In June, What Now San Diego shared news of the announcement by San Diego International Airport of the first approved group of concessionaires at the new Terminal 1 to be operated by High Flying Foods will include Puesto, Parakeet Cafe, Kettner Exchange, Lofty Coffee Co., Cutwater Spirits, and Mostra Coffee.
High Flying Foods currently operates Banker’s Hill and The Counter in the current Terminal One space, along with Stone Brewing, Phil’s BBQ, Saffron Thai Kitchen, and Pannikin Coffee in Terminal Two.
Today, the San Diego Airport Advisory Board published a press release with details of its official approval of the next round of restaurants which will include more brands operated by High Flying Foods.
The newly-announced brands selected to fill the 32,000 square feet of food and beverage space include Better Buzz, Understory Bar & Restaurant, NOVO Brazil Brewing, Taco Stand, Ambrosio 15, Herb & Air, El Pez Kitchen & Sushi, and Chick-fil-A.
Earlier this summer, What Now San Diego caught up with High Flying Foods President, Kevin Westlye, who shared the business has been building multiple San Diego-focused food and beverage packages to introduce in the new terminal for the past two years.
“We wanted restaurants that are representative of the city. We look for iconic brands but there’s also a place for younger companies that are more up-and-coming,” Westlye explained.
High Flying Foods takes its representation of each brand seriously, dedicating time to learn from the company directly to introduce its brand culture and foundational recipes to new audiences traveling through San Diego International Airport.
Some of its standout concepts will include Herb & Air, a 1,629-square-foot eatery by San Diego celebrity chef Brian Malarkey, a 2,000-square-foot outpost of NOVO Brewing and Brazilian Kitchen, and a 1,509-square-foot bar and visual attraction, Understory Bar, a reimagining of the Del Mar Sky Deck craft cocktail bar.
High Flying Foods is still in the early stages of planning the new group of concepts, which Westlye states should be ready to begin the buildout when the shell of the building is complete in Early 2025. Site plans outline Parakeet Cafe, Better Buzz, Cutwater Spirits, Lofty Coffee Co., Taco Stand, Herb & Air, and Ambrosio 15 are expected to open in 2025. Kettner Exchange, Mostra Coffee, Puesto, Understory Bar & Restaurant, NOVO Brewing, El Pez Kitchen & Sushi, and Chick-fil-A are projected to open in 2028.
