USA. Denver-based family- and minority-owned travel concessionaire Mission Yogurt has teamed up with Love From USA Group to launch three retail concepts at Denver International Airport.
The stores offer a curated collection of artisanal products that highlight a strong Sense of Place.
Black Canyon Market & Goods and Longs Peak Market & Goods are now trading in the travel hub’s Concourse C, while High Dune Market & Goods will open in late October in Concourse B.
Black Canyon Market & Goods features products from local brands including Bee Squared, Taste of The Rockies, Bee Grateful Farm, Hammond’s and Colorado Popcorn Company. Other offers include artisans such as Hunters Hope Soap and Staut Creations’ hand-crafted wood décor. Pre-packaged and wrapped souvenirs are also available here, as well as a grab-and-go cooler of high-quality food items.
Longs Peak Market & Goods sells reading materials, stationery, electronic accessories, sundries, sports merchandise and a wide variety of snacks and beverages from Colorado brands, including Kettlehead Popcorn and The Good Crisp Company. Dietary-friendly options are available at the store’s grab-and-go cooler.
Set to open later this month, High Dune Market & Goods will showcase a range of local products and brands, such as Detailed by Nature, Colorado Kernels, Yo Colorado and more. The store owner has collaborated with local and regional chefs to curate a grab-and-go menu that offers authentic local flavours.
Through its partnership with Love From USA, Mission Yogurt seeks to introduce more local products and brands to travellers aside from its existing concepts at the airport including Root Down DIA and Etai’s Bakery Café. More F&B brands are set to open next year including Maria Empanada, Uncle, Williams & Graham, Tocabe and Marczyk Fine Foods.
To discover more regional offers, the Love From USA team visits area galleries and local vendors, as well as art shows. Its stores feature rotating displays aligned with the holidays, seasons and community events.
Love From USA Group CEO Patricia Chinander said: “This partnership is a force, and we are so happy to be partnering with Mission Yogurt in this endeavour.
“Both teams bring different strengths that complement each other well, and because of that, we look forward to bringing another extraordinary retail experience to the travellers at Denver Airport.”
Founded in 1988 by Rod Tafoya, Mission Yogurt launched its operations at Denver International Airport in 1995 with the opening of Sara Lee Sandwich Shop/Colombo Yogurt, followed by the airport’s first authentic Mexican restaurant and Tafoya’s original concept, Que Bueno! Mexican Grille.
Over the past three decades, the company has enjoyed rapid expansion and will soon operate nearly 30 F&B and retail concepts across three international airports including Denver International, San Diego International and John Wayne International.
Love From USA Group is 100% woman-owned and has been in the US travel retail for more than 45 years. It has a presence in 19 locations in Colorado, Minnesota, Chicago, and Florida, including Denver International, Minneapolis/St. Paul International, Chicago O’Hare International and Orlando International airports. The company also operates stores at Chicago’s Navy Pier, Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, Minnesota’s Mall of America and other high-profile shopping venues.
Love From USA is also involved in a social entrepreneurship initiative, The Red Heart Project, with the aim to give back and engage with the communities in which its concepts are located.
Each month, The Red Heart Project donates US$1 per blanket sold to a selected non-profit organisation. It is currently supporting National Alliance on Mental Illness and American Cancer Society with this programme.
Tafoya said: “We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership. In addition to our commitment to advocating for – and partnering with – small businesses, Mission Yogurt has always worked hard to provide the best of Colorado to the travelling public through our restaurants, and now we’re able to do both on an even larger level with our first foray into retail.” ✈
