US. SSP America has won a major contract with the new Indianapolis International Airport (IND).
SSP said the contract will allow the company to re-shape foodservice offerings at the airport by providing more than 8.5 million travellers each year with more choices and quality experiences.
Construction on the new restaurants will commence immediately in Concourses A and B as well as the much anticipated Civil Plaza area, SSP America said. The company claimed that projected revenue to the local Indianapolis economy from the new services will surpass US$140 million with more than 120 full-time jobs created in the process.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Indianapolis International Airport Authority in this newly developed, state-of-the-art facility,” said SSP America Chief Executive Officer Les Cappetta.
“The construction of the new airport, combined with the quality services we will be opening throughout, will be sure to elevate the status of both the city and its airport so it is on par with other top airport cities and destinations in the country.”
Indianapolis Airport Authority Director of New Business Development Jeremiah Wise noted: “The concepts SSP presented, along with their solid reputation for understanding what consumers want and need, are a perfect match for the vision we are implementing at the new airport, which is the largest capital project in the city’s history.”
SSP America’s operations feature a mix of food & beverage brands tailored specifically for each location. It said that its strategy is based on a combination of understanding consumers’ needs, and creating and partnering with the best industry brands in the world as well as local favorites to fit those needs.
Travellers will soon be welcomed to the airport by SSP America’s Indianapolis 500 Grill and Retail Store. The “˜Indy 500 Grill’ will celebrate Indiana’s speedway tradition with a menu offering freshly prepared salads and sandwiches, as well as gourmet entrees such as grilled sirloin and salmon with orzo pasta.
Authentic race cars will hang throughout the property with walls adorned in an array of speedway photographs and memorabilia. Adjacent to the restaurant will be a specialty retail store offering visitors an opportunity to purchase their own racing souvenirs or collectible items.
SSP America will also open Harry and Izzy’s, a tribute to the founders of St. Elmo Steakhouse – Harry Roth and Izzy Rosen. A well-known landmark in the Circle City, St. Elmo’s is reputed for its steak, seafood, chops and outstanding service
“Creating a unique Indianapolis experience for frequent travelers is a priority,” said President of St. Elmo’s Steakhouse, Craig Huse. “Partnering with SSP America allows us to draw on their experience of operating in an airport environment, while allowing our management to focus solely on providing delicious food and the professional, attentive service that Harry & Izzy’s guests have come to expect.”
Also scheduled to open is Shapiro’s Delicatessen. The kosher-style deli has been an Indianapolis favorite for more than 100 years with its distinctive motto: “Cook good. Serve generously. Price modestly. People will come.”
Camden Food Co will address growing demand for healthier, environmentally-friendly, fresh dining options, offering an array of organic, fair-trade and low-fat choices. Its soups, sandwiches and snacks all convey the same message – “˜Eating Right’ with the proper balance.
“These units, and the menus they offer, were designed with Hoosiers [the official state name for a resident of the State of Indiana -Ed] in mind,” said Oscar Hernandez, SSP America’s new Director of Operations, Indianapolis, who is in charge of leading the company’s construction and expansion efforts at IND. “Our goal is to ensure that we always offer consumers the best options while they’re on travel. This includes making sure that we bring into the airport strong, favorite and local brands that we know customers will come back to time and again when they travel through IND.”
SSP America’s parent company, SSP, operates in airports in 29 countries around the globe. With the recent acquisition of Creative Host Services, SSP America now operates in 42 airports across the US, Canada and the Caribbean.
About the New Indianapolis Airport
The new Indianapolis International Airport is a US$1.1 billion project (excluding the cost of runway construction) that will culminate in the first entirely new US airport to open since September 11, 2001.
The project will include a spacious, light-filled new passenger terminal filled with specially commissioned works of art, a new parking garage that is tripled in size, multiple new long-term and short-term surface parking lots, a new air traffic control tower, and a new main entrance off I-70 on the city’s west side. It is scheduled to open on 28 October this year.
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