New restaurants land at airports and train stations

Hungry? Yo!Sushi serves Japanese food at Union Station in Washington D.C.

By Mark Chesnut

The days when eating airport food meant strange encounters with bizarrely branded food are long gone. Name-brand food and restaurants are continuing to expand their presence in major transportation hubs, making meal time an easier decision for harried travelers.

In the latest news for on-the-go gourmands, Tasti D-Lite will begin selling its sweet treats at Baltimore-Washington International Airport later this year (the first time the chain has operated in an airport terminal), while Planet Smoothie will debut at the same co-branded facility. And at Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport, travelers will soon be able to indulge in Fresh To Order products at the Concourse B food court. Washington D.C.’s Union Station, meanwhile, is now home to Yo!Sushi, which serves — you guessed it — sushi, using the popular conveyer-belt method.

Across the pond, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver opened his first airport restaurant in July, in the North Terminal of London’s Gatwick airport. The new facility is, in fact a group of branded eateries, including Jamie’s Italian Bakery, which serves food to take on the plane, Jamie’s Italian Bakery and Union Jacks Bar, which specializes in British cuisine.

Even Denny’s, the popular purveyor of classic plates of Americana, has made its debut near the tarmac. In June, the chain opened its first-ever airport location, in the food court at Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Elsewhere in the Caribbean, Johnny Rockets serves similarly star-striped cuisine atmultiple locations at Cancun International Airport. It appears that travel really does shrink the globe.

Related resources

• Caribbean vacations
• Cheap Baltimore flights
• Cheap London flights
• Washington D.C. flights

Mark Chesnut is a travel writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America. He recommends carrying peanut-butter crackers, just in case.

Tagged: Caribbean