LAX Looks to Land Some Appetizing Additions

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Los Angeles International Airport isn’t known for a diverse and yummy assortment of restaurants and retail shops, but that could be changing soon.

Most of the current concession contracts are due to expire at the end of next year, prompting airport officials to request bids for food, beverage and retail services at 42 sites in terminals 4, 5, 7 and 8. Proposals are due in about two weeks. It would be the first major change in concessionaires in 14 years.

“Los Angeles is overdue in issuing proposals compared to most airports, which do so every seven to 10 years,” said Amy Shaw, an official overseeing the process for Los Angeles World Airports, the L.A. city entity that runs the airport.

“It’s important to keep in step with the market trends and what we are looking for are tenants that provide great services at a reasonable price in harmony with the rest of how our airport looks and operates.”

One requirement concessionaires need to be aware of: The airport is expecting meal and food prices to be no more than 15 percent higher than what is charged outside the airport.

Unite Here Local 11, the union representing 1,400 workers at the current concessionaires, also is keeping a close eye on what companies apply, and union members have told the airport’s board of commissioners at recent meetings that treatment of workers should be a factor in their decision-making.

“We are the first people to greet visitors when they arrive in Los Angeles,” said union member Marlene Mendoza, a food service worker at HMS Host. “We want to make sure that any new company who comes into the airport will respect the standards we have set.”

One company, Buffalo, N.Y.-based Delaware North Cos., has been in a tussle with the union over its wage scale at Ontario Airport, which also is owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports.

Unite Here claims that Delaware North, one of the nation’s largest airport food service companies, is not paying living wages as required by all city of L.A. contractors.

Delaware North has not confirmed it will apply for the concession agreements, but Kurt Clausen, general manager of the company’s LAX operations, said the company just signed a national master agreement with Unite Here, and is very confident that any issues at Ontario will be resolved.

Another round of bidding for concessions in terminals 1, 3 and 6 is expected by the end of the year, to be followed by offers taken for the same business at Tom Bradley International Terminal and Terminal 2 by the end of 2010.


Hailing a Text

For those hoping to get a taxi but don’t want to yell over all that bar noise, a local cab company has the answer in text message form.

Gardena-based Administrative Services Co-op, which manages Yellow Cab, South Bay Yellow Cab, Long Beach Yellow Cab, United Checker and Fiesta Taxi, is the first licensed taxi company in Los Angeles to offer patrons the option of texting instead of calling for a cab.

Since its launch last month, General Manager William Rouse said the program has been successful at improving the percentage of times that callers and drivers are able to find each other. Historically, with phone orders, that rate is 83 percent, but with a text message that has risen to 90 percent as patrons can get text updates from dispatchers on the taxi’s location.

The service, managed by San Diego-based GoFastCab.com, is free and can be used by texting 777222 (777CAB).


Deal Done to Scale

The San Pedro Fish Market has operated in its location along the waterfront near the Port of Los Angeles for more than 30 years, offering retail and wholesale fish, and ready-to-eat seafood and port officials want to keep it that way.

The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners recently approved a five-year lease for the eatery, which occupies 10,501 square feet of land and 15,752 square feet of water at Berth 78 at the Ports O’ Call Village.

“The Fish Market has been the place to go for fresh fish in the harbor area,” said Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the port of in a statement. “Its employees and fish lovers, not to mention hungry port staff, will take comfort in knowing its doors will remain open here in Ports O’ Call.”

The Fish Market employs 135 full- and part-time workers and seats as many as 2,000 customers for indoor and waterside dining.




News and notes

Long Beach Councilman Gary DeLong has been elected chairman of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority. DeLong succeeds Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who will now serve as the group’s vice chairwoman. Jacqueline Yaft has been hired as deputy executive director for operations and emergency management at Los Angeles World Airports. Yaft was previously at the Denver International Airport, where she held the position of assistant deputy manager of aviation.




Staff Reporter Francisco Vara-Orta can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 549-5225, ext. 241.

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