SSP Group has opened a food court featuring six brands at Helsinki Airport in Finland.
Centrally located, the food court was designed to complement the architectural theme of the terminal and offers a diverse selection of concepts, appealing to the international traveler. Of the six units, three are bespoke brands, created by SSP Finland. Among them is a free-flow restaurant and café, Café Tori, a brand that has been a part of the airport since 2011. Café Tori is open 24 hours a day, offering a menu that includes a selection of Finnish traditional homecooked food, fresh pastries and healthy options.
‘Asian Corner’ brings the experience of food stalls in Asia to the terminal. The menu is full of flavors from across the continent and is changed regularly to reflect current tastes and trends. In Pala Pizza Bar, the dough is rested for 48 hours and baked with fresh toppings. Pizzas are served from a service counter to make sure even the busiest travelers have time to enjoy their meals.
The Food Court also features three established international concepts. Bastard Burgers serves classic New York-style burgers with a Scandinavian touch. Middle Eastern-style Finnish favorite Fafa’s offers filled pitas, mezes and salads with vegetarian and vegan options. For guests seeking caffeine, Finnish chain Robert’s Coffee provides home comforts to Nordic travelers and new experiences to international visitors.
Guests at the Food Court can make their selections via a self-ordering kiosk, which enables quick and easy ordering and payment. In Tori Café & Kitchen customers can use self-checkout tills to pay quickly without having to queue. A communal seating area ensures passengers traveling in groups can each access their own choices of food.
Beyond the food court, SSP has opened a number of other new outlets at the airport. Expanding its retail offering, a third WHSmith opened in February 2023 to provide customers with all their travel essentials, in the non-Schengen area of the airport. The aromas of fresh baking greets customers of Kaffet Bakery, which opened in the arrivals hall in April and invites customers to enjoy a cup of Finnish coffee with freshly baked goods. Pastries and bread are handmade daily at SSP’s airport bakery by professional bakers. Kaffet Bakery is sister café of Kaffet Helsinki, located airside. The company also opened its fourth Starbucks in June 2023 within the departure hall.
A new kitchen extension at The Oak Barrel Irish Pub will enable the team to prepare The Oak Barrel’s hamburgers, fish and chips and classic ‘pub grub’ with a local twist on-site. A new beer wall means the number of draft beers available has doubled. The pub, with its laid-back atmosphere and an extensive menu of beers and whiskies, has long been a favorite meeting place at the airport.
This development forms part of Finnish airport company Finavia’s ‘one roof’ re-development program at Helsinki Airport, which began at the airport in 2014. Elena Heiska, managing director of SSP Finland, said, “These openings are a reflection of the hard work of our team, the efficiency of our operations at the airport, and our long history as a trusted partner at HEL. With particular appeal to the airport’s ever-growing percentage of leisure travelers, the new bars, restaurants and shops will offer something for everyone.”
Nora Immonen, director of commercial business at Helsinki Airport, Finavia, said, “We are excited to further develop the food and beverage selection at the airport together with our long-term partner, SSP. We are positive our passengers will enjoy the new restaurants in the food court at the heart of our airport. The variety of restaurants significantly increases the supply of hot food options and takeaway products at Helsinki Airport.”
To find out more about Helsinki Airport’s latest developments, click here.