Travelers at Sacramento International Airport to get new restaurants in dining overhaul

Sacramento International Airport officials plan farm-to-folk options, Asian eateries and more budget friendly choices as part of a remake of the airport’s concession program.

The aim is to offer airport passengers more fresh food choices that take advantage of the produce grown in the Sacramento region, said Stephen Clark, deputy director of commercial development at Sacramento International Airport.

He also wants to cater to the region’s growing Asian population, while not forgetting travelers on a budget.

The remake won’t happen immediately, most current restaurant leases don’t expire until October 2024, but it is one component of a multi-year $1.3 billion renovation of the airport.

Other aspects of the project include a new pedestrian walkway at Terminal B, additional gates, a new parking garage, a new rental car center and a new center for ground transport and passenger pickup.

Potential of SMF travelers as diners

Airport officials have reached out to 300 restaurants and vendors in a seven county area, including as far as Redding, Grass Valley and Modesto, in an effort to interest food operators to submit bids to operate at the airport. The efforts included a meeting in late May at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Sacramento attracted by more than 125 potential operators.

“When people come to our community, the airport is the first place they see,” Clark said. “And the last place when they leave. So if you’re a brand or you’re a restaurant or you’re a butcher or whatever in this region and you want to get your products in front of millions and millions of people, there’s no better place than the airport to do that.”

The food remake comes as travelers are returning to the airport in large numbers as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes from people’s minds. Last year more than 12 million passengers arrived and departed at Sacramento International Airport, around 90% of pre-pandemic numbers.

“We’re going to eclipse that (number) this year provided the world stays on the rails,” Clark said.

Clark said there will be spaces for 18 eateries in both airport terminals totaling 35,000 square feet. He said a request for bids will be issued on July 7 with bids likely due 90 days after that.

He said leases expire in Terminal A in April 2024 and several months later in October in the larger Terminal B. He anticipates the concession renovation program should take 15 months.

He said renovations will be staggered to ensure that there are food options available during construction. Clark said restaurants under construction could initially offer a food cart to allow airline passengers to sample what is to come.

What’s different about Sacramento airport restaurant plans?

The last refresh of the concession program at Sacramento International took place in 2011 at the then newly opened Terminal B and in 2014 at Terminal A.

Airport officials put an emphasis at the time on bringing some familiar Sacramento restaurant names to the terminals, like The Iron Horse Tavern, Squeeze Burger and Esquire Grill.

Clark said those restaurants, which are in partnership with airport restaurant groups, can rebid for new contracts as can other existing eateries.

Several restaurant spaces are also available now, such as Paesanos in Terminal A, which closed permanently during the pandemic.

Traditionally, companies like Host Marriott Corp., specializing in airport restaurant concessions, have dominated food operations at airports including Sacramento International Airport. The companies sign-up local restaurants to operate at the airport, and give them royalties, but actually run the operation.

What is unique about the Sacramento International outreach is the airport is inviting local restaurants to operate their business at the airport directly without a middleman.

Clark said what is missing from the current airport lineup is farm-to-folk restaurants that highlight the fresh fruit and vegetables grown in the Sacramento region.

While the airport doesn’t intend to mandate that restaurants use local produce, he said that doing so would be a positive for the region.

“If you can source ingredients from local farmers and create jobs, we want that flywheel of economic development to turn for our region as much as possible,” he said.

Clark said he also wants Asian restaurants in the new airport mix of restaurants.

“Ten years ago the Asian population here in the Sacramento region was growing, but it wasn’t nearly as large as it is today,” he said. “And we don’t have we don’t have anything for the Asian palate.”

Budget food options

Clark also wants food for every price point for travelers. He said food items at Sacramento International and other airports across the U.S. all seem to end up costing $20-$25, not an amount everyone wants to spend.

“There are very few options for the budget traveler,” he said.

Clark said airport officials want all restaurants to offer value-minded options.

“We want you to have the $25 sandwiches if it makes sense, or the $18 pizza,” he said. “But we also want to see if we can create a small budget pocket, a small piece within each menu.”

He said a family flying out of Sacramento International to go see grandma or to go to a Disney theme park can’t currently find a value item like chicken nuggets and french fries.