Here are PIT's new restaurants and retailers
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Shake Shack will soon take over the spot where McDonald's used to be at the Pittsburgh International Airport. Photo: Courtesy of Pittsburgh International Airport
The Pittsburgh International Airport is getting over a dozen new restaurants, cafes and retailers.
Why it matters: The airport is due for a massive makeover, thanks to a $1.5 billion upgrade slated to be completed later this year, and concessions are a big part of the changes.
🥤 Zoom in: The popular burger chain Shake Shack is coming to the airport, and legendary Squirrel Hill pizzeria Mineo's is expanding into the terminal.
- Other food additions are: Bad Egg breakfast bar, Wexford-based Café Conmigo, Camden Food Market, local coffee chain Convive Coffee, Jimmy John's, Mi Casa Cantina restaurant, Sambazon Acai Bowls, and Stack + Press Delicatessen.
- New retailers are: MAC cosmetics, Pittsburgh-focused sports apparel store Champion City Sports, and Duquesne Supply Co., a gift shop focused on local artisans.
Zoom out: Many existing retailers and restaurants are getting upgrades and remodels.
- Chick-fil-A expanded its menu following an upgrade.
Between the lines: PIT's original 1992 design mostly accommodated retail, back when serving full meals was more customary on flights, said airport spokesperson Bob Kerlik.
- 80% of the passengers back then were connecting to other flights, leaving less demand for sit-down restaurants and cozy cafes.
- Now, over 95% of PIT's passengers are beginning or ending their journey there, and they arrive 110 minutes before departure on average, according to Kerlik.
☕️ What they're saying: Derek Davis, owner of Café Conmigo, tells Axios he is excited to be one of the first local, specialized coffee shops in the airport.
- Cafe Conmigo's two airport locations — one pre-security and another post-security — are designed to integrate nature and serenity into their spaces.
- "Coffee shops are such a community hub. I feel like the airport is the same in that aspect," he said. "We want to encourage people to slow down."
Fun fact: 30% of the airport's passengers depart before 7:30am.
- Kerlick said this made adding more breakfast and coffee offerings important.
Yes, but: McDonald's and its popular and quick breakfast options recently vacated the airport after their agreement ended this year.
- New vendors like Shake Shack and Convive Coffee will offer breakfast options, as do existing restaurants Marathon Diner and Dunkin, said Kerlik.
💭 Ryan's thought bubble: Real yinzers remember a time when the airport was essentially a mall that even non-passengers were allowed to access just to go shopping. Those days are long gone.
What's next: The new concessions will start to open in early spring and should all open by summer, said Kerlik.