A number of locations within Delaware North's travel division have recently celebrated openings and expansions. Among them:
Delaware North opens The Market on Elmwood at Buffalo Airport
Delaware North this summer opened The Market on Elmwood, a new location at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. The sophisticated new customer-focused food and beverage concept features fresh, local options and a self-checkout system for speed and convenience.
The menu includes healthy selections such as grab-and-go salads and locally themed sandwiches – all made fresh throughout the day. It also features snacks and local candies, plus an array of packaged drinks. The full bar offers signature cocktails, wine and local beers. Guests can use the self-checkout for all items. As demand at the airport grows, Delaware North will expand the selection of baked goods and add the hot prepared food component.
Delaware North’s comprehensive Safe Travels™ program is in place at the Market on Elmwood to help keep travelers and employees safe in response to COVID-19. This includes social distancing signage and configuration, with tables seating 32 guests and reduced bar seating to accommodate eight guests (configured in pairs, set 6 feet apart). Delaware North operates food, beverage and retail locations at the airport for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority.
Delaware North opens Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh at Denver International Airport
Also this summer, Delaware North this week opened a new restaurant at Denver International Airport (DEN), Colorado-grown Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, a fast-casual restaurant concept serving scratch-made Mediterranean food.
The opening marked the second Garbanzo in an airport. Delaware North opened the first at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2013, and the two companies have a preferred partnership agreement to open other locations. “Garbanzo will provide a fresh and unique dining option to Denver airport travelers to broaden the variety of healthy restaurant choices available to them,” said James Obletz, president of Delaware North’s travel division.
“One of the main reasons we chose to partner with Garbanzo was because of the exceptional quality of its food. Garbanzo’s fresh, authentic, preservative-free recipes are perfect for guests who are looking for a quick, wholesome, healthy bite to eat either on-the-go or while relaxing before or after a flight,” Obletz said. Garbanzo opened its first restaurant in Colorado, where the fresh food fit perfectly with the state’s simple, yet adventurous lifestyle. Garbanzo serves Middle Eastern staples such as falafel, hummus and pita. The airport location will serve six signature entrées inspired by traditional Mediterranean themes but not bound by it.
“We have been eager to add a fresh, homegrown restaurant to our options here at DEN,” said DEN CEO Kim Day. “Employees and passengers have been patiently waiting for Garbanzo to open its doors, and we are excited to finally welcome Colorado-founded Garbanzo to our airport!”
It will also be the concept’s first location to offer breakfast versions of its famous signature flavors. Morning commuters will find items such as ready-to-go Greek yogurt parfaits with granola and fruit, along with build-your-own breakfast egg bowls and pitas that can be filled with a variety of vegetables, sauces and proteins. Additionally, Garbanzo will proudly pour Intelligentsia single-origin premium coffee. This airport location will also provide grab-and-go items such as a hummus snack pack and premade entrées like Greek salads. The new restaurant is the Mediterranean concept’s 11th non-traditional franchise restaurant to open to date.
“Opening in one of the country’s busiest airports provides an excellent opportunity for further exposure to domestic and international guests who may not have a Garbanzo in their hometown or city,” said Devin Handler, Garbanzo vice president of marketing. “Delaware North’s portfolio of successes speaks for itself, and we are very pleased to be working in conjunction with them to spread the ‘Feel Brighter Movement’ throughout the U.S. and the world.”
Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge opens expanded airport outpost in Nashville
An outpost of the iconic restaurant Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge recently reopened at Nashville International Airport after extensive renovations over the course of nearly 10 months. The airport location, which is operated by Delaware North, closed in December 2019 in preparation for upgrades that include a premium sound system for live music, an expanded kitchen and a bar that’s triple the size of its predecessor. The bar is now the largest of any in the airport and features 18 high-definition televisions.
“The new Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge at Nashville International Airport really enhances the experience for guests, performers and our employees,” said Don Graham, Delaware North’s general manager at the Nashville airport. “The bar and kitchen space are better suited to handle the volume, given the popularity of the Tootsie’s brand, and allow for proper social distancing amid the pandemic. And the new sound system is state of the art – reflecting the high quality of the performers who we host on a regular basis.”
Tootsie’s Nashville airport location features a wide array of craft beer on tap, including regional favorites such as Tennessee Brew Works’ Hippies & Cowboys IPA. The menu boasts many of the staples from Tootsie’s flagship restaurant in downtown Nashville, including the Southerner Salad and BBQ Burger, which is topped with smoky barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese, bacon and onion rings.