FRANCE. SSP Group has unveiled dining venues from three brands making their debuts at Nantes Atlantique Airport, alongside the refurbishment of numerous established food & beverage concessions.
As reported earlier today (30 April), the ambitious commercial transformation project has seen the opening of 15 modernised and new stores across the terminal by SSP and fellow anchor concessionaire Lagardère Travel Retail.
The F&B brands new to the airport include French concepts Big Fernand (gourmet burgers) and Ker Juliette (Breton crêpes and pancakes), plus poké bowl brand Pokawa.
Existing airport F&B outlets, including Les Brassés, Brioche Dorée, Pret and Starbucks, also operated by SSP, have been renovated as part of the improvement programme.
SSP told The Moodie Davitt Report: “These complement the Nantes local brands that SSP has curated to ensure passengers travelling through Nantes Atlantique Airport will be able to sample some of the region’s favourite flavours.”
Gourmet burger specialist Big Fernand “combines the convenience of fast food with the essence of authentic French gastronomy”, according to SSP. The restaurant chain was founded in 2012 by Steve Burgraff, Guillaume Pagliano and Alexandre Auriac.
Some 13 years later, Big Fernand now has more than 50 restaurants throughout France. SSP said, “The brand’s recipe for success is taking fresh, locally sourced ingredients and developing creative recipes with producers carefully selected for their artisanal know-how.”
Big Fernand CEO Eric de Saint Louvent commented, “I’m keen to continue the development of our brand with partnerships like the one that we have formed with the SSP team. Building on the success of our outlet in Gare de Lyon, and the planned opening at Orly at the end of 2025, we are proud to be working together with SSP for the launch of Big Fernand at Nantes airport.
“The Big Fernand concept is particularly appropriate in train stations and airports, and a presence in these important busy locations will allow even more people to discover our 100% fresh and French hamburgers.”
Ker Juliette, a a fast-food concept serving Breton crêpes and pancakes, was founded by Director General and Nantes native Juliette Fontaine. Known for its slogan ‘Fast-Good Breton’, the brand has existing locations across Brittany, including Saint-Nazaire, Lille, Angers and central Nantes.
Fontaine said, “Following our success at Nantes and Angers stations, this new outlet at Nantes Airport allows us to consolidate our reputation for delivering authentic foods in the travel retail environment.
“We’re very pleased to be introducing our recipes to even more Nantais travellers as well as visitors to the region.”
Pokawa offers healthy and colourful poké bowls, spanning savoury to sweet, with a menu that changes with the seasons.
Pokawa President Bart De Vreese commented, “We are delighted to open a Pokawa restaurant at Nantes Airport. Our aim is to offer all travellers a fresh, tasty journey thanks to our healthy and gourmet recipes.
“Diners will definitely find their own flavour of happiness because we give our customers the opportunity to create their own poké bowl according to the season, their taste preferences, their hunger and their diets.”
Les Brassés, a bar-restaurant-microbrewery inspired by Anglo-Saxon tradition and founded by Gabriel Charrin, has been redeveloped into a new 80-seat outlet.
The brand’s 20 beers, sold almost exclusively in the Nantes region, are produced with Breton or Loire ingredients to original recipes and are 100% organic and packaged in recyclable containers.
Enthusiasts can find these beers at several notable locations in Nantes, including the Beaujoire stadium and the art-house Bateau Lavoir, as well as a number of bistros, wine merchants and specialist stores.
Reflecting on the new commercial line-up, Nantes Atlantique Airport Sales and Marketing Director Hervé Bidet told The Moodie Davitt Report: “We are very pleased to welcome these new brands and to offer a modernised and diversified commercial offer to our passengers. This transformation is part of our commitment to making Nantes Atlantique Airport an ever more pleasant and efficient place from which to fly.” 
Note: The Moodie Davitt Report publishes the FAB Newsletter, which features highlights of openings, events and campaigns from around the world of airport and travel dining.
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