SSP makes debut in Doha

Qatar Airways has signed a joint venture with SSP to work with its subsidiary Qatar Duty Free to operate a range of F&B outlets at the new Hamad International Airport, Doha. The project will be SSP’s first business venture in Qatar.

The new outlets will include a number of internationally renowned brands alongside a selection of SSP’s own concepts, in a mix that has been designed to appeal to the airport’s cosmopolitan visitors, of which a large percentage are transit passengers.

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New bar helps Manchester travellers take a weight off their mind

SSP is constantly looking at new ways to make life easier for the travelling consumer, and some innovative ideas at Manchester Airport’s new Grain Loft bar are doing just that.

To ensure the busy traveller can relax, special care has been taken to help them feel in control of their time. Flight information display screens are within easy view of every seat, while a thirteen minute time-guarantee on many items on the menu means those short of time can still enjoy a meal before their flight.
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SSP China’s managing director Li Yang talks about his new role and his plans for the future

While economic expansion in China may have slowed last year to its lowest level in more than a decade, there is no doubt that with the rate only just short of 8%, the country is enjoying growth that most other economies can only dream of. SSP, as any other international organisation of global significance, has long been excited by the potential that the region represents.

The appointment of Li Yang to head up SSP China is taking SSP’s formidable Asia Pacific team to the next level.

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SSP America spices it up with local flavours

Once a rarity in the US, independent and local restaurants are now top of the wish list of all American airports of standing. Over the next twelve months, SSP will open 80 new outlets across the US, 30 of which are local businesses. SSP’s Pat Murray is a dab hand at introducing stars of a local culinary scene to the complex world of the international airport, and he shared some of the secrets of his success.

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SSP Sweden’s new star attractions

A new chapter in SSP’s Scandinavian success story has begun with the opening of a selection of highly impressive restaurants, bars and cafés in two of the country’s leading airports.

At Göteborg Landvetter Airport, a major refurbishment plan kicked off with the opening of the Scrimshaw Bar. A central objective of the new development was to reflect the relaxed west-coast vibe of the region but in a modern context. The bar serves food from local suppliers, including craft beers from local brewery Dugges öl.

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Stylish new outlets at Roissy Charles De Gaulle

When Aéroports de Paris designed the new boarding satellite S4 at Paris Charles de Gaulle Terminal 2E, their vision was bold. The light and spacious new facility features up-scale design elements, including a waterwall designed by artist Taro Suzuki, wooden patios, trees and plant walls, and a museum displaying artefacts from the leading museums of Paris. Its bars and restaurants are similarly breathtaking. The Caviar House & Prunier Seafood Bar offers customers a taste of luxury before their flight. At the heart of the retail area, the new 36-seater bar serves Caviar House & Prunier’s renowned Balik salmon as well as a range of fine caviars.

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SSP’s team in North America has been keeping busy this autumn.

Plans are steaming ahead to open a raft of new outlets as part of major development projects at Phoenix Sky Harbour, San Diego, JFK and Toronto Pearson airports. And there’s still plenty going on in other parts of the country. Back in the summer, SSP’s much-loved Camden food co. opened its doors to passengers at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston.

The new outlet is a testament to the brand’s ethos of using the freshest possible ingredients, and giving passengers who want to eat healthily plenty from which to choose. More …

Any concession business is only as robust as the partnerships from which it is forged, and SSP’s new partnership with Xi’an Xianyang International Airport is certainly a strong one.

‘We work very closely with the team here at Xi’an at an operational level, as well as at a strategic level,’ says Antonio Persson, head of communication and development at SSP Asia Pacific. ‘We’ve co-operated on a range of initiatives including a series of mystery shopper audits, and we’re now discussing a selection of joint-marketing initiatives for the future.’ SSP runs a range of restaurants and cafés at the airport, offering an enticing blend in which East meets West, and the best of international brands is combined with the traditions of China.

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Successful airport food and beverage means so much more than making sure customers are well looked after today.

It also means thinking about how we will meet their needs in the future.

This starts with providing brands that will still resonate with passengers in three or even five years’ time, as Henrik Andersen, MD of SSP Denmark explains; ‘Our partners at CPH wanted a range of brands that are on trend now, but would also be able to stand the test of time. Scandinavians like to eat healthily, and this preference is likely to be even more important in the future as demand for healthy products continues to grow. However, we don’t need to be obsessive about it and we believe that if you eat well 80% of the time, you can treat yourself for the other 20%.’

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SSP takes bigger slice of American Pie

It’s been just four short years since the company that is now known as SSPAmerica was launched. In that time, its success has been phenomenal. During the last eight months alone, the company has secured a number of significant new slices of business, which will see the opening of 70 new outlets across the country by the end of 2013, with major development projects underway at Phoenix and San Diego (where SSP has recently won significant new contracts), and JFK and Toronto Pearson airports (which are currently undergoing substantial redevelopment).

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