Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) plans to double its restaurants and attract more local representation through a new concessions program to kick off next year.
"The new concessions program will deliver an immersive Palm Springs and Coachella Valley experience for locals and tourists alike," Harry Barrett, the airport's executive director of Aviation, said in a recent PSP press release.
Phase 1 of the project is anticipated to be completed by fall of 2023 with all locations open to both locals and tourists, the release said. Phase 2 is set to begin in May of 2024. There will be both culinary and a retail elements built into the plans.
“Our new concessions program will be transformative," Barrett said. "Our staff has spent countless hours working with the Airport Commission and community stakeholders to ensure that a local feel and sense of place will be created at PSP."
One of the airport's additions will be the Palm Springs Farmer's Market, offering local gourmet foods and snacks; the release said. Trio, El Mirasol and Coachella Valley Coffee Co. are a few of the new local restaurants envisioned for PSP.
Plans to move forward with renovations came after the Palm Springs City Council awarded dual 10-year contracts to two concessionaire companies. The current restaurant operator, Paradies Lagardère (Paradies), received a contract aimed at doubling the number of restaurants at the city-owned airport. The second contractor, Marshall Retail Group, will be responsible for the renovation of the airport's retail spaces.
All existing locations are set to be supplanted by new concepts that join both local and national brands, the release said. Paradies will be constructing the new restaurants in two phases, with Phase 1 projected to begin in February. The first phase will include construction of El Mirasol and Coachella Valley Coffee Co. at the Celebrity Bistro site, which has been closed since the onset of COVID-19.
During this phase, significant changes are envisioned for the RJ Concourse, with Nine Cities Craft taking the place of the restaurant there and being joined by Half Moon Empanadas. Buzz By Bar Fly, currently at RJ, will reopen with a fully re-imagined design in the center of the Sonny Bono Concourse, and that concourse will feature three restaurants, with all locations open in fall of 2023.
Phase 2 of Paradies' construction will be undertaken in 2024, starting in May with a year-end completion. Phase 2 will see the replacement of the PSP Coffee House and Wine Bar with Paradies' own Vino Volo that is featured at several other airports around the U.S. During this phase, Trio will displace the Santa Rosa Kitchen in the Sonny Bono Concourse, but both the Santa Rosa Kitchen and PSP Coffee House and Wine Bar will remain open during the Phase 1 construction.
Meanwhile, Marshall Retail Group will launch its Phase 1 in July 2023 and finish in October, the release said. Marshall will be opening six retail shops and PSP's first duty-free shopping experience. The shops will include Uptown Essentials—which will have Amazon Just Walk Out Shopping—as well as the Palm Springs Art Museum, Minty's Breeze Blocks, Desert Supreme, Raven's Hearth and TKB Bakery & Deli.
Marshall also plans to create features that showcase the Joshua Tree National Park, a concept called "Hey Joshua," along with an installation called "Mojave Oasis" that pays tribute to "the relaxation and resort lifestyle that Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley are famous for," the release said. Both projects will include local vendors with items ranging from travel essentials to tech accessories. In addition, Mojave Oasis will offer an outdoor patio area called The Backyard Retreat with a seasonal coffee and ice cream truck named The Shoppe Ice Cream.