Fifty New Food and Retail Concessions Recommended for Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

A restaurant and bar that also serves as a music venue, a full-service craft beer bar and restaurant, and a food truck-style food court are just three of the 50 new restaurant, retail, and convenience and news concepts being recommended for Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) by the review team that analyzed competitive proposals.

“Minneapolis-St. Paul International is well known in the airport industry for its robust mix of food, retail and service amenities,” said Jeff Hamiel, executive director and CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), which owns and operates MSP. “As we modernize our concessions program, we want to build on those strengths and provide even more reasons for travelers to favor MSP over other transportation options.”

Toward that end, after months of regional and national outreach to inform businesses of the coming opportunity, the MAC published a competitive request for proposals in March 2015. Specifically, the MAC was seeking to:

• Enhance participation by regional businesses, operators and suppliers as well as disadvantaged business enterprises
• Expand the variety of products and price points available to consumers, including a broader selection of ethnic foods
• Attract high-impact national brands
• Increase duty-free shopping opportunities
• Reflect national trends toward craft beer and cocktails, unique merchandise, and blended food and entertainment experiences

Fifty total concession opportunities encompassing 72,000 square feet of terminal space were split among 14 batches, most of which include multiple venues and terminal locations.

Companies submitted a total of 54 proposals. The review team then spent weeks poring through, discussing and scoring the documents to select the proposals it would recommend the MAC board approve. Each proposal was scored based on its financial plan, merchandising, concept and design plan, Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program participation, and management and operations plan. The proposal with the most points for each batch was selected for recommendation.

The review team’s recommendation will be presented to the MAC’s Management and Operations Committee for consideration at 1 p.m., Aug. 3. That committee will discuss the review team’s findings and make a recommendation for the full MAC board to consider when it meets Aug. 17.

The Review Team’s Recommendations
Following is a list of the 14 batches for which proposals were solicited, names of proposers and the entity recommended for award of the batch. NOTE: Under the Minnesota Data Practices Act, the Metropolitan Airports Commission cannot release details of specific proposals until contracts are finalized.

Batch 101: Food and Beverage
Includes location of current Chili’s in the airport mall.

Requested concepts: Casual full-service craft beer bar and restaurant.
Proposing entities: Aero Service Group, Inc., Delaware North-Hell’s Kitchen MSP, LLC, HBF MSP Partners JV, LLC, Host International, Inc., SSP America MSP, LLC, and TGI Friday’s, Inc. Recommended for award: Aero Service Group, Inc.

Batch 102: Food and Beverage
Includes locations of current TGIF on Concourse C, storage space on Concourse E, and Simply Books and Creative Kids in the airport mall. Requested concepts: Nationally branded sports bar and restaurant, coffee and donuts, and a quick serve restaurant. Proposing entities: Delaware North-Angel Food-Hell’s Kitchen MSP, LLC, HBF MSP Partners JV, LLC, PhaseNext Hospitality, and RB/ERJ JV, LLC. Recommended for award: PhaseNext Hospitality.

Batch 103: Food and Beverage
Includes locations of the current Travel Express and restrooms on Concourse C, Burger King, Wok ‘n’ Roll and Caribou on Concourse E, and Gadgets to Go, Sunglass Hut and Everything ASAP in the airport mall. Requested concepts: wine bar with limited food service, “food truck” alley, and a full-service wine bar and restaurant. Proposing entities: Midfield Concession Enterprises, Inc. and SSP America MSP, LLC. Recommended for award: Midfield Concession Enterprises, Inc.

Batch 104: Food and Beverage
Includes locations of current Quizno’s and Northern Lights on Concourse D and D’Amico’s and office space on Concourse E.
Requested concepts: casual full service restaurant, bar and music venue, and a craft cocktail bar and restaurant.
Proposing entities: Delaware North-Ventnor Partners MSP, LLC, HFF-Rylo MSP, LLC, Lancer Management Services, LLC, and SSP America MSP, LLC. Recommended for award: SSP America MSP, LLC.

Batch 105: Food and Beverage
Includes locations of current business center on Concourse F and Talie, ZoZo and In Motion in the airport mall.
Requested concepts: 24-hour sandwich shop and a fast-casual restaurant.
Proposing entities: Fast Casual Experts, Inc., HBF MSP Partners JV, LLC, JMLM, Inc., Midfield Concession Enterprises, Inc., and SSP America MSP, LLC.
Recommended for award: SSP America MSP, LLC.

Batch 106: Food and Beverage
Includes locations of current North Shore News & Gifts and office space, restrooms and vending on Concourse E, and Johnston and Murphy in the airport mall.
Requested concepts: two coffee venues and a quick-serve restaurant.
Proposing entities: Host International, Inc., Midfield Concession Enterprises, Inc., and SSP America MSP, LLC.
Recommended for award: Midfield Concession Enterprises, Inc.

Batch 107: Food and Beverage
Location of current Caribou on Concourse G.
Requested concept: coffee. Proposing entities: Caribou MSP Airport, HBF MSP Partners JV, LLC, Host International, Inc., and PhaseNext Hospitality.
Recommended for award: Caribou MSP Airport.

Batch 201: Convenience and News
Locations of current Estes on Concourse A, Travel Express News (wall unit) on Concourse C, Travel Express News on Concourse D, Lakeside News Connection on Concourse F, Minnesota! and Spirit of the Red Horse in the airport mall, and Travel Express and North Shore News in Terminal 2. Requested concepts: convenience and news venues. Proposing entities: Airport Concessions, Inc., Delaware North-CBR MSP, LLC, Hudson Group Retail, LLC, Pacific Gateway Concessions, LLC, The Marshall Retail Group, LLC, The Paradies Shops, LLC, and World Duty Free Group North America, LLC. Recommended for award: Hudson Group Retail, LLC.

Batch 202: Convenience and News
Locations of current Authors/Red Balloon and storage space on Concourse C, Minnesota! on Concourse D, Icescapes on Concourse E, restroom on Concourse F, Brookstone and Fox News in the airport mall, and Lakeside News in the pre-security Tram Level of Terminal 1.
Requested Concepts: convenience and news venues. Proposing entities: Delaware North-CBR MSP, LLC, Hudson Group Retail, LLC, Pacific Gateway Concessions, LLC, The Marshall Retail Group, LLC, The Paradies Shops, LLC, and World Duty Free Group North America, LLC.
Recommended for award: World Duty Free Group North America, LLC.

Batch 301: Duty Free/Duty Paid
Includes locations of the current Twin Cities News Connection on Concourse D, Subway and World Passage/Duty Free in the airport mall, and the arcade in Terminal 2.
Requested concept: Venues with a mix of Duty Free and Duty Paid retail.
Proposing entities: Dufry MSP Retailers JV and World Duty Free Group North America LLC.
Recommended for award: Dufry MSP Retailers JV.

Batch 302: Retail
Includes locations of the current Minnesota! on Concourse C, MSP News, Creative Kids, Minnesota! and restrooms in the airport mall.
Requested concepts: bookstore, outdoor lifestyle retail, regionally themed gift shop, bookstore and children’s concept, and sunglasses.
Proposing entities: Delaware North-CBR MSP, LLC, Hudson Group Retail, LLC, Paradies-MSP 2015, LLC, and World Duty Free Group North America, LLC.
Recommended for award: Delaware North-CBR MSP, LLC.

Batch: 303: Retail
Includes locations of the current FOX News on Concourse C and Sports Minnesota, Body Shop, Rocky Mountain Chocolate, and Spirit of the Red Horse in the airport mall.
Requested concepts: regionally themed art gift shop, premium gift shop, candy/confections, and retail women’s intimate apparel or spa services.
Proposing entities: Delaware North-CBR MSP, LLC, The Marshall Retail Group, LLC, and World Duty Free Group North America, LLC.
Recommended for award: Delaware North-CBR MSP, LLC.

Batch 304: Retail
Includes locations of the current Twin City News on Concourse E, Simply Books and BluWire on Concourse F and Radio Road, Fly Babies and Brookstone in the airport mall.
Requested concepts: unspecified retail, men’s and women’s professional apparel, and jewelry.
Proposing entities: Pacific Gateway Concessions, LLC.
Recommended for award: Pacific Gateway Concessions, LLC.

Batch 305: Retail
Includes locations of the current Grand Ave., Tumi, Surdyk’s, and Harley Davidson in the airport mall.
Requested concepts: technology retail, active-wear apparel, specialty apparel and luggage.
Proposing entities: MSP Innovations, LLC, Paradies-MSP 2015, LLC, and World Duty Free Group North America, LLC.
Recommended for award: MSP Innovations, LLC.

Retail and quick-serve restaurant leases will be for eight-year terms, full-serve restaurants for nine-year terms and Duty-Free/Duty-Paid venues for 10-year terms.