"With the New Frontier, It Has To Do With Ambience"...

... so says Cheryl Nashir, associate deputy airport director in charge of concessions for San Francisco International, which recently unveiled a renovated Terminal 2. Nashir was a featured speaker at the annual AAAE convention in Atlanta in May; I recently caught up with her again on the phone to discuss how the world of airport concessions and design are changing. The $383 million overhaul includes some 30,793 square feet of retail development, including 12 restaurants, 9 retail stores, and a gourmet marketplace with a wine bar and a spa. As with the new International Terminal opened in 2000, SFO management again opted to manage individual leases internally rather than hand the responsibility over to a master concessionaire. “We prefer to do business locally to the greatest extent possible,” says Nashir. In all there are some 16 leases in T2 and Nashir admits she oversees one of the larger concessions staffs of any U.S. airport. She relates that the goal with T2 was to “create an environment that’s conducive to spending and customer relaxation.” And she asks, “Why can’t the vacation begin at the airport?” That means eliminating the boundaries between the passenger and the facilities – “merge all that space and create a living room environment,” she says. Adding to the local flavor is a Napa Farms gourmet marketplace, which features locally made products and brands. “This was a bit of a gamble,” says Nashir. “The early numbers are showing that it’s very, very well received.” Another is the Mosaic Fine Art and Craft Gallery, the type of specialty store which Nashir says is an important part of a major concessions program today. One reason … such shops generate a higher percentage of revenue per square foot. Nashir says that at SFO, “We draw our inspiration from great airports in Asia and Europe and great hotels anywhere” and adds that there is a correlation between ambience and spending. “What I’m super excited about is this move away from the traditional airport environment to more of a fantastic airport environment. That’s what I want to do – and more of it. And I would think we’ve set a new standard with our T2. The JetBlue terminal in New York [JFK], same thing; very well done.” Thanks for reading. jfi [For more on the changing face of customer service at airports, check out the upcoming airport business webinar, “Tackling the Customer Service Challenge”, July 21. For details, visit our home page at www.airportbusiness.com. ]