‘There’s a huge opportunity here’
St. John’s International Airport looks to expand businesses and concessions
The St. John’s International Airport’s terminal building is looking to expand its business landscape within the airport to cater to the varied tastes of travellers.
“The airport is interested in attracting vendors that offer unique food and beverage options, more grab-and-go choices, and products that reflect the local community,” said Steve Denty, manager of commercial development.
The airport is seeking expressions of interest for concession spaces, including fixed retail and food spaces in the departures lounge, ground-side opportunities for pre-boarding screening, and non-traditional vending opportunities like kiosks.
Lisa Bragg, director of marketing, said creating a diverse group of tenants can make the airport more attractive and align with the airport’s three-year strategic plan, which kicked off this year.
IMPACTS OF COVID-19
“For a while, our efforts have been on air service. Now that we are on the other side of COVID, we are looking at getting back to what we want to do,” said Bragg.
During the pandemic, Bragg said, the airport had hoped to start the expansion, but decided to wait.
“We knew at that time it would be best to leave things alone and stay with the status quo. We wanted to do this when people were ready for some new opportunities,” she said.
WAITING ON SPACE
The main factor prompting the decision to expand now was acquiring the correct space, she added.
“We had to wait for the openings in the airport,” said Bragg.
“We have had several people reach out with great offerings, but we needed the space to fit them.”
There are now two open spaces for various types of operations available in the airport, she said.
HUGE OPPORTUNITY
When it comes to what they hope to see, in terms of requests, Denty said the airport needs more culinary offerings.
“There’s a huge opportunity here for the food sector,” he said. “As capacity increases and passenger traffic increases, we will need more options there.”
Bragg said that with changes she has noticed in consumer habits, offering more healthy food options would be ideal.
“It would be nice to better serve those with dietary restrictions, such as gluten, vegan and vegetarian. We’d love to see something like that come through that really favours that,” she said.
They would also like to see more shops or tenants that offer a sense of arrival in Newfoundland.
ENHANCING AIRPORT EXPERIENCE
The existing concessions at the airport include Tim Hortons, Jelly Bean Harbour, Yellowbelly, Newfoundland Chocolate Company, Breakwater Place, and Relay.
“The new operators are expected to enhance the airport experience by providing a wider range of choices to passengers,” said Denty.
Interested parties should express interest before March 31, as site visits are ongoing.
“Our criteria for evaluating these expressions of interest include proven operating background, understanding of airport operational demands, sense of place and community,” said Denty.