Dining Design
Delivering the ‘wow factor’ to dining at London Luton
One of the most eye-catching and ambitious commercial design projects in UK aviation is taking shape at London Luton Airport today.
A former Frankie & Benny’s ground floor outlet run by concessionaire TRG is being transformed into a split-level American-style diner and loft bar named Sanford’s, developed just for this location (see renderings).
Aiming high: Sanford’s sports diner and loft bar concept is among the most ambitious F&B projects at any UK airport today (Images: TRG Concessions)
It involves a combined £8 million investment from the airport shareholders [the airport is owned by the local council and operated by a consortium led by AENA and InfraBridge -Ed] and TRG, with capacity for 500 guests. The 900sq m space will be handed over to the operator for fitout on 1 June after initial reconstruction, with opening slated for early December.
“Frankie & Benny’s served us well but the offer needed refreshing and that family market is an important one for us,” says London Luton Airport Head of Retail & Surface Access Mark Jennings. “The downstairs will be more family-led and the loft bar upstairs aimed at couples and small groups who want light bites and a drink.
“We wanted to grow F&B and our space planning showed us the opportunity to add around 500sq m here as we move towards 18 million passengers a year and beyond (from just over 16 million in 2023). It will be a vast space with wonderful natural light flooding in through glass panels on the mezzanine, with views outside and to the departures area below.
Sanford’s American diner and loft bar entrance area sketch
“We are working closely with TRG from the design to the menu. Given the joint investment our shareholders are taking a close interest in every aspect of the project. It’s a statement location and reflects our shareholder view that experiences will shape the future at airports.”
The new loft-style outlet complements a range of other dining and retail developments at London Luton Airport, covered in detail in a recent on-location interview. Click here for more.
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The Moodie Davitt eZine Issue 332 | 8 March 2024
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