Port Authority and JFKIAT, Operator of John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4, Announce New Lineup of Signature Local Brands to Create a Unique New York Sense of Place

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and JFKIAT, the operator of John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4 (T4), today announced a new line up of food and beverage concessions that will include an attractive mix of local and national brands that will create a unique New York sense of place at the recently expanded terminal. Notable local brands that will enliven the passenger experience include Bessou, Dos Toros Taqueria, Boqueria, Eataly, the James Beard Foundation’s Good To Go by JBF™, and Villa Russo Café, a Queens-based family operated business. 

The selection of these iconic and premium brands was curated following a competitive process that awarded HMSHost, a global leader in travel dining, the contract to oversee their operations at Terminal 4. Additionally, HMSHost formed joint-venture partnerships with seven local and diverse airport concessions disadvantaged business enterprise (ACDBE)-certified businesses selected following an extensive community outreach led by HMSHost. As the operator of T4, JFKIAT’s objectives in these innovative partnerships was to foster a mentorship program in which local and diverse business owners would have the opportunity to learn how to operate an airport concession from a global travel retail operator, while offering passengers an attractive selection of local culinary experiences. 

“From the outset, our goal in building a new JFK International Airport has been to create a world-class passenger experience that will include a mix of exceptional local food and beverage brands alongside notable national brands,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “Terminal 4’s lineup of appealing, iconic local brands will help to create a travel experience that is unique to New York.”  

“Locally owned, iconic food and beverage concessions at JFK’s Terminal 4 are an important part of our effort to create the world class experience that travelers expect at the nation’s premier international airport,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole.  “Passengers traveling through JFK International will get to experience the tastes of our region from the moment they arrive until the moment they depart.”  

“The transformation of T4 and JFK Airport has given us a new opportunity to work with local businesses and provide gateways for meaningful local investment,” said JFKIAT Chief Executive Officer Roel Huinink. “I am looking forward to the arrival of our new local partners at T4, and I am pleased that we will be able to offer our customers even more authentic New York flavors and experiences.” 

“In a city so renowned for its culinary scene as New York, JFK has evolved into a dining destination in itself,” said Steve Johnson, president and CEO of Avolta, North America. “We embraced the opportunity to partner with JFKIAT, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and our joint-venture partners to be a part of the evolution of JFK and make the journey as exciting as the destination for travelers passing through Terminal 4. These new food and beverage offerings will more than double our presence at JFK, which we are tremendously proud of.” 

New York Dining and Beverage Brands Coming to Terminal 4: 

• Bessou, a Manhattan-based James Beard Foundation alumni offering unique Japanese comfort food; 

• Fieldtrip, a Harlem-based restaurant that connects global cuisines through rice; 

• Boqueria, a sophisticated tapas bar steeped in traditional Spanish flavors; 

• Eataly Restaurant & Bar with its gourmet marketplace that embodies classic Italian gastronomy; 

• Brooklyn Tea & Market, a Brooklyn-based tea shop that marries old-world appreciation for tea with next-generation global innovation;  

• Dos Toros Taqueria, an authentic Mexican cuisine concept; 

• Chopt, a popular salad destination that originated in Manhattan; 

• Villa Russo Café, a Queens-based second-generation family business that brings Italian-American tradition to its cuisine, and a graduate of the Port Authority’s Institute of Concessions. 

• HMSHost will also evolve its partnership with the James Beard Foundation (JBF) to bring the foundation’s Good To Go by JBF™ fast-casual concept, which will debut in Terminal 4 with a menu by the women behind New York’s popular Due Madri. 

Local, diverse, and disadvantaged businesses taking part in the concessions program hail from the New York City boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. Collectively, these businesses will have a 30 percent equity stake in a joint-venture with HMSHost. Together, these collaborations, initiated through community outreach programs, will fulfill the ACDBE participation goal.  

Local and ACDBE Businesses Selected as Joint-Venture Partners to HMSHost: 

• Tamalito Inc. from Manhattan (ACDBE-certification pending) 

• Neat Rules Hospitality Group LLC from Brooklyn, N.Y. 

• Sugar Hill Creamery from Harlem, N.Y. (ACDBE-certification pending) 

• Kintaro Foods LLC from Manhattan, N.Y. 

• Kismet Cocktails Inc. from Queens, N.Y. 

• Corlis Stone-Littles LLC from Texas 

• Fresco’s Cantina from Queens, N.Y. 

Joint-venture partnerships with HMSHost will provide a unique opportunity for the redevelopment of T4 to benefit local and diverse business owners who will be directly involved in the management of the restaurants, learning about the complexities of airport operations and bolstering their chances of successfully competing for and operating their own airport concessions in the future. As part of this initiative, JFKIAT will ensure local business participation and input into the assortment of offerings, supply, and fit out of these new retail and food and beverage locations. 

Creating opportunities for local and diverse businesses to create airport concessions that will be appealing to travelers has been at the forefront of the Port Authority’s $19 billion redevelopment of JFK, which includes the $1.5 billion modernization and expansion of T4 by JFKIAT and Delta Air Lines. Working with the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council, led by U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., the Port Authority launched the Institute of Concessions in 2023 to prepare local businesses for the unique requirements of competing for and operating a business inside and airline terminal. To date, 45 businesses have completed the program, including the owners of Villa Russo Café, one of the new dining concessions that will be an equity partner with HMSHost at T4. 

“The landmark redevelopment project at JFK International Airport serves as a launchpad for opportunities for many local and diverse dining businesses in our community,” said U.S. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks. “The modernization of Terminal 4 also provides travelers with a world-class experience, all while enjoying a taste of Queens when headed to their destinations.” 

“I'm thrilled that so many businesses based in Queens and throughout New York City will be offering delicious food and beverages at JFK's Terminal 4," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.  "These locally based concessionaires will have menus with a true New York flavor that will be hugely satisfying to international travelers. These concession opportunities will also give a big boost the local economy and create incredible job opportunities for Queens residents. Thanks to partnerships with local businesses like these, the new JFK International Airport will be a first-class transportation facility that will provide innumerable well-deserved benefits to its neighboring community.” 

“JFK Airport is a gateway to the world, and it should reflect the culture, diversity, and entrepreneurial spirit of New York. This expansion of Terminal 4’s concessions program is an important step in ensuring that our small businesses and local entrepreneurs have a role in the future of this airport,” said New York state Sen. Leroy Comrie. “By bringing in businesses from our communities, especially those owned by people of color, women, and local families. We are building an airport that truly represents the heart of New York City. I look forward to seeing these businesses thrive and serve millions of travelers with the unique flavors and experiences that make our city great.” 

“The transformation of JFK Airport is not just about modernization — it’s about ensuring that our local communities benefit from these investments,” said New York state Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman. “I’m thrilled to see Terminal 4 embracing local, minority-owned businesses and iconic New York dining options that reflect the diversity and vibrancy of our city. The inclusion of Queens-based businesses, like Villa Russo Café, in this expansion highlights the real economic opportunities being created for our small business owners. I look forward to seeing these new partnerships thrive and further strengthen JFK’s connection to the community it serves.” 

“The T4 concession program is transforming into an emerging leader for opportunity and top fine dining at the terminal,” said New York state Assembly Member Clyde Vanel. “We thank Port Authority and JFKIAT for their commitment to prioritizing local businesses to take part in this opportunity.” 

“The expansion of locally based food and beverage concessions at JFK’s Terminal 4 is a win for both travelers and our community," said New York City Council Member Dr. Nantasha Williams. "By bringing in iconic brands like Villa Russo Café — a beloved Queens-based family business — and fostering partnerships with diverse ACDBE-certified businesses, the Port Authority and JFKIAT are creating meaningful opportunities for small business owners while celebrating the rich culinary culture of our city. This initiative not only enhances the airport experience but also strengthens our local economy by ensuring that New York’s diversity is reflected in one of the world’s busiest travel hubs.” 

“The Queens Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to see Queens-based businesses like Villa Russo Café, Kismet Cocktails, and Fresco’s Cantina playing a key role in the ongoing transformation of JFK International Airport,” said Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “Their inclusion in the concessions lineup highlights the incredible talent, diversity, and entrepreneurial spirit that define our borough. By creating opportunities for local minority-owned businesses to thrive on a global stage, this project strengthens our economy while giving travelers a true taste of Queens.” 

“Congratulations to the businesses chosen to provide a taste of New York to the world as it passes through Terminal 4,” said Justin Rodgers, president & CEO of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation and co-chair of the JFK Business Development Committee Advisory Council. “This is an exciting moment for these small businesses. We are confident they will be mentored well in this completely new business environment and will thrive at the new Terminal 4.” 

“As the historic transformation of JFK International Airport progresses, we are pleased by the announcement by the PANYNJ and JFKIAT that several local food and beverage businesses will participate as both concessionaires and joint venture partners at Terminal 4,” said Kevin Alexander, president & CEO of the Rockaway Development & Revitalization Corporation and career & workforce committee co-chair of the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council. “The only way these opportunities happen are by a commitment from all the partners – the Port Authority and its Institute of Concessions, JFKIAT, HMSHost, JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council co-chairs U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks and Donovan Richards Jr., and the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council for creating a pathway to making this a reality.” 

The JFK concessions program has been a fantastic way to introduce local businesses to audiences they never dreamed possible,” said Michael Gillen, technology and communications director of Made in Queens at the Queens Economic Development Corporation. “We're especially proud of all of our Made in Queens businesses who have worked with JFK, including QNSY. We look forward to continuing to have a successful relationship, thereby bringing the world the best Queens has to offer.” 

JFKIAT is the operator of the largest terminal at JFK and has leveraged its innovative expertise in air terminal operations at T4 for more than 20 years. As a Queens-based business itself, JFKIAT has a long history of supporting the community around the airport, from facilitating local business owners’ participation in a street market program at T4, to providing resources to local non-profits and educational institutions through its 4GOOD program. Approximately 45 percent of JFKIAT’s project spend for its share of the transformation of T4 has gone to MWBE companies, totaling $34 million thus far. 

This curated collection of local experiences will also further strengthen T4’s well-established New York-centric identity. The terminal is also home to the T4 Arts & Culture program, established to support the local community and providing enriching experiences for travelers that epitomize New York City.  

Redeveloping JFK Airport in Lockstep with the Local Community 
In 2018, the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council was formed. It is co-chaired by U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, and is composed of elected officials, community boards, business and nonprofit organizations, civic organizations, and clergy leaders from the targeted local communities of southeast Queens, southwest Queens, the Rockaways and western portions of Nassau County. 

Since its inception, the council has been working with the Port Authority to expand community outreach efforts and develop community-focused programs, ensuring that this ambitious project solicits ongoing feedback from local stakeholders and provides meaningful opportunities for local businesses, MWBEs, students and jobseekers. This includes programming to advance the Port Authority’s commitment to a 30 percent MWBE contracting goal in all categories of work, and a special focus on opportunities for local businesses across all aspects of the JFK redevelopment program, including terminal projects, which will be built by union labor under a full project-labor agreement. Other community development initiatives prioritized by the council focus on job opportunities and workforce development programs for residents, small business outreach and development, and educational programming for local students. 

Transforming JFK Into a World-Class Global Gateway   
In January 2017, the JFK Vision Plan was announced to transform JFK into the world-class airport that New Yorkers deserve. The plan provides a strategic framework for the Port Authority and its partners to completely redevelop, modify and expand existing facilities and infrastructure. The $9.5 billion development of a state-of-the-art New Terminal One that will anchor the airport’s south side broke ground in September 2022. A new $4.2 billion Terminal 6, which will connect seamlessly with Terminal 5 to create an anchor terminal on the airport’s north side, broke ground in February 2022 and celebrated a steel topping out ceremony in October 2024. The first local and diverse concession partners for Terminal 6 was announced in July 2024. The $1.5 billion expansion of Terminal 4, led by Delta Air Lines and JFK International Air Terminal (JFKIAT), is substantially complete. Additionally, the $400 million expansion of Terminal 8, led by American Airlines, which operates the terminal, was completed in November 2022, and its first contingent of local and diverse concession partners was announced in September 2024. 

All of the privately financed terminal projects combined with the Port Authority's roadway, parking and infrastructure projects represent a $19 billion transformation of JFK and an extraordinary series of public-private partnerships. The Port Authority’s capital investment of $3.9 billion is leveraging private investment at a rate of nearly four to one when taking into account the full private investment of more than $15 billion that has been committed to the four projects comprising the full redevelopment of JFK.   

For more information on John F. Kennedy International Airport, visit JFKAirport.com.