The Airport Food Evolution Starts in San Francisco

For decades, airport food has been one of the least memorable parts of globetrotting, practically a form of punishment for even daring to travel in the first place.

And the process of hunting for a healthy and appetizing airport meal has long been a cross between a dreaded chore and an all-out spectacle - as famished travelers circle around and around terminals surveying and sniffing the meager offerings.

Numerous airports across the country, however, have begun to change this dynamic, creating food courts and food offerings that are downright mouthwatering, elevating airport dining to (dare we say it?) an eagerly anticipated experience.

By some accounts, that evolution is most evident at San Francisco International Airport, which stands to reason given the city's own reputation as a foodie's mecca.

One of the firms leading the charge at SFO is BCV Architecture + Interiors, a company that has designed more than one dozen projects at the airport, pioneering the ongoing shift from ho-hum to yum and from fast food franchises to farm-to-flight eateries.

SFO's Napa Farms Market, a chic artisan marketplace mixing high-style architectural design and food that's been chosen to celebrate the best of Northern California's agricultural bounty, is among BCV's marquis projects.

The artisan marketplace concept has been so well-received that it's inspired similar projects at other airports, including Boston's Logan International.

As a firm that has been (and continues to be) integral to the airport food revolution, BCV possesses unique insight regarding the movement and what travelers might expect next.

During a recent interview with TravelPulse, BCV executives shared some of their thoughts.

One of the most visible trends continuing to take shape and already in place at many airports, is the celebration of all things local, says BCV's Marketing Manager Peter Sterling.

"One of the things that we're seeing more and more of nowadays is an enhanced connection to the region," said Sterling. "The identity of the region and its food and culinary culture becomes reflected in the airport environment, which has been very interesting."

The Napa Farms Market project was among the earliest examples of this development. It was deliberately designed to provide local food brands and high-quality food offerings as a gateway to the Bay Area food community. The firm worked on the project, and several others, with leading airport dining operator Tastes on the Fly.

"Tastes on the Fly has been a truly extraordinary client in leading the charge forward in transforming the level of airport food, beverage and retail offerings. Their commitment to quality, both in design and operations, is in our opinion, unparalleled in the industry," said BCV Principal Chris von Eckartsberg.

Since opening, Napa Farms Market has been showered with numerous awards each year and is regularly recognized as one of the signature places to eat at SFO.

Last year, with the help of BCV, the airport opened a second Napa Farms at its International Terminal G. And later this summer the airport will open Mustards Grill, yet another food venue designed to reinvent airport dining.

Mustards Grill will be an outpost of the original Napa Valley restaurant by the same name, which was created by Cindy Pawlcyn, an award-winning cookbook author and trailblazer in the development of wine country cuisine. In Napa Valley, Mustards Grill is a high-end, sit-down experience and the same will hold true at SFO.

"It will really break some barriers in terms of the quality of food," said Sterling. "It's going to be a truly chef-driven restaurant, in an airport."

While SFO may be one of the airports that has been leading the way in offering elevated dining, similar efforts have since begun to appear around the country.

Denver, says Sterling, is the next airport to watch when it comes to the materialization of this trend.

"We're seeing similar things there," said Sterling. "There is a real emphasis on local identity and fresh product and on offering something that stands for the surrounding community and region. The airport itself has become an extension of that community."

The emphasis on all things local has also been taking shape in Boston in recent years. BCV brought the Napa Farms model to Logan Airport and created a showcase for Massachusetts product via Berkshire Farms Market, which opened in 2016. The firm is currently working on a second such offering at the airport.

As a silver lining to all of this elevated eating, providing higher-quality food has also turned out to be good business. In San Francisco it has become a significant revenue generator, said Sterling.

Given all the money to be made, it has also become quite desirable in recent years for high-end food brands to have a footprint in airports.

And as with practically everything these days, the shift to healthier airport dining also has a social media connection. At least by some accounts.

"There is a younger generation focused on food in different ways in terms of the healthy food revolution and Instagram," said BCV Architect Rob Marcalow "People want food that is presentable. Nobody wants to Instagram a Big Mac. They want this curated quality and the attractive architecture surrounding the food, all of which kind of creates this moment that can be captured on film or short video."

Yet another silver lining of social media-healthier, more glamorous food everywhere we go.

Whatever the cause, the local, healthy food trend appears to be here to stay and more importantly will continue to evolve in ever more intriguing and colorful ways, making the culinary experience for travelers everywhere, less of a chore and more of valued part of the travel experience.

"I think it will be fascinating to see how different airports continue to leverage the best of the surrounding community and region," said Sterling. "It's going to be an important thing that you will continue to see airports focus on."

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