Hartsfield-Jackson International is moving forward again to fill blank retail spaces that are still vacant after a round of contracting awards was canceled last year.
More than 30 proposals from companies vying for the spots came rolling into Atlanta City Hall on Wednesday, as part of the restarted process.
This time, even more companies are competing for space.
Among them: popular chain Shake Shack, which has a cult-like following, and Gloria Jean’s Coffees.
Other companies already at Hartsfield-Jackson are also competing for the new spots, including McDonald’s and Five Guys Burgers and Fries.
A total of 12 companies are competing for a burger spot on Concourse B, nine companies are competing for a burger spot on Concourse A and eight companies are competing for a coffee location on Concourse A.
Six concessions firms are competing for the Concourse C food court space.
Typically, brand-name companies lend their name through licensing deals or other agreements with concessions contractors who operate the outlets to the chain’s specifications.
The process to fill the spaces with new restaurateurs has been going on for more than a year. Last August, a contracting process was cancelled when the city disclosed it had decided to throw out the initial proposals and restart the process. The reason: Too many companies had failed to properly fill out forms, particularly "E-Verify" immigration enforcement forms required by the state.
