KANSAS CITY, Mo — Travelers to and from the “Heart of America” will fly out of the new Kansas City International Airport terminal beginning next Tuesday.
Once inside, nearly 50 concessions, 25 of which are locally owned, are ready to cater to travellers’ needs.
“[They] experience it in one place: all the cool and unique things that all the cool people in the city are capable of bringing to the airport,” said Joe Paris, VP of Parisi Coffee.
Parisi Coffee is KC’s largest family-owned coffee company and will be adding a third location within KCI’s new one-stop terminal in just a few days.
Paris says the company bid for a seat in the new terminal in 2019.
“The airport is an extension of our city that we believe in and have invested so much in,” Paris said. “We’re not just doing it for us, we’re doing it for the whole city.”
Vantage Airport Group is managing the airport’s new concessions program and estimates that concession sales will generate $1.5 billion over the next 15 years.
“Our commitment to providing opportunities for local small businesses, including beloved local brands, and engaging minorities at every level of the project will help ensure we deliver a concession program that creates a real sense of place here in Kansas City. , one that I hope travelers and local Kansas citizens alike will embrace,” said Sherrie Medina, marketing and communication director.
KCK-based Poio will also be part of the new lineup as the airport’s only Mexican restaurant.
“We are still in disbelief of what is happening, I am still in shock,” said Carlos Mortera, owner of Poio. “It’s exciting. People can experience Mexican food my way because we’re not traditional.”
