Bush Airport may become food destination
The goal is to give travelers a taste of the city’s culture and food — even if they can’t leave the terminal.
United Airlines and OTG will continue multimillion-dollar upgrades at Bush Intercontinental Airport by rolling out locally inspired restaurants and iPads for public use at Terminal C South and Terminal E, the companies are announcing Tuesday.
The goal is to give travelers a taste of the city’s culture and food — even if they can’t leave the airport.
“They’re going to want to connect through Houston,” said Rick Blatstein, chief executive of OTG. “It’s going to be a culinary paradise.”
OTG, which will oversee the food, beverage and retail operations, is investing more than $120 million to upgrade Terminals C, E and B South. These improvements were announced in May and began with Terminal C North, which United is working on and expects to open in March.
Terminal C South and Terminal E should be completed in the second
half of 2017. Their new restaurants include Agave, a taqueria developed by Sharon Haynes of Tacos A Go Go, and “Q,” a barbecue restaurant developed by Greg Gatlin of Gatlin’s BBQ.
iPads in the restaurants and at gate-side seats will allow travelers to order food and drinks or purchase gifts. In total, nearly 8,000 iPads will be available in Terminals C, E and B South.
There isn’t a timeline yet for B South.
“It’s an operational environment, so we can’t just turn everything on at once,” said Gavin Molloy, United’s vice president of corporate real estate.
Houston-based airline consultant Pete Garcia said public-use iPads can take some of the anxiety out of flying. Instead of rushing to grab food, travelers can stay at the gate and have food brought to them.
“It’s just more convenient, and it gives people more options,” Garcia said.
And United MileagePlus members can use their award miles for purchases at CIBO Express Gourmet Markets and restaurants with iPads in them. At Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, where this concept was first implemented in 2014, travelers have redeemed 400 million miles for food and drinks.
“We’re finding that our customers are looking to redeem their miles in new ways,” Molloy said.
Kathleen Boyd, head of marketing for the Houston Airport System, said United and OTG’s push for local restaurants and a digital experience aligns with the Airport System’s initiatives. Other terminals at Bush Intercontinental Airport have recently added local restaurants, including The Breakfast Klub in Terminal A, Hubcap Grill & Beer Yard in Terminal A and Hugo’s Cocina in Terminal D.
“We’re thrilled that they’re helping us with the further transformation of IAH into a passenger-focused, passenger-friendly airport with style and substance,” Boyd said.
She also praised United and OTG’s work in providing more power outlets. Every seat in the restaurants created by United and OTG will have an iPad and power outlet with plug-ins for USB and the standard 110-volt plug. About 80 percent of the seats at the gates will have this, too.
Currently, Boyd said Bush Intercontinental has charging stations, chair outlets or wall outlets available for 20 percent of its seating capacity. The airport would like all of its seats to have access to an outlet.
The terminals, designed by Rockwell Group, also include several so-called “social media moments” that are supposed to inspire Tweets, Instagram photos and Snapchats.
The “Q” restaurant in Terminal E, for instance, will have a blast-etched graphic in the shape of Texas. Tanglewood Grille in Terminal E will have a selfie-prone mirror with the text “Food is always an option.”
“From a United perspective, we love when our customers are interacting directly with us,” Molloy said. “And to see people having a great time while they’re waiting for their flights is always fantastic.”