The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and JFK Millennium Partners (JMP) have selected Avolta companies Hudson and Dufry, as well as 12 local businesses to operate concessions in the new US$4.2bn Terminal 6 at JFK International Airport, set to open in early 2026.
Hudson and Dufry will open numerous duty-free, travel convenience and specialty retail stores over more than 2,600m2 of reimagined space, comprising the 1,690m2 Union Square East Shopping duty-free store and the 929m2 travel convenience and specialty retail area.
Union Square East Shopping
Drawing inspiration from New York City’s Union Square, Dufry will develop a large duty-free store divided into four distinct areas: The Liquor Library, The Green Market, The Pavilion and the Theater of Dreams.
Inspired by New York’s libraries, The Liquor Library will present a curated selection of fine wines and spirits. Brands like Glenfiddich and Manhattan’s own Great Jones Distilling Co. will represent a fusion of classic tastes and local craftsmanship. Travelers will be invited to taste and learn about the rarest spirits in a replica Prohibition-era speakeasy.
The Green Market will be designed to offer travelers a slice of New York City life, featuring the city’s artisanal goods. Much like the city, The Green Market will be a constantly evolving space, so passengers can enjoy a fresh and engaging experience each time they visit.
A celebration of international beauty and skincare, The Pavilion will showcase a selection of premium brands in a space reminiscent of the architecture of Union Square’s North Plaza. In the Theater of Dreams, travelers can browse fragrances in a zone inspired by Union Square’s Daryl Roth Theatre.
Dufry will operate its duty-free stores as a joint venture, JFK T6 Duty-Free Concessionaires JV, with five Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) partners: veteran ACDBE partner Kellee Communications Group and four local ACDBEs, Tsion Cafe, Samantha Alexis Consulting, Neir’s Tavern, and Baked Cravings.
Travel convenience store space
Hudson will open nearly 1,000m2 of travel convenience and specialty retail that provides travelers with a mix of essentials and New York products from local brands, bringing a sense of place to the terminal. The brands featured will include Chelsea Outpost, City Square Supply, Skyline Central and Astor & Lenox.
The Chelsea Outpost concept will echo the design of the Chelsea Market along The High Line, offering a curated selection of goods ranging from travel essentials and news items to local products, including aromatherapy blends from Madison + Green and artisan crafts from Likhâ.
Taking inspiration from the gourmet grocers and delis throughout Union Square, the City Square Supply by Hudson concept will reportedly embrace this community feel and feature local and sustainably crafted products from Calhoun & Co. New York and Hola! I’m Back.
Inspired by Midtown and its famous skyscrapers, Skyline Central by Hudson will offer exclusive accessories, gadgets and mementos, paired with grab-and-go options from New York favorites such as Bessou and Baked Cravings.
Recreating the marketplaces of Bryant Park, Astor & Lenox by Hudson is a nod to the New York Public Library’s long history. The 465m2 space will offer a range of premium lifestyle brands, tech essentials, books, local sports apparel and memorabilia, travel convenience staples and local products like Lesjolie and Wonderen Stroopwafels.
Hudson will operate its travel convenience and specialty retail stores as a joint venture, HG JFK T6 Retail JV, with three ACDBE partners: veteran ACDBE partner Kellee Communications Group, and two local ACDBEs, The Nourish Spot and Sullivan Hernandez Group.
“From the outset, we challenged prospective bidders to think outside the box and be creative about how T6 will redefine the standard for duty-free in North America,” said Sammy Patel, vice president of commercial at Vantage Group. “Through our collaborative process with the port authority, Avolta and our team, we’ve developed an ambitious retail offer that is captivating, dynamic and immersive. Guests can look forward to a mixture of global brands as well as iconic local businesses that together will create a true sense of place that is unique to New York and Queens.”
“We are proud to partner with Hudson and Dufry to launch a world-class retail experience that reflects the dazzling display of offerings that New York City and Queens are known for,” said Steve Thody, CEO of JFK Millennium Partners. “Our selection features internationally renowned brands while driving real economic opportunities in our community for generations to come.”
12 local concessions businesses
Alongside these offerings, local and diverse businesses such as Di Fara Pizza, Alidoro Café, Fuku, Hanoi House and Brooklyn Blend have been chosen to provide an authentic taste of New York. Additionally, several Queens business owners will co-manage and own parts of the Terminal 6 retail program as joint-venture partners.
The port authority and the airport’s private terminal developers and operators, including JMP, are working closely with the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council to ensure that this investment generates economic and educational opportunities for the communities surrounding the airport.
The council, which is led by US Representative Gregory W Meeks and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr, has prioritized participation by minority- and women-owned business enterprises in the overall JFK redevelopment project. To date, that effort has set a New York state record of US$2.3bn in contract awards to MWBE firms.
PANYNJ, JMP and the advisory council have engaged in a variety of initiatives to expand and increase participation by local, diverse and disadvantaged businesses in the airport’s concessions program, one of which is the Institute of Concessions (IOC). Launched in 2023, the IOC is a training and mentoring program designed to equip local and diverse businesses with the skills and competencies to compete for and successfully operate at the world-class JFK Airport.
To date, more than 25 local businesses have completed training through the IOC. Additionally, the port authority and the JFK terminal developers, including JMP, have engaged in extensive community outreach to recruit local and diverse businesses for concessions opportunities at the airport, in partnership with local elected officials and community partners.
“We welcome the dozen local business owners joining us at Terminal 6, where travelers will enjoy authentic products and dining experiences that represent the best of what our region has to offer,” said Kevin O’Toole, chairman of the port authority. “Not only are we elevating the customer experience but we are leveraging our historic investment in our airports to create generational wealth for these diverse and local business owners.”
“From the outset of the US$19bn transformation of JFK International Airport, our goal has been to create an airport that is among the best in the world, with a customer experience that is world-class,” said Rick Cotton, executive director of the port authority. “By incorporating diverse, high-quality local businesses alongside national brands at JFK’s terminals, we are creating a unique New York sense of place that will hugely enhance travelers’ airport experience, while generating real and significant economic opportunities for communities neighboring the airport.”
“We are honored to collaborate with a diverse and dynamic group of small businesses and local brands to launch our Terminal 6 concessions program,” said Thody. “Many of these businesses connected with us for the first time at one of our numerous community outreach events last summer, illustrating the success of our efforts to ensure JFK’s surrounding community benefits economically from Terminal 6’s redevelopment. By helping diverse business owners create generational wealth and advance local economic prosperity, we aim to make a lasting positive impact on the community. We look forward to continuing our community outreach this fall as we launch the next phase of our concessions procurement, which will have a central focus on attracting additional local retail partners.”
The new Terminal 6 concessions program is expected to achieve more than 35% participation from companies certified as airport concessions disadvantaged business enterprises (ACDBE) under federal guidelines. The port authority has mandated a minimum of 30% ACDBE participation for the Terminal 6 concessions program.
In related news, PANYNJ recently released an animated rendering of Terminal 6 from terminal frontage to gate, ahead of the opening of the US$4.2bn building in 2026. Click here to read the full story.