In the News

Founding Farmers and Timber Pizza Co. are coming to Reagan National Airport.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority on Wednesday announced the restaurant and retail slate for its new 14-gate northern concourse, which is expected to open in 2021.

In total, the new concourse (which is replacing loathed Gate 35X) will include six new concessions, including:

• Elevation Burger, operated by Nagaria Enterprises LLC
• Founding Farmers, operated by Founding Farmers and Baldi Management Group
• Mezeh Mediterranean Grill, operated by Mezeh DCA LLC and MEM Concessions
• Peet’s Coffee, operated by MCA/TH/ACP JV and ATL Concessionaire Co. LLC
• P.F. Chang’s, operated by MCA/TH/ACP JV and ATL Concessionaire Co. LLC
• Timber Pizza Co., operated by Jackmont Hospitality and Baldi Management Group

Elevation Burger, Founding Farmers, Mezeh Mediterranean and Timber Pizza Co. are all based in Greater Washington. Founding Farmers and Mezeh Mediterranean appear to be the only ones to have a big hand in the forthcoming airport operations. Restaurateurs typically license their brands to airport concessionaires.

Along with the new food options, WH Smith USA retail will open new convenience shops under the names Capitol File and WH Smith Café in the concourse and security checkpoints. Additionally, WH Smith will operate a new souvenir retailer. InMotion Entertainment, a technology retailer, will also have a location in the new concourse — its second in the airport.

The new restaurants and retailers were selected through a competitive bidding process and will be managed by Marketplace Development, MWAA’s concessions manager.

The new concourse is part of Reagan National’s $1 billion “Project Journey,” which includes the construction of the new concourse and two new security checkpoints.

The new checkpoints will be in front of, rather than behind, National Hall — meaning the shopping and dining within the hall will no longer be open to nonflyers, but passengers will have more freedom to roam the airport once through the checkpoints.

The effort is scheduled to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2021, roughly six months late, due to unforeseen underground conditions, weather and design changes, the Washington Business Journal reported in October.