Concessions International
  • Home
  • About
    • Values & Mission
    • History
    • Management Team
    • Our Affiliates
    • Blog
    • Chef Spotlight
    • CI Video Gallery
  • Locations
  • Community
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Logo
  • 566 Wells Street SW Atlanta, GA 30312
  • contactus@cintl.com

Food For Thought

April 14, 2023

CINTL, LLC Led the Formation of SEA’s Food Partners to create the Company’s Largest Single Location

  • By CINTL
  • Uncategorized
  • 0 comments

SEATTLE/ATLANTA (April 13, 2023) – Seattle Food Partners (a partnership between Atlanta-based Concessions International, LLC (CI), Grove Bay Hospitality, and Seattle-based Well-Buttered Bread, LLC, which is run by Kate Kingen, the daughter of the founders of the award-winning Salty’s family of restaurants) has opened CI’s single largest airport dining location with the introduction of Salty’s at the SEA and BrewTop Social in the Central Terminal at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The combined 11,647-square-foot concession (inclusive of storage) is located in the highest grossing airport location per square foot in any U.S. airport – SEA’s Central Terminal. These concepts are the largest CI has built of their 40 locations in the eight airports where they have a presence. CI’s relationship with SEA dates back to the early 1980’s as an ACDBE partner and grew to a multi-national prime concessionaire in the mid 1990s. Over the years, CI has operated various food and beverage concessions in several locations throughout the airport.

With the recent completion of the extensive renovation of SEA’s Central Terminal, guests have full access to an elevated dining experience at Salty’s at the SEA, a seafood and steak restaurant with a regional oyster bar and full-service cocktail and sports bar. Awarded for over 40 years for its Pacific Northwest coastal cuisine, regional wines and beers, Salty’s at the SEA was created as an oasis for travelers with exceptional views and warm hospitality. Located above Salty’s at the SEA is BrewTop Social, the country’s first beer and wine garden concept in a U.S. airport, provides a fun and relaxing environment, featuring 16 regional beer taps, and stunning, unobstructed views of the Central Terminal’s atrium and entertainment stage as well as the mountains and runway. Although both are separate concepts offering different dining experiences, they were developed and are managed and operated by Seattle Food Partners, ensuring consistent food and service quality.

Salty’s at the SEA and BrewTop Social are SEA’s Central Terminal’s marquee restaurants. With SEA’s creation of the new mezzanine level, Seattle Food Partners was able to place BrewTop Social above Salty’s, making the dining footprint in this flagship location twice as large. Designed aesthetically to evoke their local waterfront restaurants, Salty’s at the SEA offers an elevated dining experience in service and decor, while BrewTop Social offers a neighborhood wine and beer garden vibe for a more casual experience. Both locations provide direct access to some of the best views at the airport with the Central Terminal’s 350-foot wide, signature floor-to-ceiling window wall as a backdrop to both spaces. While dining and drinking, guests can enjoy sunrise to sunset scenic views of the Olympic Mountain range, watch planes take off and land just yards away, and pass time enjoying entertainment on the Central Terminal’s portable stage.

“It’s often said every project has a story, no matter how small or large, but the magnitude of the Salty’s/BrewTop Social project, married with the societal and economic challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, made for an extraordinary development and construction experience at SEA,” said Donata Russell Ross, CI’s president and CEO and majority partner with Seattle Food Partners. “It really did take a village to show up (nearly 80 people and more than 40 different companies) to keep the project on track, and it would have never been completed without the dedication, patience, persistence and teamwork exhibited by all involved. We knew it was a project we needed to accomplish, and we all had the common vision and navigated obstacles from day to day to see it to fruition.”

From being awarded the project in late 2018 to seeing it come to life with the grand opening of the remodeled Central Terminal at SEA in April of 2023, the project has a story to tell. Throughout the design and buildout phases, Seattle Food Partners and the airport had to overcome staffing issues related to COVID-19 restrictions including site closures and decontamination, supply chain challenges that also resulted in cost adjustments, permit office closures, and funding suspensions. In addition to all of these factors, the contents and structure had to meet all necessary fire and safety codes and standards, along with being built to meet seismic conditions in case of an earthquake.

“Collectively, CI has always been a really great partner, and with this project we were impressed with the locally inspired brand and concept they came to us with that not only celebrates Pacific Northwest cuisine and beer, but also gives our guests an exceptional and unique elevated casual dining experience,” said Khalia Moore, Senior Manager, Airport Dining and Retail, Port of Seattle. “It took a lot of energy, input, effort and dedication to the very end from everyone involved, and we couldn’t be prouder of the final result we are able to deliver for SEA and our traveling guests.”

If guests want to go to the airport to just dine, the SEA Visitor Pass program, one of the few airports in the country to allow non-traveler access, gives up to 100 non-traveling visitors per day a chance to enjoy the Central Terminal that is just past TSA’s security check.

FEATURES OF SALTY’S AT THE SEA

  • Offers extensive Pacific Northwest cuisine for breakfast, lunch/dinner, and has a kids menu
  • Offers a regional oyster and raw seafood bar with live oyster shucking and seafood towers
  • Offers a massive triangular quartzite bar with sports TVs that is a central hub of the space, featuring a sommelier designed menu of Pacific Northwest wines, beer, and cocktails (including a zero-proof section)
  • 57-square-foot, 6K high-resolution digital display showing 30-minute waterfront videos from sunrise, sunset, to moonrise (known as the “The Window to Salty’s World-Famous Waterfronts”)
  • 180-degree unobstructed views of the mountain range and the runway.
  • The patio against the window wall gives the illusion of being outdoors
  • Goal of delivering a 30-minute order-to-check closeout in the fast-paced airport environment
  • Access to numerous outlets and USB ports for charging devices
  • Smart seating, tall enough to allow roller bags to store easily under bar seats
  • LEED Certified, with large portions of the establishment built with locally sourced ashwood and lighting efficiencies inclusive of LED lights
  • Salty’s Grab-and-Go area offers fast favorites from the menus

“When we initially met with the CI team, we couldn’t believe how synergistic our companies were – from our shared values and vision, being family-owned, and having a fierce dedication to exceptional hospitality, and it didn’t hurt that we shared the same appreciation for quality Pacific Northwest cuisine,” said Kate Kingen. “As partners, they have been able to understand and embody in their team our motto: A happy guest is our success. We could not have asked for a better partner to dodge curveballs with and to bring to life our collective vision of delivering on Salty’s brand standards and providing one of the most elevated casual dining experiences in an airport that also has the most spectacular views.”

FEATURES OF LEED CERTIFIED BREWTOP SOCIAL

  • Offers a robust breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, kids menu and a simplified late-night fare menu
  • Elevated indoor beer and wine garden in a park like setting with trees
  • A brew hut houses the bar
  • Offers a sense of place that feels like a traditional beer garden, with overhead string lighting
  • 16 beer taps, many selections locally sourced from the Pacific Northwest to bring local flavor
  • Offers a flight that pairs different appetizers with local and regional brews
  • Several of the cocktails at BrewTop Social incorporate the local and regional beer/cider offerings – examples include a “Beer’s Knees” cocktail using Alaskan Pilsner, an Amber Apple featuring Seattle Cider Co and an IPA Mojito with Black Raven Trickster IPA
  • Glass railing for clear sightlines from an elevated view of the terminal, stage and runway
  • Priority Pass eligible, allowing guests to save a percentage off of each check

Between Salty’s (137) and BrewTop Social (57), Seattle Food Partners has hired and trained nearly 200 area team members.

MEDIA: Photos of Salty’s can be found here, and BrewTop Social here. Photo Credit: Port of Seattle.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Betsy Helgager Hughes, BLH Consulting, Inc. for Seattle Food Partners 404-771-9793; betsy@blhconsulting.net

  • Category:
  • Uncategorized

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.*

Recent Posts

  • Concessions International, LLC Achieves Official LEED Certification Status
  • CINTL, LLC Led the Formation of SEA’s Food Partners to create the Company’s Largest Single Location
  • Building Atlanta: The Story of Herman J. Russell” Documentary Premiers on ATL PBA
  • Concessions International Bringing Salty’s to Sea-Tac for Taste of the Region Event
  • Freshens and ConcessionsInternational Bring Healthy Dining to Denver International Airport

Recent Comments

No comments to show.

Archives

  • December 2023
  • April 2023
  • February 2020
  • October 2019
  • July 2019
  • January 2019
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • April 2016

Categories

  • Europe Permit
  • Uncategorized

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • Values & Mission
  • Management Team
  • Contact Us
  • Join Our Team

(©) 2021 Concessions International. All Rights Reserved. | Designed By: Vette Marketing & BLH Consulting, Inc.

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

Partner With Us

Loading

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.