WACO Aircraft’s New Restaurant Offers American-European Fusion Cuisine

WACO Aircraft Corp has recently undergone a $20 million expansion project at their headquarters in Battle Creek, MI. Included in this transformation is an all-new restaurant which overlooks the airport and is open to the public from the road or ramp. 

Opening Jan. 4, WACO Kitchen provides a unique twist on the "airport restaurant" trend. Menu offerings consist of locally sourced, organic ingredients to provide energetic and nutritious meals freshly prepared by internationally trained chefs. Second-story accommodation provides panoramic views of runway 5L/23R with large observation windows into WACO Aircraft’s production and service facilities. 

For several years, WACO Aircraft has used the phrase “WACO, like taco” to highlight the proper pronunciation of their name. This has inspired the signature dish at their new restaurant: the WACO Taco - consisting of three corn tortilla tacos piled high with crispy chicken, marinated Napa cabbage, homemade mango jalapeno salsa, topped with silk chili drizzle and lime zest crema.

Inspiration of WACO Kitchen stemmed from owner Dieter Morszeck and CEO Sven Lepschy — passionate aviation enthusiasts that are motivated to add value to WACO employees, neighbors and the entire aviation community. Their goal to offer reasonably priced, nutritious meals without sacrificing quality or flavor has been accomplished, and then some. 

“WACO Kitchen is a new platform to raise awareness of our passion for aviation and food,” Lepschy said. “Our guests have an insight to our production and service facility though the kitchen windows and the large open balcony windows.” 

WACO Kitchen’s entire concept was crafted by Switzerland’s Chef Oliver Nyaguy and his family of culinary experts. Genuine hospitality and internationally acclaimed food and beverage service are their forte, all of which are recognized the moment you step into WACO Kitchen. Having worked as holistic medical practitioners for decades, Chef Oliver and his family understand the crucial impact a person’s diet can have on their overall quality of life. With this in mind all protein, produce and dairy products are locally sourced and organic to provide a guilt-free, energetic experience. Taking it one step further, WACO Kitchen operates with a zero foodwaste philosophy and even the take-out containers are compostable. 

“Our shared vision of offering a healthy mix of comfort food and guilt-free options, thus adding value to the community, is the motive that drove this project to fruition” Nyaguy said. 

Six main dishes are available year-round, all of which are accompanied by a seasonal variant at all times. This concept ensures the use of fresh, in-season ingredients while offering a unique variety of options each time you visit. WACO Kitchen was designed to combine Mediterranean flavor with the beautifully rich American culinary culture. It is a wonderful fusion of European heritage with a cool and spontaneous American approach to food. 

WACO Kitchen will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at its launch of business. COVID-19 regulations are being closely monitored and take-out services will be available. The restaurant will later extend its operations through afternoon happy hours, with handcrafted original cocktails, as well as dinner and event service. WACO will also host fly-in events and specials for pilots & passengers, including a free meal with a fuel fill-up. 

“I always say: we have to be different than others,” Dieter Morszeck said. “Being different is good, being different is unique and being different makes us successful - in every way. There is nothing average or equal to WACO Kitchen.”