Jul 24, 2025

HMSHost Expands Partnership with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport under New 10-year Contract

HMSHost will debut local favorites Velvet Taco and La La Land Kind Café at DFW and operate Nékter Juice Bar’s first location in a U.S. airport

BETHESDA, Maryland (July 24, 2025) – Global restaurateur HMSHost, part of Avolta AG (SIX: AVOL) and a world leader in creating dining for travel venues, announced today it is growing its partnership with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), winning a 10-year contract to bring three new dining options to Terminals B and C. The new restaurants will represent several firsts: the DFW debut for Dallas-based Velvet Taco and La La Land Kind Café, as well as the first U.S. airport location for Nékter Juice Bar.

Beginning later this year, HMSHost will open the locations across more than 3,000 ft² of concessions space at DFW, which remains the world’s third busiest airport for passenger traffic after serving nearly 90 million passengers in 2024. The new concessions align with the airport's historic $12-billion capital plan — DFW Forward — which is underway and set to transform the customer experience and plan for the future with monumental expansions and upgrades across the airport.

Two Dallas Fort Worth favorites will land soon: Velvet Taco in Terminal C and La La Land Kind Café in Terminal B. Beloved for its bold, adventurous flavors, Velvet Taco will offer travelers a mouthwatering menu of tacos, including vegetarian and gluten-free options, quesadillas, chips and queso, elote, margaritas, and hand-crafted cocktails. La La Land Kind Café will serve a rotating selection of drip coffee alongside the brand’s signature espresso drinks and matcha beverages, as well as tea, toast, paninis, and pastries.

Also coming soon to Terminal B, Southern California-based Nékter Juice Bar will bring DFW travelers a refreshing taste of wellness with its signature smoothies, acai bowls, and bottled juices — each crafted with real ingredients, fresh fruit, and functional superfoods.

“We share DFW’s vision to create a traveler-centric experience through an enhanced food and beverage offering, and we are grateful to have been awarded the opportunity to be a part of this journey,” said Steve Johnson, President and CEO, North America, Avolta. “Visitors to DFW come from around the world, so we very thoughtfully partnered with brands that will appeal to the vast tastes and preferences of these travelers. They also contribute to creating a unique culinary experience at DFW that will excite guests — making them happier along their journey.”

Digital technology will be an essential part of these new dining venues, with in-store technology such as self-order kiosks, digital menu boards, and self-checkout, helping to create a frictionless journey for guests. Travelers will also be able to enjoy all the benefits of the Club Avolta loyalty program, gaining access to exclusive offers and cross-promotions.

In 2025, Airport Experience News named DFW the “Airport with the Best Overall Concessions Program” at its annual AX Awards. HMSHost currently operates more than 20 dining venues at DFW, including California Pizza Kitchen, Starbucks, Plum Market, Lorena Garcia Tapas y Cocina, Dallas Cowboys Club, and Love Shack, which was voted one of the top 10 Best Airport Grab-And-Go Food by travelers in USA TODAY’s 2023 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

HMSHost will operate the three new locations with six Dallas-Fort Worth-based entrepreneurs and certified Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) partners: Maria Newman (NN Concessions, LLC); Robert Fernandez (Fernandez & Company, P.C.); Carl Ellis (Cavillis, LLC); Tracy German (Tracy Cake Incubator Retail, LLC); Frank Howell (F. Howell Ltd); and Gilbert Aranza (Java Star, Inc.).