Chefs Urge L.A. City Officials to Approve New Contract
LOS ANGELES (RestaurantNewsRelease.com) Chefs and owners from more than a dozen of Los Angeles’ best and most exciting restaurants today hosted an ‘Eat In’ at the world famous Patina restaurant to preview their new airport cuisine and urge the Los Angeles City Board of Referred Powers to approve a proposal to serve their award-winning fare to millions of travelers at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Joachim Splichal, chef and founder of Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse – which along with the Market Café, is part of Splichal’s Patina Restaurant Group – could not attend the event, but welcomed participants and said in a statement: “We’re ready to bring the very best food that Los Angeles has to offer to the airport. We just want city officials to give us the chance. As a chef and as an Angeleno, I’m really excited about the opportunity to serve our food at the airport.”
Food and beverage service at LAX has been a contentious issue for years. A J.D. Powers report ranked LAX 19th out of the 20 major U.S. airports, largely due to poor food and beverage options. In April, LAX management selected a team of local restaurateurs assembled by SSP America as its choice to provide food service at several airport terminals.
“This is a world class food city and we are really proud to be joining L.A.’s culinary community in its commitment to help make LAX one of the world’s best airports,” said Pat Murray, Senior Vice President at SSP America, which oversees food and beverage services at more than 40 North American airports and co-hosted the event. “The airport management plans to spend nearly $1 billion upgrading and expanding its facilities in the coming years, and they understand that it’s crucial to upgrade the travelers’ dining experience as well. We are extremely pleased that the airport management recognized the quality and strength of our proposal and recommended it for selection.”
Chef Susan Feniger, co-owner of the celebrated Border Grill and Ciudad restaurants along with Chef Mary Sue Milliken, said, “The airport is our culinary window to the world. The way people experience and perceive Los Angeles begins at LAX and food is a major part of that experience. Being part of the top notch group of chefs and restaurateurs in the SSP Package proposal, we get to give everyone traveling through LAX a taste of the real and unique flavors of Los Angeles – if the City will let us.”
“All of us have been successful operating restaurants in one of the most competitive and discriminating markets in the world,” said Andrew Cherng, co-founder and co-chair of the Panda Restaurant Group, Inc. “We know what it takes to deliver high quality food and service in high volume locations. We know that travelers at LAX will be very pleased with what we have to offer.”
Partners with SSP America for the airport service include:
- Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse
- Market Café
- Border Grill Taqueria
- Panda Express
- Geisha House from the Dolce Restaurant Group
- Spuntino from Nancy Silverton of Michael’s, Spago, Mozza and La Brea Bakery
- M Café from the Chaya Restaurant Group
- 25 Degrees from the Domaine Restaurant Group
- La Serenata de Garibaldi
- Bertha’s Soul Food
- Red Mango
- Park’s Korean BBQ
- Buttercake Bakery
- Groundwork Coffee
- Lamill Coffee
- Peet’s Coffee & Tea
Since 1965, most food service at the airport has been provided under a contract with HMS Host. In April, after a rigorous bidding and evaluation process, the Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) management team ranked the SSP America proposal first and recommended that the Los Angeles Airport Commission approve a 10-year contract for food and beverage service in Terminals 4, 5, 7 and 8. Because Airport Commissioner Alan Rothenberg had a potential conflict of interest related to his financial ties to a food company currently operating at the airport under a contract with HMS Host, a competing bidder that ranked fourth, final approval of the contract must come from the Board of Referred Powers, a committee of the Los Angeles City Council.
Both the City Attorney and the City Administrative Officer have recommended that the Board of Referred Powers approve airport management’s contract recommendations. HMS Host is appealing and asking that the bids be rejected. The Board of Referred Powers has scheduled a hearing on the matter for August 5 at City Hall.
About SSP America (SSP Canada / SSP Caribbean)
SSP America operates in more than 42 airports and motorways across the USA, Canada and the Caribbean. Third party brands in the broad portfolio include The Palm Restaurant, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Houlihan’s, Gordon Biersch, Panda Express, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Chick-fil-A, ZPizza, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, T.G.I. Friday’s, Tim Hortons, The Great American Bagel and Buffalo Wild Wings. SSP America’s brand portfolio also includes strong local icons such as Laurelwood Public House & Brewery, Harry & Izzy’s, Nonna Bartolotta’s, Alterra Coffee, Shapiro’s Deli, Brew Brothers Brewery and Legends of Aviation.
About SSP
SSP, the Food Travel Experts, is the leading dedicated operator of food and beverage brands in travel locations worldwide, with operations in more than 130 airports and 300 rail stations in 32 countries. Its unparalleled portfolio of international, national, local, specialty and new breakthrough food and beverage brands includes its own national and international brands. Among these are Starbucks, Caffè Ritazza, Marks & Spencer Simply Food, Bonne Journée, Caviar House & Prunier, The Real Food Company, Le Grand Comptoir, Panopolis, Camden food co., Upper Crust and Le Train Bleu. SSP has operations in airports, train stations, motorways, retail parks and conference centers.