Paradies Lagardère Opens Several Retail and Dining Concepts at Austin–Bergstrom International Airport

Paradies Lagardère opened three new concepts in Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS).

Barton Springs, located near Gate 5 in Barbara Jordan Terminal, will provide travelers with basics such as newspapers, magazines, snacks, and bottled beverages, along with delicious Ruta Maya coffee.

Departure Lounge will offer travelers a relaxing space to have a drink and a bite to eat before catching a flight, including breakfast, lunch and dinner options. Berry Austin will offer fresh smoothies, shakes, and frozen yogurt that are delicious and “uniquely Austin.” Both are located near Gate 9 in Barbara Jordan Terminal.

These new concepts are among several new offerings Paradies Lagardère will open in AUS in 2018, including Hut’s Hamburgers and Salvation Pizza. Second Bar + Kitchen’s airport location opened in Fall 2017, and has been wildly popular with travelers.

“Paradies Lagardère tailors brands to entice travelers in a variety of ways, including bringing the familiar quality, taste and atmosphere of a favorite local dining spot into an airport,” said Cassie Nelson, vice president of Operations, Food and Beverage, Paradies Lagardère. “With Ruta Maya and Berry Austin, we’re not only offering fast, delicious treats such as coffee and frozen yogurt, but we’re providing visitors a bit of what makes Austin special. Departure Lounge will offer a relaxing space for travelers to grab a drink and maybe something to eat. Paradies Lagardère delivers the very best solutions – a favorite local concept or a highly-desirable international brand – that exceeds expectations for our airport partners and travelers.”

“There’s no better place for our brand to expand in Austin than at ABIA,” said Departure Lounge founder Keith Waldon. “Our clients are Austin’s most passionate travelers, and we are thrilled that they’ll have a familiar place at the airport to grab a great bite or beverage, while enjoying video virtual getaways to some of the best hotels, resorts, lodges and cruise ships on the planet that all offer Departure Lounge travel clients special upgrades and amenities. This is our first step in a state-wide expansion, that will include our next non-airport location in San Antonio (The Dominion) later this year.”

“We are very excited to be able to provide healthy and delicious snacks for our Austin neighbors and visitors to our city as they visit Austin Bergstrom International Airport,” says Kathy Steele, founder of Berry Austin. “We hope our unique style of smoothies, acai bowls, parfaits, and frozen yogurt will accompany people away from town, and welcome them back, with ongoing, happy thoughts of Austin.”

Ruta Maya is an Austin-based coffee company that imports 100 percent organic Arabica coffee beans shade-grown by a cooperative of farmers in Chiapas, Mexico. Ruta Maya boasts a product line that includes certified organic coffee in medium, dark, and espresso roasts. The company’s guiding principle is “Oportunidades para las Americas,” (Opportunities for the Americas).

Departure Lounge is an upscale travel respite that will offer drinks and snacks for busy travelers at the airport. Visitors to the West Lake Hills Departure Lounge location have access to outstanding organic coffees, small-batch boutique wines, artisan chocolates and cheeses, gourmet sandwiches and veggie wraps, and delicious desserts, as well as travel advisors. The travel advisors work with customers to design and reserve the ideal vacation, including complimentary upgrades, special amenities and VIP treatment accessed through Departure Lounge’s exclusive membership in the Virtuoso luxury travel network.

Berry Austin began in 2008, when Kathy Steele while visiting her father in California discovered that frozen yogurt with live/active cultures and healthy probiotics was a healthy treat they both thoroughly enjoyed. Upon returning home, she discovered there was no truly healthy frozen yogurt to be found in Austin. Kathy combined her background in art, passion for recycling, love of everything Austin, and new addiction to frozen yogurt, to open her first Berry Austin in 2009. With requests from customers to expand, the second Berry Austin opened in the heart of downtown Austin in 2011, next door to ANOTHER AUSTIN ORIGINAL, Second Bar + Kitchen’s (SBK’s) first restaurant. Just like its products, it’s “totally natural” that Berry Austin’s third location is opening one gate away from SBK at Austin Bergstrom Airport, in the summer of 2018. Visit http://berryaustin.com/.