COLUMBIA, S.C. — If you’re headed on a trip through the Columbia airport, you might notice some exciting changes. Four new restaurants are now open for travelers to grab a quick bite to eat before their flights.
“I was very impressed to see Dunkin, I was like when did they do this?” Bettina Walker said.
Walker has been traveling through the Columbia Airport for over 20 years. Tuesday, her airport experience was a bit different.
“To see the expansion of actual real restaurants is amazing. Today I got some Jimmy Johns, so it's just really cool and just to see how Columbia is embracing different cultures and difference businesses as well.”
CAE, along with Carolina Concessions, opened four new restaurants Tuesday. They say this has been a long time coming.
“The next time our passengers are flying out they’ll be able to enjoy Samuel Adams Brew House, Jimmy Johns, and Dunkin as part of the new concepts that are here. In addition to these three here, on the air side by the gates there is also a new concept called the Friendly Caterer to go which is in the main lobby,” Vice President of Marketing and Air Service Development Kim Crafton, said.
Crafton says the demand for national brands from passengers has been high.
“Since the start of the businesses here, we have seen substantial sales and growth and this is only due to the refreshed brands that are coming in here and these national concepts coming in,” she said.
Carolina Concessions made sure to keep a taste of the south with the BBQ Pit.
“You cannot travel in the South and not have BBQ and fried chicken, you can’t do that. The BBQ Pit has been with us since we started at the airport so we know it works. People look for southern cuisine just like now people look for local beer, they look for local flavor, they look for local and the BBQ Pit represents the local of South Carolina,” Sandra Sims, co-owner of Carolina Concessions said.
CAE officials say this is part of multi-year plan to improve passenger’s experiences at the airport.
“Having today’s grand opening is just one more step in this whole process and plan that we’re so excited about has been accomplished but it’s always something that we’re going to look to continuously grow on for the focus of our passengers,” Crafton said.