Houston City Council has approved the first of 10 new food and beverage (F&B) concession locations at Hobby Airport (HOU) in Texas.
On January 4, 2023, the council gave LaTrelle’s Galley final approval on a F&B concessions contract at HOU. This is the first prime concessions contract for LaTrelle’s Management, a Houston-headquartered company that is part of the FAA’s Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Program (ACDBE). The 10-year agreement is projected to generate as much as US$74m in revenue for Houston Airports. LaTrelle’s Management is expected to transition into the concessions program at Hobby Airport in April 2023. Houston City Council is scheduled to review a second concessions contract for Hobby Airport in the coming months.
The F&B program is expected to create approximately 300 jobs and feature a combination of local Houston flavors and national brands. The local concepts include iconic Houston landmarks Common Bond Bistro and Bakery, Velvet Taco, Pinks Pizza and Dish Society, complemented by national offerings like Wendy’s, Peet’s Coffee, Dunkin’ Donuts and Jersey Mike’s Subs.
Jim Szczesniak, chief operating officer of Houston Airports, commented, “As the first and only 5-Star airport in North America, it’s imperative that Hobby Airport continues to elevate the passenger experience through unique, diverse and delightful culinary options. Because LaTrelle’s is rooted in Houston, I am confident that the variety of local, regional and national concepts will raise the bar on our world-class customer experience while ensuring all of our guests experience the ‘Houston friendly’ hospitality that comes with Hobby Airport being a five-star global service gateway.”
Kenneth James of LaTrelle’s Management Corporation, added, “In 1985, my father’s first airport location was a 
350ft2 [106m2 ] bakery in Hobby Airport. With today’s decision by this City Council, we will now operate over 17,000ft2 [5,181m2 ] of Hobby Airport’s food and beverage locations. What an opportunity. We are a local, family-owned and operated business. This is proof that given the access to compete on equal footing, small companies can execute large responsibilities. This is a privilege and an honor. We are humbled and grateful.”