US. Phase II of Boise airport’s US$108 million airport expansion project, under way at the southeast corner of the new terminal building, will include a food court and concession area that will add six new retail outlets by year-end 2004. Phase I opened to the public on 25 June 2003.
Also in the planning stage in the existing concourse B are new coffee shops and retail outlets with a theme of the Boise River and Idaho Potato.
Atlanta-based The Paradies Shops, trading as a local joint venture Paradies-Taters, was granted a seven-year concession on the entire retail programme in September 2002, and is committed to a US$72 per square foot MAG (Minimum Annual Guarantee). Anton Airfood, the food & beverage operator, has a ten-year concession, with MAG of US $35 per square foot.
In both cases, the operators will pay an additional percentage rent of 10% to 16% if sales rise above a certain threshold.
Boise airport manager John Anderson commented: “We have done extremely well in attracting concessions for our size of an airport.” Boise airport handles an average of 3 million passengers per year.
The new concessions, expected to be open by October 2004, plus those existing in the concourse and terminal, will occupy 15,600sq ft (1,450sq m), a +15% increase from the old airport. But they are projected to generate +90% more revenues: US$766,000 in fiscal year 2005 compared to US$405,000 in fiscal 2002.
In keeping with the national trend in the US, most new concessions are located airside, creating a captive market which is expected to drive up spend.
Landside, the airport already has an Outpost Cafe and CNBC gift and news shop (opened by Paradies earlier this year. Airside, close to the new multi-brand food court area, will be Boise River Marketplace, a 2,850sq ft (265sq m) retail shop offering Idaho and regional products and souvenir items and books.
Buy Idaho and Taters, a local Idaho products retailer will have themed areas in Boise River Marketplace
The existing concourse B will feature White Pine Travel Mart, a 1,500sq ft (139sq m) news and gift shop by Paradies, themed around Idaho’s national tree.
“I’m excited about my partnership with The Paradies Shops,” said Cynthia Fogdall, owner of Taters. “The opportunity of partnering with Paradies to showcase those products at Boise airport is wonderful”
