Negocios Now

www.negociosnow.com Octubre 2023 19 E conomic activity at Chicago's airports conti- nues to increase as more and more travelers take to the skies at pre-pandemic levels. At Midway International Airport, with its focus on the domestic leisure travel market, the post- pandemic travel recovery is already complete. Through July 2023, passenger numbers at the South Side airport sit at 106% compared to the same period in 2019. "The pandemic recovery at Midway is complete, and we couldn't be more thrilled to welcome locals, tourists, and business travelers to Chicago's original hometown airport," says Mayor Brandon Johnson. The recovery undersco- res the need for Midway to have well-equipped, modern concessions that can make the airport a more attractive travel option for passengers. The recovery also presents diverse Chicago businesses of all sizes with excellent oppor- tunities to service passengers coming through the airport, growing their brands and bottom lines in the process. More than a dozen retail, food, and beverage brands will have been opened or re-opened by the close of 2023 as part of the Midway Modernization Pro- gram (MMP), the airport's lar- gest capital investment in more than two decades. Mayor Johnson and Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee are committed to ensuring diver- sity and inclusion in business opportunities at Chicago's air- ports. At 56%, Midway has one of the nation's highest Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) rates for minority participation. "With passenger volu- mes at Midway surging abo- ve pre-pandemic levels, it's more important than ever to enhance the airport's passen- ger experience through these concessions improvements while providing thousands of jobs and contracting oppor- tunities for local and diver- se-owned businesses," says Commissioner Rhee. Since the MMP launched in 2018, the airport's total concessions area has almost doubled to more than 70,000 square feet. The centerpiece of this capital improvement program was the expansion of the security pavilion brid- ge over South Cicero Avenue, which opened in 2020. This project increased the queuing area by 80,000 square feet, doubling the TSA's capacity to process passengers from 2,500 to 5,000 per hour. "The construction work underway in our concessions spaces is a long time coming, as many of our partners origi- nally scheduled for buildouts in the spring and summer of 2020 were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic," said CDA Mana- ging Deputy Commissioner Elizabeth Granados-Perez, who oversees Midway. "We thank Midway Partnership and our diverse ownership groups for their perseverance during these challenging few years." The work at Midway comes as the CDA continues to advan- ce O'Hare 21, a terminal redeve- lopment program that will res- hape the curb-to-gate experien- ce at the world's second-busiest airport, including dozens of new concessions opportunities. For more information on doing business at Chicago's airports, and to sign up for email updates from the CDA when new bids are released, visit FlyChicago.com/business. New Concessions Locations at Midway International Airport Emphasize Diverse Ownership Teams " Minority- owned businesses are an integral part of Midway Airport and the vibrant cuisines that reflect the vast cultural diversity found in Chicago." Robert Aguilar Managing Member, Cielo Concessions LLC Retail brands that will come online in Fall 2023 include the following: n Hudson n Evolve n Tumi n MAC/Jo Malone n Southside News n Atrium Food and beverage brands planned for the revamped Midway operation include: n Garrett Popcorn Shops n Connie's Pizza n America's Dog and Burger n White Sox Bar and Grill n M Burger n Beecher's Handmade Cheese n Dunkin' n Reilly's Daughter

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