BAHRAIN. SSP has reached an agreement with Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) to operate 17 units in Bahrain International Airport’s (BIA’s) new passenger terminal, in partnership with Bahraini business conglomerate Buhindi Group.
Bahrain Airport Company Vice President – Non Aeronautical Revenues George Martin Moore discussed the airport’s new concession programme at last week’s Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference. He revealed that the space dedicated to F&B will increase from 25% in the old terminal to 40% in the new terminal.
The units will feature a mix of local and international food & beverage brands including Bahrain’s first Jamie’s Deli and Pizzeria from chef Jamie Oliver. The outlet will offer passengers freshly-prepared meals with a ‘Jamie’ vibe, including pizzas and deli-style dishes, in an all-day casual dining environment.
A new roof-top terrace called Sama by Alto, developed by the team behind the city’s famous Alto Bar, will feature in the F&B offer. Lumee, a Bahraini casual dining concept, will offer classic flavours of the locality in a contemporary setting.
Ya! Salam, popular with locals and visitors for its shawarmas, will make its airport debut. An outlet called Jaipur will serve Indian favourites.
SSP will also unveil the first TGI Fridays in an airport in the region and an EAT restaurant, the first in the region. illy caffè, Burger King, KFC, Camden food co, Millie’s Cookies, Italian brand Levito and a Ritazza will complete the brand line-up.
The new development is part of BIA’s US$1.1 billion modernisation programme, which will see the creation of a new terminal. The airport size will expand to 11,600sq m and will have the capacity to handle 14 million passengers once the new project is complete.
SSP Group Chief Commercial Officer and SSP EEMA CEO Mark Angela said: “We’re delighted to be entering Bahrain for the first time and have been working closely with BAC’s team to develop the right mix of bespoke concepts, alongside an exciting range of local and international brands. The design of the new terminal at BIA is outstanding, and we are looking forward to welcoming new customers to our wonderful range of units next year.”
BAC Chief Commercial Officer Ayman Zainal commented: “This is the first time we have gone to an external tender process for this type of activity, and we were delighted to receive a number of strong proposals. SSP offered a compelling range of brands and a well-considered mix of local and international names and we are delighted to be partnering with them in this new venture to help put Bahrain on the international aviation map.”
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Please send all news of food & beverage outlet openings, together with images, menus, video etc to Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com to ensure unrivalled global exposure.
The company also organises the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards. This year’s FAB event took place on 20-21 June in Helsinki.
