Revamping the ‘gateway to the community’: Inside changes at Jacksonville International (Courtesy of the Jacksonville Business Journal) — Visitors to Jacksonville International Airport will soon see a collection of new retailers throughout the facility – a move by the airport to meet changing desires by travelers and help introduce them to the city the moment their flight lands.
After more than four years of planning, expansion and modernization projects will be taking over Jacksonville International Airport, bringing more food options, mostly from local vendors. Retail is out and restaurants are in, according to the new plan, which will see six new stops for travelers — several of which will bring local flair.
“Airports are often referred to as the ‘gateway to the community’ because they are the first and last impression you have of a city,” said Jacksonville Aviation Authority Properties Manager Jeff Taylor. “Rather than just being a transportation facility, we want to try to incorporate some experiences that will enhance their travel experience coming through Jacksonville.”
The new operations reflect a shift for the airport, changing the mix of what is offered and looking to give visitors a sense of the city before they step foot into the Florida sun.
“We wanted some of the things that most of America have never heard of,” said JAA CEO Mark VanLoh. “And we want them to know they’re in Jacksonville when they land, when they go by a Southern Grounds or a Burrito Gallery or, of course, everybody now knows Firehouse Subs, but most people don’t know they started here.”
FLYER FEEDBACK
The impetus for the changes come from several directions, including two major construction projects taking place at the airport.
There’s also a strategic change: Passengers want fewer grab-and-go offerings and more variety in the sit-down restaurants at the airport – a point driven home by a survey the Aviation Authority did shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
“We were told that our balance was a little bit not normal with the heavy news and gift [instead of restaurants],” VanLoh said. So, he decided it was time for a change, and the multi-year process began by looking into customer wants, concessionaire options, and putting a bid out for a company to run the transition.
Following passenger feedback from roughly 600 responses to a survey sent in 2019 from the airport to its 5,000 or so frequent parker program members, as well as social media feedback, customer comment cards, and Airport Service Quality surveys, the airport found travelers want a more food-focused mix of both national and local brands.
“We want to introduce more local and regional concepts that are trusted brands here in Jacksonville, local favorites, to try to meet that demand,” Taylor said.
CONSTRUCTION TAKES OFF
The next three or so years will be marked by major construction projects at Jacksonville International.
Not only is the localization effort taking place, but an entirely new concourse, Concourse B, is on its way alongside expansion of the security checkpoint area.
Concourse B is expected to be completed in 2025, with construction beginning next summer, while the upgraded and expanded security checkpoint project is expected to finish by November 2023 with its construction starting in early December.
The security checkpoint project will take over the food court operation, eliminating Burger King, The Great American Bagel and Sam Snead’s to allow room for new screening technology. The new tech already exists in one lane at the airport, nearly doubling the number of passengers that can make it through TSA in a single hour. Once expanded, there will be three total machines with that updated capacity, but no more food options for travelers in the area.
That’s where the new Southern Grounds comes into play, with the pre-security store — which will go where the Starbucks is now, as well as taking over the space where the Made in Jax and airport art gallery are located — providing a range of products.
“The airport is seeking for the remaining coffee location to expand its service offerings by adding an all-day menu, bakery products, and full-service bar, which is why Southern Grounds is the right fit because it will serve all of our traveler’s needs,” said Taylor.
That location, slated to open by next summer, will be one of three at the airport for the local brand.
Southern Grounds opened its first airport location in January, located in Concourse A, and has outperformed Concourse C’s Starbucks from a sales perspective, Taylor said. In May 2022, the most recent month of gross revenue activity, the Southern Grounds on Concourse A reported $13,000 more in sales than the Concourse C Starbucks’s $133,000.
INDUSTRY SHIFT
The changes coming to Jacksonville International are in line with shifts taking place in the industry, said Tyler Pitman, vice president of HMSHost, the company running the airport’s retail operation.
“I think the pendulum, you know, once upon a time swung pretty hard to retail and, you know, a very large retail footprint and development of retail,” said Pitman.
But now, he notes, there’s a big emphasis on traveler needs for food and beverage locations instead. Specifically, he notes, liquor and alcohol sales are a peak want for consumers in airports.
“I think it’s ultimately about the experience and the passengers behaving differently now,” Pitman said.
Passengers are arriving earlier to their flights, and with free WiFi throughout the airport, are often looking for somewhere to either work or relax.
“Airports try to provide what their travelers are asking for,” said Alan Gluck, senior aviation commercial planner at consulting firm ICF. “If people come early, while many will stay seated in their gate room, many will seek an ‘amusement’ which usually is in the form of an eating or dining experience.”
The addition of these amenities may also be coming due to a change in the types of travelers as well, according to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University professor Blaise Waguespack. The changes in generation/age of travelers, reason for travel, and more, matter a lot to the type of non-flight revenue the airport is able to bring in. But, at the same time, the airport has to pay attention to what those travelers want as they’re shifting desires.
“You’ve got that extra time that you’re kind of sitting there saying ‘yeah, I came early, but I got through security, everything looks good on my flight. Now it’s time to go have breakfast or lunch,“ said Waguespack.
TAKING CONTROL
Those different expectations are spurring the new mix of shops post-security, with most of the changes slated to be in place by next summer.
In Concourse A, a BurgerFi will replace Brooks Brothers, a Truly Bar is coming to where the Brighton store stands, Burrito Gallery will open where Ciao Gourmet now operates and Southern Grounds will take over a vacant space. Concourse C will see Firehouse Subs replace The Local — which, like Ciao Gourmet, is the type of grab-and-go operation that has fallen out of favor.
Instead, travelers are turning to things like order-ahead options, self-ordering kiosks and QR codes.
“It’s really about providing guests an efficient experience and allows them to take more control of their journey,” said Pitman.
In the JAA survey, 64% of frequent travelers would use the option of using tablets or kiosks to avoid lines, and 52.3% said they would consider using pre-order or order in advance methods at the airport.
While such technologies are common in restaurants, airports have tended to be a bit behind the curve in advancement or keeping up with trends.
“Airports are slow adopters but there is a definite move towards beefing up food service (pun intended) concessions,” Gluck said. “While airports are starting to use technology, most airports are still in the early stages of their transition, especially in the area of concessions.”
More changes, of course, are on the way.
Concourse B, a $300 million project including six new gates and two ground board positions for smaller planes, will also open up space for additional food choices as well as flight options expected to be open to travelers around Q3 of 2025.
That concourse will include a new food hall that will feature both local and national brands, Taylor said.
The goal: More technology, more efficiency and giving visitors an inside look to the city before they even step foot into it.
Photo courtesy of Jacksonville International Airport