PHX Perspective

PHX Has Award Winning Shops and Restaurants

The results are in, and once again Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, has been bestowed with an honor from Airport Revenue News (ARN). ARN, an established industry publication, honors airports and concessions each year in its Best Airport & Concessionaire Awards. ARN gives awards ranging from best concession design to best overall retailer. This year, PHX Sky Harbor, has been awarded in a three-way tie, the Airport with the Best Overall Concessions Program Award in the Large Airport category. Sky Harbor will share this prestigious designation with San Francisco International Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport.

The awards were announced at ARN’s annual Airport Revenue Conference and Exhibition held in mid-March in Houston. The results will be included in ARN’s May issue. An online voting system was used to determine the winners, and all interested industry professionals had the opportunity to place their votes. Through this process in order to maintain fairness, concessionaires voted for airport programs and airport executives voted for concession companies.

Business Development Manager Paula Kucharz, who is in charge of PHX Sky Harbor’s concession program, said that this award really puts Phoenix on the map. “It is a wonderful honor,” Kucharz said. “What it really recognizes is that this concession program is a competitive and viable one.”

In fact, PHX Sky Harbor’s concession program is quite unique in that it has multiple concession companies, programs, and terminals. Kucharz said that having the separate terminals makes it so the concession program in each terminal is a little different and has its own one-of-a-kind characteristics.

Additionally, Kucharz says that the development of the concessions program over the past four years has been due to the unique and creative group that the concessionaires are. They have withstood the changing environment in the aviation industry and the current economic situation.

“We could not have done this without our retail consultants, partners, and our other Aviation division partners including Facilities, Operations, and Design and Construction, among others,” Kucharz said.

PHX Sky Harbor is no stranger to these awards. In 2009, PHX Sky Harbor was awarded the Best Concessions Program Design in the Large Airport Division.

At PHX Sky Harbor, there are a variety of eateries and shops for travelers to choose from. In fact, there are more than 50 stores/concessions. Here are some interesting facts about Sky Harbor’s concession program:

• There are nine Starbucks locations.
• Paradise Bakery, known for its tempting cookies and specialty sandwiches and salads, has a location in each terminal.
• El Bravo Mexican Food located on the D Concourse in Terminal 4 has been recognized for several years in various Phoenix surveys for its tamales.
• The Terminal 4 food court features a variety of options from Asian to Mexican to Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream.
• A Borders Bookstore is located in Terminal 4 pre-security and there are other booksellers located in each terminal. In fact, Desert Books in Terminal 3 often has author book-signings.
• Golfers love PHX Sky Harbor because there are a variety of shops tailored to meeting their golfing needs.
• Unique Arizona souvenirs and items are available for purchase in all terminals.
• Drugs & More in the lobby of Terminal 4 features over-the-counter medicines and health and beauty products for purchase.

Congratulations to the Phoenix Aviation Business and Properties Division, which oversees all the concessions at the Airport, including Assistant Aviation Director Paul Blue, Deputy Aviation Director Tamie Fisher; Business Development Manager, Paula Kucharz and Project Manager, Tom Ramson, and Management Assistant, Esther Pratt.