LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PUTS THE “L.A. BACK INTO LAX” WITH 60 NEW DINING AND SHOPPING OPTIONS OPENING THIS YEAR

(Los Angeles, California – April 9, 2012)  Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will open 60 new dining and shopping options in Terminals 4, 5, 7 and 8 throughout 2012, the first phase in a three-year program to completely revitalize the airport’s concessions program and part of the overall LAneXt™ modernization program. Based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the food-beverage and retail concessions focus on putting “the L.A. back into LAX” by reflecting the best of Los Angeles diverse cuisine, culture and lifestyle. 

            Appropriate for the airport that serves Hollywood, Kitson LA -- the trendy boutique frequented by today’s hottest celebrities who are often photographed by paparazzi shopping there -- opened April 2 in Terminal 7 (United Airlines).  The offerings at Kitson range from trendy, inexpensive items to high-end clothing and accessories photographed on celebrities passing through LAX, the most popular airport in the world for celebrity watching.                  

            The first food-and-beverage concessions to open soon will be Skewers by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto in Terminal 5 (Delta Airlines) and Wolfgang Puck Express in Terminal 7. 

            Other concessions set to open this year are (by terminal):

?         Terminal 4 (American Airlines):  Campanile (Chef Mark Peel); Cole’s (“Originators of the French Dip”); 8oz. Burger Bar (Chef Govind Armstrong); L.A. Gourmet Street Truck; La Provence Patisserie & Café; Real Food Daily (vegan); Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza; Homegirl Café & Catering; See’s Candies; Starbucks; Hudson News; Hollywood Style; Hollywood Bling; Sunglass Hut; Hudson Booksellers; Kids Corner; Vroman’s Bookstore; Papyrus; and Entertainment Newsstand.  

?         Terminal 5 (Delta Air Lines):  In addition to Skewers by Morimoto described above, Ford’s Filling Station (Chef Ben Ford gastropub); ¡Lotería! Grill (Chef Jimmy Shaw); Lemonade (seasonal California comfort food); XpresSpa; See’s Candies; Los Angeles Times; Rock ‘N Brews Concert Bar; Ripcurl; The Mattel Experience; I Love L.A.; Magic Johnson Sports; and a Farmer’s Market featuring Monsieur Marcel gourmet market, T & Y Bakery, Magee’s House of Nuts, Light My Fire spices, Ultimate Candy Company, Bennett’s Ice Cream, Three Dog Bakery; and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® (two locations).

?         Terminal 7 (United Airlines):  In addition to Wolfgang Puck Express and Kitson described above, ¡Lotería! Grill (Chef Jimmy Shaw); The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® (two locations); Seven Grand and BLD (two concepts by Chef Neal Fraser); The Counter (“Custom Built Burgers”); Yogurtland; Klatch Koffee; Bartels’ B Grill by BOA Steakhouse; Hudson News; Hudson Booksellers; That’s so LA; Boss by Hugo Boss; NBC Universal; and CNN Newsstand.

?         Terminal 8 (United Airlines):  Engine Co. No. 28 (classic American menu); Corona Bar; People News; E! News: Carl’s Jr.; The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®; and Marmalade Café.    

            Phase 2 of the LAX concessions revitalization program began last January with the award to Westfield Concession Management, LLC, of a 17-year Terminal Commercial Manager Concessions Agreement to develop, lease and manage food-and-beverage, retail, specialty retail and certain other passenger services at LAX. The agreement requires Westfield and its concessionaires (which have not yet been announced) to invest no less than $81.9 million in initial improvements and $16.4 million in mid-term refurbishments to four facilities:  the existing Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) with 30+ airlines, New TBIT currently under construction, Terminal 2 (LAX’s second busiest international terminal with 15 air carriers), and the airport’s iconic Theme Building, which houses a destination restaurant and a cafeteria.  These new concepts will open beginning Spring 2013 through 2014.

           Proposals were recently received to operate LAX’s duty-free stores and the selection of the 10-year contract awardee is expected in the coming months.  A second Terminal Concession Manager also is being sought to develop and operate food-and-beverage and retail concessions in Terminal 1 (AirTran Airways, Southwest Airlines and USAirways), Terminal 3 (Jet Blue, Spirit Airlines, Virgin America and Virgin Australia) and Terminal 6 (Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, Copa/Panama and Horizon Air).   These concessions also are expected to open within the next two years.

  About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

            LAX is the sixth busiest airport in the world and third in the United States, offering more than 600 daily flights to 91 domestic cities and more than 1,000 weekly nonstop flights to 56 cities in 32 countries on nearly 75 air carriers.  It ranks 13th in the world in air cargo tonnage processed.  In 2011, LAX served more than 61 million passengers, processed over 1.8 million tons of air cargo valued at nearly $80 billion, and handled 603,912 aircraft operations (landings and takeoffs).  LAX is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.