Lambert Airport Restaurant Makeover | St. Louis News | CW11 St. Louis

Lambert Airport Restaurant Makeover

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport has a new $16 million plan to offer more upscale and local food choices, more seats and better services.

May 7, 2008, 7:14 PM CDT

St. Louis — Lambert-St. Louis International Airport has a new $16 million plan to offer more upscale and local food choices, more seats and better services.

The restaurant makeover plan is part of a 7 years, 11 months contract extension with HMSHost approved by the St. Louis Airport Commission Wednesday.

Airport officials said Wednesday that the agreement now awaits final approval by the City of St. Louis.

The new agreement plans to build or renovate about two dozen food and beverage locations at Lambert with the majority of work complete by 2011.

HMSHost will introduce eight new food concepts with an emphasis on adding popular St. Louis food brands.

It also includes a new concept called, Missouri Vineyards, which will emphasize local wines and food.

The plan will also bring Lambert popular brands now at other airports including Brioche Doree, a French bakery and café, Freshens, Baja Fresh and an enhanced Budweiser themed restaurant/bar.

Lambert's pending deal with HMSHost would extend their concession agreement to 2020 with a requirement that it spends $13 million by 2011 and another $3 million spent on refurbishing existing restaurants by 2015.

The news deal provides Lambert flexibility to coordinate new construction and renovation of the food and beverage locations with the Airport Experience Program.

The $105 million renovation plan for the Main Terminal and three concourses begins later this year.

Lambert projects the new choices, additional seats and capacity will bring an additional million dollars in revenue to Lambert in just the first full year of improvements.

The deal reportedly eliminates an exclusivity clause now held by HMSHost with its current contract. The deal would allow Lambert to seek other food and beverage concessionaires for unoccupied spaces at the airport.