New restaurants and retailers are coming to Tucson International Airport after the Tucson Airport Authority Board of Directors voted to award contracts to new operators.
"One of the goals we had or this refresh of all our concessions is to bring a strong local presence to the airport and we really think we have accomplished that," said Dick Gruentzel, TIA's Vice President of Finance and Administration.
The existing restaurants inside TIA will be gone by the end of February 2017 as construction on the new concessions will start on March 1, 2017.
Gruentzel says there was a requirement for the outlets to have "street pricing."
"If you see one item at Beyond Bread... the price for the one item here is required to be the same price at their actual street locations around town," he said.
The new agreement also means news, gift and specialty shops will also be coming to the airport.
The security check points will be moved near the ticket counters to make room for more newsstands and retailers.
There will be a total of 21 new outlets.
Construction on the project is expected to be completed in phases through 2017.
The following is a list of the which new restaurants and retailers are coming to TIA and where they will be located:
Centre Point, Ticketing Level - Pre Security
- Arroyo Trading Post With Agustín Kitchen Express - A full-service convenience retail store intended to serve all airport users, whether traveling or not. Retail options will be laid out in four distinct areas: Tucson-centric featuring locally made and branded souvenir-type items; news and media; travel essentials; and a marketplace with fresh and pre-packaged grab-n-go and snack items. This location will also offer self-service coffee and fountain soft drinks.
- Noble Hops Craft Beer+Fine Fare Beer Garden - Brothers Aric and Joshua Mussman will bring their Oro Valley gastropub to the airport in an area that will be redesigned to open up to the outdoors in front of the terminal and take advantage of the views north to the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Concourse A (Aeromar, United and Southwest airlines) - Post security
- Beyond Bread - This, along with one in Concourse B, will become the fourth and fifth locations for the Tucson-based bakery and café established in 1998 offering some of Tucson's favorite pastries, sandwiches and salads.
- Dunkin Donuts - The airport location will feature the same donuts, coffee and fare found at its traditional locations.
- Hudson Gates Pass Featuring Destination Tucson and Tech On The Go - Similar to the Arroyo Marketplace pre-security, this retail store will have locally-made items, a news and media area, traveler essentials and snacks, with the addition of an area specializing in travel technology and electronics items.
- Pie Five Pizza Co. - A custom pizza concept that works well in an airport environment due to its development of an oven that can cook its pizzas in less than two and a half minutes.
- Sir Veza's Taco Garage - The Tucson-based chain will bring its unique bar setting mixed with modern takes on traditional and street Mexican food, including its own Sonoran-style hot dog, to the airport.
- Tucson Tienditas - Four small retail kiosks selling specialty items: Arizona Sports Zone, which sells locally branded sports gear; Kids Works, selling children's toys and games; Mast, focused on locally made jewelry, leather goods and similar items, and See's Candies.
- The Maverick - The airport location will mimic Tucson's popular western-themed Tanque Verde Road location with a full bar, selected menu items and a stage for periodic live music performances.
Concourse B (Alaska, American and Delta airlines) - Post security
- Beyond Bread - This, along with one in Concourse A, will become the fourth and fifth locations for the Tucson-based bakery and café established in 1998 offering some of Tucson's favorite pastries, sandwiches and salads.
- Bruegger's - This regional chain with a strong presence in the Tucson area will offer its fresh-baked, genuine New York-style bagels, real Vermont cream cheese, sandwiches and custom roasted coffee.
- BUILT Custom Burgers - Serves build-your-own burgers using antibiotic and hormone-free Angus beef, natural turkey or chicken or a homemade vegan patty with a choice of buns and toppings along with fries, soft drinks and shakes.
- El Charro Café - Established in 1922, the oldest continuously run family-owned Mexican food restaurant in the U.S., returns to Tucson International Airport, offering a large array of award winning hand-crafted recipes based on Sonoran and local ingredients. Their motto is "We are not the best because we are the oldest. We are the oldest because we are the best."
- Hudson Fort Lowell Destination Tucson and Arizona Sports - Similar to the Arroyo Marketplace pre-security, this retail store will have locally-made items, a news and media area, traveler essentials, and snacks, with the addition of an area featuring Arizona Sports gear.
- Ink - A bookstore, with additional areas containing gifts, stationery, toys and other items, that will take advantage of Hudson's long history in this retail category. The company will become a sponsor and help in gaining national exposure for the annual Tucson Festival of Books.
- Mission Market - Three retail kiosks in a street market setting selling specialty items: Belkin electronics, Sunglass Icon and Spirit, which will specialize in Native American and Western-themed items.
- Thunder Canyon Brewery - A pioneer in Tucson's craft brewery scene, this third location will have a full bar and brewpub-style food.
Baggage Claim, Lower Level - Pre-security
- Arbuckles' Coffee - With a history that dates back to two brothers in the post-Civil War era, this company was revived in Tucson in 1974. The revival now includes a selection of varietals and roasts as well as Ariosa Blend, which was first made in 1864 and is still known as the Original Cowboy Coffee.
- Avanti Market (Ace Vending) - No matter the time of day or night, this "micro market" will be "open" selling a variety of food and drink items. Using technology, customers scan and pay for their own items. Inventory is constantly monitored and stocked and can be adjusted based on demands and customer preferences.
