Airport concessions to lay off 530 employees

By Kelly Yamanouchi

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

An airport concessions joint venture run by Atlanta-based Concessions International expects to lay off about 530 employees starting next month, though many of those workers could find jobs with new restaurants.

Those affected in the move by the joint venture between Concessions International and Paschal’s include servers, bartenders, kitchen managers and others. A gradual layoff is expected to begin in March.

The city expects some 1,600 positions to open up, as the airport adds concessions for its new international terminal and elsewhere. And Concessions International expects to hire hundreds of employees through a different joint venture to open other airport restaurants under a new contract.

However, many employees will still lose their jobs with their existing employer.

“We’re hoping that some of the people being laid off will capture some of those 1,600 jobs,” said Deborah Lum, executive director of the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency.

Delaware North, a new concessions firm to enter the airport in the changeover, said it is “creating hundreds of jobs.” The Unite Here labor union said Delaware North and major concessionaire HMSHost have signed agreements to guarantee a smooth transition for the workforce, while Concessions International did not sign such an agreement. The airport plans to hold job fairs in March for current concessions employees and in April for all job seekers.