HOUSTON — You can add restauranteur to Simone Biles' already impressive list of accomplishments. The Spring, Texas native and her partners are opening a new restaurant at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in north Houston.
A Taste of Gold "will feature vibrant, bold flavors of world-class and elevated cuisine."
Editor's note: The press release initially said it would be a Tex-Mex restaurant but later issued a clarification and said the type of cuisine hasn't been finalized yet.
Houston Airports said. Restaurant industry innovator Mark Brezinski will create signature food and beverage items designed to "wow" every traveler, according to Houston Airport Systems.
“I am a foodie at heart and our hope with Taste of Gold is to offer a beautiful dining experience that features award-winning, signature menu items with some of my favorite flavors sprinkled in for our guests," Biles said in a statement.
Biles is teaming up with The Playmakers Group which operates celebrity-athlete-themed restaurants in major domestic and international airports.
Widely considered the world's best gymnast and one of the greatest athletes of all time, Biles is fresh off the Paris Olympics where she won three gold medals and a silver.
Her resume includes three-time Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, the youngest recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and named to TIME's 100 Most Influential People and Forbes' 30 Under 30 just to name a few.
“We join the millions of people around the world who find inspiration in Simone Biles, an athlete who continues to raise the bar while achieving success and defying expectations," said Francisco Cuellar, Chief Commercial Development Officer for Houston Airports.
Bush Airport welcomed over 46 million passengers in 2023 and ranked among the Top 10 World’s Best Airport Dining Experiences in 2024, according to Skytrax.
“Bush Airport is proud to offer one of the top airport culinary experiences in the world and it’s only going to get better,” Cuellar vowed.
The airport has set a high bar of expectations for Taste of Gold with a list of lofty goals.
- Achieve exceptional customer service and offer a five-star experience
- Encourage innovative, unique and exciting concepts
- Showcase Houston as a premier, world-class destination
- Create a sense of place within the airport
Taste of Gold is under construction in IAH Terminal A, near Gate A8, and it's scheduled to open in early 2025.