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AIRPORT AMENITIES REVIEW August/September 2014 airportbusiness 23 PASSENGERS want a sense of place when they arrive at the airport," says Cheryl Nashir, manager of revenue development for San Francisco International Airport's award-winning concessions and retail program. San Francisco is well known for its culinary traditions, which Nashir says makes it incredibly important for the airport's concessions program, which received the Richard A. Griesbach Award of Excellence in the 2013 ACI-NA Concessions Awards, to infuse local flavor into its offerings. To that end, the airport's food offerings include, the Lark Creek Grill, a local restaurant that uses only locally grown and sourced produce, meats and seafood; Fraiche, an area café known for its homemade, organic yogurts; and The Plant Café Organic, a noted restaurant offering organ- ic produce, free-range organic poultry and sus- tainable seafood. "It is our goal to do as much business locally as we can, which makes it easy to fill our terminals with local food and bever- age purveyors," she says. "The public loves that and wants to know where they are and what they offer." She adds that today's meal offerings need to include healthy choices, and the airport makes a point of making sure these options are readily available too. While once upon a time, restaurants offering healthy choices didn't fare as well in the concessions food chain, Nashir says this is no longer the case. "Plant Café Organic's sales are close to the Mexican restaurant's sales," she says. "Five or more years ago, the healthy concept in a concessions pro- gram would have lagged far behind the others; that is no longer the case." Known worldwide as the City by the Bay or simply San Fran, the city, that 1 million people call home, is also a world-class tourist destina- tion. In fact, 60 percent of the 45 million pas- sengers the airport serves annually, are visitors, Nashir says. Because of this, souvenir items, duty-free shops and locally made products are also prime attractions for this airport's concessions and retail program. McEvoy Ranch olive oil, artisan soaps and body products fly off the shelves. A store called, Collection, which houses a collec- tion of locally produced art and jewelry, is also a hot spot. Other shops house luxury shopping brands, which the airport has found are partic- ularly attractive to its passenger demographic. Getting the right mix of fine dining and fast food, high-end to low-end retail offerings, and local versus national brands is a real balancing act, one that San Francisco navigates easily by keeping a close eye on passenger demograph- ics and historical data, and performing regular passenger surveys. "We use all of this data to determine how we devote square footage to a particular use," she says. Nashir adds she also looks to international airports for inspiration. These airports, she says, offer services and other options passengers typ- ically haven't experienced at a U.S. airport—yet. "Rooftop gardens, great seating areas, beautiful spaces, new and innovative services; these are all things we have yet to explore," she says. "Airports have to focus on how we can make our guests feel special while they are here. The more we can elicit a really calm feeling in a beautiful environment, the greater spending we will see." She says this bears out in San Francisco, where the airport's revamped Terminal 2 has seen a boost in spending since the new space opened in 2012. The new area offers passen- gers a lounge-like atmosphere and access to Bay Area concessions and retail. "There is a great feeling to this space," she says. "It's serene, fresh and modern, and I think that lends itself to greater spending." Local Flavor The concessions and retail program at San Francisco International Airport gives passengers a sense of place "Airports have to focus on how we can make our guests feel special while they are here. The more we can elicit a really calm feeling in a beautful environment, the greater spending we will see." CHERYL NASHIR, MANAGER OF REVENUE DEVELOPMENT, SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT By Ronnie L. Garrett "