Hobby Airport unveils new eateries as Pappas Restaurants exits
The operators of Houston's William P. Hobby Airport are moving at a speed and efficiency that most airline executives can only dream of. Seven new dining concepts popped up overnight after Pappas Restaurants moved its operations out of the facility Thursday, per a Houston Airports news release. And an eighth eatery is expected to open next week.
The new restaurants are temporary, although the news release indicates that Pink's Pizza will be a permanent fixture after moving to another location later on. Five existing spots—Chick-fil-A, Buffalo Wild Wings, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Wendy's and Starbucks—will remain open as the new restaurants are added:
Gastrohub Bistro & Bar, pre-security
StrEATt at Gate 2
StrEAT Bar at Gate 4
Latrelle's Mexican Kitchen at Gate 21
Pink's Pizza at Gate 21
Gastrohub at the Gate 41 food court
Pick Up Stix at the Gate 41 food court
Hubcap Bar & Grill at Gate 46
And more long-term options are on their way. While popular Pappas franchises—Pappas BBQ, Pappasito's Cantina and Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen—have disappeared from the airport, 20 new dining and retail concepts are slated to open by late 2024, according to Houston Airports. The slew of new restaurants comes as the result of two 10-year contracts awarded by Houston City Council to concessionaires LaTrelle’s Galley and Areas HOU JV. Per Houston Public Media's Adam Zuvanich, the deals could generate up to $178 million in revenue for Houston Airports. Below is a full list of the upcoming offerings and their expected opening timeframe:
Fat Cat Creamery, fall 2023
Dunkin' Donuts, fall 2023
The Spot, fall 2023
The Spot Bar, fall 2023
Velvet Taco, fall 2023
The Rustic, spring/summer 2024
Jersey Mike's, spring/summer 2024
Pei Wei, spring/summer 2024
Chick-fil-A (new location), spring/summer 2024
Starbucks 1 (new location), spring/summer 2024
Starbucks 2 (new location), spring/summer 2024
Throughgood Bistro, spring/summer 2024
Common Bond Cafe, fall/winter 2024
Yard House, fall/winter 2024
Killen's Barbeque, fall/winter 2024
Spindletap Brewery, fall/winter 2024
Dish Society, winter 2024
Longhorn Steakhouse, winter 2024
Pink's Pizza (new location), winter 2024
Wendy's (updated concept), winter 2024
"The new selection of distinct and fun culinary options will celebrate Houston's mouth-watering and signature flavors," Houston Airports officials said in the news release. "The eclectic mix of local favorites and trusted national brands will strengthen a sense of place within the airport."
However, the journey to update the roster of food options has been riddled with controversy and legal obstacles, according to previous reporting. Representatives of the evicted Pappas Restaurants, which had been the primary food vendor at Hobby for the past two decades, have accused Houston leaders of an unfair contract bidding process and filed a suit in April against the city after losing a bid to Areas, which was also named as a defendant.
The suit alleged that the city failed to follow its own procurement process guidelines, and although Pappas' legal team has twice requested an emergency order to postpone the restaurant group's exit from the airport, they were denied. The drama continued right up to the eleventh hour, when Pappas officials were forced to vacate their space by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, according to KPRC. The Houston news station obtained a statement from Christina Pappas, marketing director for Pappas Restaurants, that claimed that the company wasn't even allowed to take back its own equipment.
"Today, [Houston Airport System] and the City of Houston refused to allow us to vacate our spaces at Hobby Airport. We were working extraordinarily hard to take out all removable equipment when our team was met by the head of airport security and law enforcement who instructed them not to remove equipment that was purchased by Pappas Restaurants," she stated, according to KPRC. "The city is working on behalf of Areas to forcefully acquire expensive equipment without paying. The behavior of the city continues to be disgraceful. Houston deserves better."
In response, Houston's legal team told KPRC that the disagreement came down to a misunderstanding. "The contractual arrangement between the city and Pappas allows Pappas to take away 'removable' fixtures at the end of the contract period, and Pappas is and has been free to do so. However, Pappas is also seeking to dismantle and take away other key fixtures, such as three-compartment sinks, that are bolted or otherwise 'permanently' affixed to Hobby Airport. Such removals are contractually impermissible, cause damage to the airport facilities and would inevitably cause customer service disruptions as the airport switches vendors. Pappas has been repeatedly reminded of its contractual obligation to leave these 'permanent' fixtures in place and those reminders have been ignored. The city will continue to comply with its contractual obligations to ensure a smooth transition as the Areas takes over space formerly operated by Pappas.”
Per Zuvanich of Houston Public Media, the case will have another court hearing on June 6, when a judge will consider motions by the city and Areas to dismiss the case.
Source: Chron
