SPAIN. Global travel restaurateur Areas has staged a special event to present the finalised line-up for its major food & beverage programme at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport.
The Moodie Davitt Report Publisher Irene Revilla attended the gathering last week, to see first hand the impressive array of food & beverage concessions launched since the announcement of Areas’ record-breaking tender win in February 2023.
At that time, Areas secured what was described as the largest-ever F&B concession in Spanish airport history, taking 35 of 55 points-of-sale across Madrid–Barajas under a long-term agreement with airports operator Aena.
The programme, which carries a projected turnover of more than €1 billion over the eight-year concession period, has now moved firmly into execution, with the operator presenting its final brand and concept mix to commercial partners.
Areas has invested more than €15 million in the roll-out, positioning Madrid–Barajas as a flagship global showcase for its travel hospitality model.
The operator has a dominant presence in both the T1-T3 complex and Terminal 4/T4 Satellite.
{Many of the individual openings have been comprehensively covered on The Moodie Davitt Report in recent years; a number of these are linked in blue below.}
The Areas strategy at Madrid–Barjas is anchored in a structured portfolio approach combining international scale brands, national Spanish operators, and a strong layer of Madrid-specific ‘local hero’ concepts, alongside the company’s own proprietary formats.
Around a quarter of the offer is composed of established international and high-volume travel brands, including Starbucks, Burger King, Paul, La Place, Udon and Rossopomodoro, alongside Spanish names such as Rodilla and Santagloria.
The majority of outlets focus on new or airport-adapted concepts, with a strong emphasis on Madrid culinary identity, healthier formats and contemporary international dining trends.
At the heart of Areas’ positioning is what it describes as a curated gastronomic ecosystem designed to reflect the evolving expectations of frequent travellers. The operator continues to emphasise speed, quality, digital integration and sustainability, including reduced plastic use, food waste minimisation and the deployment of new service technologies.
The final line-up builds on a concept framework that has already received international recognition, with Madrid–Barajas winning The Moodie Davitt Report FAB Award for Airport Food & Beverage Offer of the Year in 2025.
A key pillar of the offer is the expansion of Areas’ proprietary brands. Examples include StrEAT, which brings together global street-food concepts in a single multi-brand environment; Deli&Cia, which focuses on a healthy grab-and-go offer (and has previously been recognised by the FAB Awards); and Farine, which delivers a French-inspired coffee and bakery proposition combining café culture with travel convenience.
Alongside these, Areas has rolled out a series of local Madrid concepts designed to anchor the airport in its destination.
These include Taberna La Ancha (the most recent of the openings), La Barra de la Bientirada, Kabuki, La Bientirada and Bareto, spanning traditional tavern dining, contemporary tapas, premium Japanese cuisine and casual Spanish formats adapted for travel environments.
The international and national brand mix is complemented by a wider Spanish portfolio, including Flax & Kale, Aloha Poke, Chök, Pura Brasa, Chía, Rodilla, VIPS and Viandas, covering health-led, indulgent and mainstream casual-dining segments.
In parallel, Areas has introduced new retail and digital formats as part of its broader airport transformation strategy. Sibarium, its gourmet retail and dining hybrid concept, extends the premium Mediterranean food offer into a retail environment, while On Your Way is an autonomous, checkout-free store, positioned as a first for Spanish airports. 
