The Legacy Continues

Serving Excellence Since 1979

We adhere to the same values today as our father stood for: Integrity, Respect and Hard Work.


Our Story

You might think growing up as one of Herman J. Russell's children would guarantee a path to success. Herman J. Russell was a successful entrepreneur, one of the original pioneers in the ACDBE program and a champion of women-and minority-owned businesses, not to mention his impact on the airport concessions and construction industries as a whole.

However, the Russell children were given no special breaks. They were raised to understand the value of hard work, integrity and respect for all people—values that are the foundation of the companies Herman J. Russell founded, Concessions International, LLC in 1979, and H. J. Russell & Company in 1952.

We lived in a middle-class neighborhood, but none of us understood who our dad was in the community, nor did we have perspective of how our family was viewed until we were older.

President and CEO, Donata Russell Ross continues to further her father's legacy, and she believes those same values are what will propel CI into the future as she mentors the next generation, including her niece Mori Russell, pictured here, and her son Zane Major who runs the operations for Paschal's Northside and Starbucks in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta.

Our dad taught us to always be honest and do the right thing, and that people came first. We were raised to believe that if something needs to be done, you do it.

He cared about people and it shaped the company's past and we work hard to protect his lessons and legacy. The integrity he lived every day is a great gift he gave us.

Herman J. Russell's commitment to excellence will forever guide us as we continue to build upon his legacy. His rules of success in business serve as guiding principles for all who work within his legacy companies — be honest, work hard, equip yourself for the job and control the growth of the company.

"Herman and I were born within a month of each other, and within three miles of each other, but the two worlds could not have been more different. Everything I was born into was designed to make sure I succeeded; everything he was born into was designed to be sure he did not succeed. And Herman, in his lifetime, overcame all of that."

See the award-winning documentary about our founder, Herman J. Russell, Sr.



Watch Documentary

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We remain fresh in our approach and innovative in the ways we look at running our business. In the unique and fast-paced airport environment in which we operate, we continuously look for innovative ways to improve our operations and guest experiences. We always strive to set ourselves apart from the competition and lead the way, mixing proven techniques and guest services practices and innovative new approaches to delivering excellence.

Dedicated to Making Ordinary Airport Service Extraordinary

We provide training to our team members intended to create a superior guest experience. This training is what has helped CI retain its employees. The training focuses on the unique elements common to business practices within the airport food and beverage industry. They receive new hire orientation and on-boarding along with position-specific training for their job function during the first two weeks of employment.

We deploy industry-leading technology without losing the personal touch. From menu QR codes to being able to have guests pay at the table, the technology we choose improves our efficiencies in the back of the house in an effort enhance our customer-facing experiences in this unique, fast-paced environment.

Our in-house design team focuses on creating fresh, inviting new looks with great functionality. From aesthetics and traffic flow to environmental sustainability in mind, we consider every detail to ensure that not only the service and experience is exceptional, but that the space is especially welcoming.

At CI, we believe being responsible business citizens means being responsible to the environment we share with the rest of the world, including our employees, partners and traveling passengers. Here are a few sustainability elements we focus on when opening or renovating a concept

Water Conservation

Not only to save money, but to preserve this precious resource, through water efficient fixtures and fittings, pre-rinse valves, ice makers and dishwashers.

Recycling

Incorporate systems to reduce, reuse, recycling waste to energy.

Energy

Reduce energy demand through processes related to energy usage and efficiency. Encourage efficient practices without sacrificing quality of service to our customers through lighting by using low energy heat lighting, HVAC by using variable speed kitchen fans for exhaust, decreased process load requirements through ENERGY STAR kitchen equipment, computers and POS systems.

Materials

Build with materials that are safe for our employees and guests and have recycled content of at least 10-20%, thereby reducing impacts resulting from extraction and processing of virgin materials.

Impact

Purchase building materials and products that are extracted and manufactured within the region in which we build, thereby supporting the use of indigenous resources and reducing the environmental impacts resulting from transportation.

greening-atl

CI was awarded the GreeningATL “Footprint and Community Impact Award” for being a leader in cutting down on emissions in the local Atlanta area for our operation at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport by subsidizing the purchase of their transit cards, which encourages transit use and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.