexico City, and the chain continues to be family owned. Known for its fresh, flavoursome food, Panda Express serves a variety of traditional dishes such as its original Orange Chicken and top-selling Beijing beef.
Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Inc. is the premier specialty coffee and tea company in the United States. Peet’s was founded in 1966 in Berkeley, California by Alfred Peet, and was to become widely recognized as the grandfather of specialty coffee in the U.S. Today, Peet’s Coffee & Tea offers superior quality coffees and teas in multiple forms, by sourcing the best quality coffee beans and tea leaves in the world, and adhering to strict high-quality and taste standards.
Health-conscious Californians will welcome Red Mango. Founded in 2002 in South Korea and introduced in the United States by Daniel Kim in 2007, Red Mango is credited as the pioneer of the tart variety of all-natural non-fat frozen yogurt that is becoming increasingly popular across America. All Red Mango yogurts are freshly made daily, contain no artificial sweeteners, are naturally low in fat as well as gluten free, and clock in at a just 90 calories a serving.
On-trend URBANCRAVE will bring San Diego passengers the authentic cuisine of the street. On the menu is a range of street-inspired dishes including Green Apple with Envy Toast, Huevos Rancheros, Drunken Nachos, Inside-out Burgers, and Haute Dogs. The drinks list features Brown Bag Special (a tall, cool brew) or a Cross-eyed Mary (which is made with fourteen all natural ingredients).
SSP’s Upper Crust has been a popular feature at European travel locations for decades. It made its debut in the US in 2007 and continues to expand throughout the North American airport sector. Known for serving tasty, authentic baguettes that are freshly baked throughout the day and generously filled with fresh ingredients, Upper Crust is the ideal choice for the time-pressed traveller looking for a satisfying snack.
The ethos behind SSP’s own award-winning Camden food co. is ‘eating right’ and when travellers visit they can expect to find a choice of organic, fair-trade and healthy foods. Camden food co. was named ‘En-route Sandwich Retailer of the Year’ by the British Sandwich Association and most recently by Airport Revenue News as the ‘Best New Food & Beverage Concept’. Among the selection on the menu are Hummus Crunch Vegetable Wraps or gluten-free Brownies.
The opening of the new bars and restaurants will be supported by significant investment in training and development of the local team to ensure that their skills sets will meet the required levels to deliver the new brands.