Airport retail is organized through concession agreements, long-term contracts, and operating groups that control multiple units within the same terminal.
Who holds the contract, how space is assigned, and how brands are placed across a given footprint determine what gets built and who operates it.
A small group of Black-owned companies operates within this layer.
Operating Multiple Brands Across a Single Environment
H&H Hospitality is a multi-brand restaurant operator managing more than 20 airport food and beverage locations across the U.S. Its portfolio includes licensed national brands such as Shake Shack, Buffalo Wild Wings, Einstein Bros. Bagels, and Vino Volo.
The customer encounters those brands directly. H&H runs unit-level operations, including staffing, service execution, inventory coordination, and performance across each location.
The model relies on repeatable execution. Menus are fixed, preparation is standardized, and service is aligned with passenger flow tied to flight schedules. Each unit operates within tight spatial limits, with demand concentrated around departure banks and arrival waves. Performance is tracked across the portfolio, with each location contributing to contract outcomes.
Concessions International operates at a different level. The company manages nearly 40 locations across multiple airports, with a portfolio that includes national, regional, and proprietary concepts. Its role extends beyond individual storefronts into how concession environments are structured at the terminal level.
This includes selecting concept mix, placing storefronts based on passenger traffic patterns, and structuring concession agreements over multi-year contract periods. Multiple brands operate within a shared layout, and that layout determines how those units perform together over time.
Airport concessions generate roughly $3 billion annually across U.S. airports. Contract terms typically run five to ten years, with revenue tied to a percentage of sales against minimum annual guarantees. A multi-unit portfolio with 20 or more locations represents a significant contract commitment and a sustained operating relationship with the airport authority.
How Access Is Structured
Entering an airport as a retail or food concept requires access to an awarded concession contract. Space is allocated through competitive bids tied to specific operators or joint venture groups.
The Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) program, administered through the FAA, creates eligibility pathways for minority- and women-owned firms participating in airport concessions. Participation is still determined through contract awards and operator relationships.
Brands are introduced through licensing agreements or operator-controlled portfolios. A national chain may appear in multiple airports under different concessionaires. A local concept may enter through a partnership tied to an approved operator.
Crews Companies participates through airport retail partnerships and joint ventures spanning both retail and food service operations, including concession environments at major airports such as Atlanta and Los Angeles.
Thompson Hospitality enters airport environments through licensed restaurant concepts and operating partnerships tied to larger concession groups, extending its broader restaurant portfolio into airport settings.
Neither company controls an entire terminal portfolio. Both operate within larger contract frameworks, which reflects how many firms enter airport retail through established operator relationships rather than standalone concession control.
What Is Managed Behind the Storefront
From the passenger’s perspective, the interaction is straightforward. A brand is encountered, a product is selected, and a transaction is completed. The operating layer manages the conditions that keep that interaction consistent across locations.
Staffing aligns with departure banks and peak traffic windows. Inventory is managed across multiple units with limited storage capacity.
Compliance with TSA and airport authority requirements is continuous. Operators executing across different brands within the same terminal are running coordinated units inside an environment where timing, access, and throughput are fixed.
From Brand to System
The brands on airport signage are the visible layer. Contracts, layout, and execution determine how those brands are introduced, operated, and sustained within the terminal.
H&H Hospitality and Concessions International represent the most visible share of Black-owned businesses managing multi-unit airport portfolios at scale.
Crews Companies and Thompson Hospitality extend that presence through partnership and joint venture structures. The number of companies operating at this level remains limited, shaping which brands enter the sector, how they are placed, and how they expand across terminals.
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