Maryland Firm Gets 10-Year Airport Food & Beverage Contract

AUSTIN, TX — By virtue of recent city council approval, a Maryland food-services company has made is entry into the Austin market with a 10-year food and beverage contract at the airport.

Bethesda, Md.-based HMSHost, a subsidiary of the Italian firm Autogrill, will operate nine new locations in the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, bringing local and national culinary favorites to travelers, officials said.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be entering the diverse and vibrant city of Austin with this new partnership with the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport,” HMSHost President and CEO Steve Johnson said in a prepared statement. “We’re very much looking forward to bringing travelers a dynamic mix of local restaurants and dining experiences that truly reflect Austin, and we thank the airport for this great opportunity.”

HMSHost officials were poised to offer travelers the airport's first true live action food hall
kitchen, Austin City Kitchen. Austin City Kitchen will feature a new age market, taproom, and
live action kitchens that give diners the opportunity to watch their food being prepared right
before their eyes, officials said.

Anchored by the iconic Austin-born Torchy’s Tacos, the food hall will also feature local favorites
Noble Sandwich Co., Sushi-A-Go-Go by Komé, and a taproom by Austin Beerworks called The
Beer Drop, where travelers can educate themselves on craft beer from Austin’s most popular
brewery, according to a press advisory. Travelers that want to grab a last-minute culinary souvenir or some local produce can shop at the Hardies Fresh Foods market, also within the food hall. Staying true to Austin’s
cultural revolution, Austin City Kitchen also has a main stage that will feature live music from a
rotating selection of Austin’s finest musicians, officials noted.

Casual dining can be had across from Austin City Kitchen, with 24 Diner by ELM Restaurant Group, Austin’s most iconic chef-inspired diner, loved by locals and foreigners alike. Restaurant officials described the approach of 24 Diner as nothing short of a reinterpretation and reinvention of American diner standards.

"At 24 Diner in Austin-Bergstrom, airport travelers will discover chef-driven comfort food highlighting local,

organic, and seasonal ingredients; all the highlights that have made 24 Diner in town a star. The street side location has been featured on numerous TV and news publications like Food Network Stars’ ‘Top Austin Restaurants’ and Food and Wine’s ‘America’s Best Diner.’ " officials said in the press advisory.

At the end of the terminal, HMSHost will open Parkside, a downtown East Sixth Street staple. Opened in 2008, Parkside is the place where renowned Chef Shawn Cirkiel, founder of Parkside Projects, pioneered farm-to-table dining in Austin, officials described. As the Capital city’s first gastropub, the Parkside location in the airport will feature everything from its award-winning burger to an extensive raw bar. For those travelers with a little more time on their hands, guests can enjoy a signature cocktail from our highly skilled mixologists while listening to live music from Austin musicians.

Also in the terminal expansion, will be Jugo Juice, a chef-driven juice, snacks, and smoothie concept, also by Chef Shawn Cirkiel of Parkside Projects. Jugo is located in the heart of downtown Austin, and its airport location will feature healthy, creative grab-n-go salads, protein snacks and bowls, and fresh-pressed juices.

Also in the mix will be a Starbucks coffee shop.

“Dannon Garrett and I are extremely excited to be entering into our first travel concessions venture with HMSHost right here in our hometown of Austin,” D.C. Garrett Group principal partner Rick Garrett said in a prepared statement. “With our 15 years of street side experience, we plan to make a valuable contribution to the Austin-Bergstrom dining experience.”

Added HMSHost Vice President ofBusiness Development Anthony Alessi: “HMSHost is thrilled to bring travelers of Austin these popular dining offerings in partnership with D.C. Garrett Group and our local restaurant partners,” said “Austin is a forward-thinking culinary city and the new restaurants we’ll soon open will showcase the best mix of culinary offerings reflective of this unique place.”

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