New food and beverage outlets under construction at EIA

Edmonton International Airport (EIA) introduces food and beverage choices with the addition of four new food outlets and renovations to three existing restaurants.

Two new Starbucks, a new Mountain Lodge Bar and Grill and the recently opened Tim Hortons in the North Terminal passenger lounge will add to the choices consumers have at EIA. As well, Sbarro Restaurant is under renovation, Montana’s Front Porch is being expanded and Jasper Mountain Eatery and Breworks will undergo significant renovations and be split into two separate restaurants to become Jasper Lounge and Grill.

“EIA is Canada’s fastest-growing major airport and our concession partner, HMSHost, has delivered a food and beverage program that ensures our services meet our customers’ expectations,” said Reg Milley, president and CEO, Edmonton Airports. “We are particularly pleased to offer new services in the U.S. passenger lounge as we welcome the remarkable rise in the number of U.S. non-stop flights over the past several years.”

“It has been great working with the EIA team to create a first-class concessions program for passengers traveling to points in Canada and beyond. These restaurants and brands will clearly make the EIA traveler’s day better,” said Joe Waller, vice president of business development for HMSHost.

The new and improved food and beverage services include:

Tim Hortons – EIA now has two full-service Tim Hortons coffee shops, one on the arrivals level and the newly opened Tim Hortons in the North Terminal passenger lounge.

Sbarro – This Italian-style, quick-service eatery offering pizza, pastas and salads is under renovation to improve the layout and lighting for customers.

Montana’s Front Porch – This restaurant offers fine home-style cooking, including signature appetizers and sandwiches in the Central Hall (post security). A new 28-seat patio and expanded kitchen are under construction. The restaurant is operating throughout most of the addition. Scheduled completion: March 21, 2008. 

Starbucks – Two new outlets with the first location in the U.S. passenger lounge. The second Starbucks is in the South Terminal passenger lounge.  Both locations will feature Starbucks’ famous coffee and grab-and-go food selections. The second location replaces the Sports Scene retail store. Scheduled openings: April 1, 2008.

Mountain Lodge Bar and Grill – A full-service, sit-down restaurant with 125 seats located in the Central Hall (post-security). It will use much of the existing footprint of the current Jasper Mountain Eatery and Breworks, but passengers will access it from the passenger lounge instead of the public departures area. Scheduled opening: May 30, 2008.  

Jasper Lounge and Grill – This 50-seat diner style restaurant in the Central Hall departures area will replace the remaining Jasper Mountain Eatery. It will offer a similar sized menu to Montana’s Front Porch. Scheduled opening: May 30, 2008.
Another full-service restaurant in the U.S. passenger lounge is scheduled to open later this year.

“We will continue to work with HMSHost to deliver the quality and selection of food and beverage options our customers want,” said Milley. “This is especially important as we continue to grow and move from a small regional airport to a mid-size international gateway.”

The new restaurants and expanded food services help set the stage for the CAD$1 billion expansion and the new opportunities for food and beverage services at EIA. The EIA terminal expansion to the south will add 13 new gates, bringing the total to 30 and have the capacity to serve nine million passengers per year.

— Hibah Noor