SWITZERLAND. SSP’s third Montreux Jazz Café will open early next year at Zürich Airport, in the airport’s newly refurbished Pier B. SSP has already opened two Montreux Jazz Café units, one at Geneva Airport and the other at Sydney Airport’s new-look T1.
Entertainment will be a key feature of the 40-seater restaurant, and the café will display unique footage from the Jazz Festival via video screens as well as incorporating an area where visitors will be able to buy Montreux Jazz gift items.
This was a major reason why the brand was chosen for the location, according to Zürich Airport Chief Commercial Officer Peter Eriksson. “We wanted to give passengers something enjoyable to do while waiting for a flight, and a visit to the Montreux Jazz Café will offer much to help them pass the time,” he said. “In addition, with its stylish and modern good looks, the brand is well suited to the design of the new area and will complement its streamlined, modern architecture.”
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Peter Eriksson: The stylish Montreux Jazz brand will complement the architecture of the new-look Pier B |
The brand was launched in Geneva in June 2008, where it remains popular with both travellers and locals. “It’s a real “˜meeters and greeters’ location,’ said SSP Switzerland Managing Director Rick Stavast. “With a great coffee shop and a strong lunch offer it’s a genuine all-day venue, appealing to passengers as well as airport staff.”
The menu at the café, created by Michelin-starred chef Gilles Dupont, was inspired by the festival founder Claude Nobs, himself a trained chef. Many of the dishes have been named after Nobs’ favourite artists or some of their most outstanding work, such as Deep Purple and BB King.
The restaurant in Geneva features a number of airport firsts, including a lounge-bar style backstage area incorporating a state-of-the-art sound-system and a 70-inch flat screen on which exclusive images from the festival are shown. During the festival travellers visiting the café are able to watch concerts just a few hours after they have taken place at the Stravinski Auditorium or the Miles Davis Hall.
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In May, SSP unveiled the first Montreux Jazz Café outside Switzerland at Sydney T1, landside |
The Montreux Jazz Café at Geneva is now an established highlight of the Geneva music scene, and it hosts a number of live music events. It has a reputation among musicians as a “˜place to be discovered’ and aspiring artists frequently ask to perform on its stage.
The second café, which opened in May in Sydney, offers a more casual menu specially developed to appeal to the Australian traveller. Commenting at the time of the opening, Sydney Airport General Manager, Retail Derek Larsen said the café “adds another dimension to the experience for passengers and customers”.
