Retail and F&B rebound quickens at Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport

USA. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) last week reopened several Terminal 1 concession spaces which had closed due to the pandemic. Two retail locations and a quick service restaurant have been revamped and reopened in T1, offering guests opportunities to grab a souvenir and a bite to eat pre-flight.

Both shops boast a wide variety of locally sourced goods for travellers seeking authentic, high-quality products.

Hjem + Home: A touch of Scandinavia

Hjem + Home, a Scandinavian-themed store in Concourse C, offers shoppers loungewear; locally sourced maple syrup and honey; t-shirts and hoodies; and other handmade goods such as candles, art prints and greeting cards.

The North Mercantile Co. in Concourse G scratches a similar itch, with an offering ranging from locally sourced Swedish pancake mix to fleece-lined leggings; themed candles and decorative pencils to home goods and hooded sweatshirts; and handbags and jewellery to celebrity memorabilia that showcases the region’s rich history.

The North Mercantile Co features a diverse offering

Hungry travellers can head to the T1 Food Court to grab a burrito, taco, bowl or quesadilla from the newly reopened Moe’s Southwestern Grill.

An MSP spokesperson said travellers can expect to see more openings between now and the 2022 US holiday travel season.

“The MSP concessions programme will reach a nearly 95 percent recovery rate before Thanksgiving [24 November] this year,” said Jeff Lea, Manager, Strategic Communications for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, operator of MSP.

“That will be the highest operational rate since the pandemic,” he noted, albeit some outlets will still be operating on reduced hours.

In addition to reopening a slew of existing MSP food & beverage outlets and duty free, three new venues are slated to open over the next few weeks.

Crisp & Green, a fast casual health food spot, will land in the Concourse G expansion while Poppy’s Bagels/Custom Burger, a dual-branded concept which operates as Poppy’s for breakfast and Custom Burger for lunch and dinner, also in the G concourse. A new Caribou Coffee is set to open in T1 Arrivals.

 

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