{"id":7462,"date":"2017-07-12T17:01:17","date_gmt":"2017-07-12T21:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.atl.com\/?p=7462"},"modified":"2017-07-12T17:22:55","modified_gmt":"2017-07-12T21:22:55","slug":"hartsfield-jackson-celebrates-1-billion-sales-milestone-in-concessions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.atl.com\/atl\/hartsfield-jackson-celebrates-1-billion-sales-milestone-in-concessions\/","title":{"rendered":"Hartsfield-Jackson celebrates $1 billion sales milestone in concessions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hartsfield-Jackson celebrates $1 billion in concessions sales July 11 with an array of food and gifts from more than a dozen retailers. Photo courtesy of Atlanta Business Chronicle.<\/p><\/div>\n

By Anika Robertson
\nSenior Editor\/Assistant Public Relations Manager<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n

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The concessions program at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) hit an unprecedented peak in 2016, topping $1 billion in gross sales in a calendar year. ATL leaders, joined by Airport concessionaires, announced the milestone with food and fanfare July 11 .<\/p>\n

Airport Assistant General Manager of Commercial Development and Business Ventures Cortez Carter said the $1 billion achievement \u2013 which includes revenue from the Rental Car Center \u2013 speaks to the quality of ATL\u2019s commercial venues and the sheer volume of passengers traveling through.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery few airports in the world can boast that accomplishment,\u201d Carter said. \u201cIt shows that beyond being a hub airport and an international airport, we are also a major hub for very successful concessionaires who operate at Hartsfield-Jackson.\u201d<\/p>\n

The concessions program, recently rebranded as ATL Skypointe, consists of more than 300 dining retail and service locations.<\/p>\n

Concessions Director Chilly Ewing recognized ATL\u2019s primary customers: the traveling public.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>We also want to thank our passengers, 104 million a year and counting,\u201d Ewing said. \u201cBecause of you, our concessions program is one of the best in the aviation industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event at the Domestic Terminal featured more than a dozen restaurant brands serving food samples. Restaurants included Chick-fil-A, TGI Fridays, Fresh To Order, Sweet Georgia\u2019s Juke Joint and Savannah\u2019s Candy Kitchen.<\/p>\n

Daniel Halpern, CEO of Atlanta Restaurant Partners, said it is a \u201cgreat honor\u201d to contribute to ATL\u2019s billion-dollar milestone.<\/p>\n

\u201cATL Skypointe represents the collaboration with us as business owners and entrepreneurs and the [Department of Aviation],\u201d said Halpern, who operates restaurants including TGI Fridays and Charleys Philly Steaks.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us, that point was no better illustrated than when we collaborated with concessions management and developed One Flew South eight years ago,\u201d he said. \u201cOne Flew South has created a whole industry now in the airport dining space.\u201d<\/p>\n

Randy Hazelton, co-founder of H&H Hospitality, said opening a business in Hartsfield-Jackson was a \u201cgame changer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo go and say that we operate in the Atlanta Airport changes the conversation,\u201d said Hazelton, who has been operating in ATL since 2012 with eateries such as FLY Burger and Little Azio Pizza & Pasta.<\/p>\n

Opportunities for aspiring ATL concessionaires are right around the corner. Later this month, Hartsfield-Jackson plans to issue Requests for Proposals for more than 80 new retail venues.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe often say here at Hartsfield-Jackson that change is in the air,\u201d Carter said. \u201cAs you can see, and will see \u2026 change is a positive thing for us and represents an upward trajectory that we believe will carry us for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

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