Concessionaires went back to square one as Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport restarted its process Monday to secure new contracts for stores and eateries throughout the airport, including in the international terminal opening in the spring.
Most proposals for new restaurants and shops at the airport are now due Oct. 25 and Oct. 26. The airport plans to open 126 new food and beverage outlets and 26 new retail outlets. An initial batch of proposals was tossed out because too many lacked required documents.
When announcing the decision to restart the process, airport officials had hoped to open the international terminal as early as late April. fficials acknowledged the move could delay the opening.
Under the new process, restaurants and shops in the international terminal's Concourse F are required to be completed by May 15. If not, they face penalties.
The airport is also offering incentives to concessionaires who can complete construction and be ready for business on Concourse F by May 1. They would get three months of free rent.
Getting concessions ready for the international terminal on the new time frame "certainly is doable," said Nicholas Schaefer, vice president of business development at Delaware North Companies, a food and beverage operator. "It’s going to be tight, certainly."
One of the packages of airport shops did not attract any proposals in the last round. That package has been revised to include only locations on Concourse T, without any in the atrium and rental car center.
The airport is offering site tours Sept. 26 and holding a pre-proposal conference Sept. 27 on all of the concessions packages.
About the Author
